First out first home.
That was the way Australian visitor Arcee Phoenix won tonight’s $600,000 TAB Trot on Cambridge’s Night of Champions.
Arcee Phoenix was fourth in the race last year and tonight Chris Svanosio, known as Snooze to his mates, wasn’t mucking around at the start. He went to the lead as leading Kiwi Oscar Bonavena sensationally galloped out of contention.
Not As Promised did the same.
Arcee Phoenix then dictated the tempo, and never really looked like getting beaten.
“It’s great to come here and win,” said Svanosio.
Queen Elida was a huge improver in finishing second. Her earnings took her past the million dollar mark, as did fourth placed Muscle Mountain.
Favourite The Locomotive sat parked throughout and was brave in finishing third.
It was the second consecutive Australian win in the big race, following Just Believe’s triumph last year.
In the support races, Kimberly Butt won the second edition of the Dorothy Cutts Invitational. She got the perfect passing lane trip with 18-to-one shot Ohoka Achilles to down favourite Iron Brigade.
Trained by Owen Gillies, it was the Art Major 10-year-old’s ninth win.
Dorothy Cutts was on course to make the presentation. She made history when she became the first woman ever to win a full totalisator race in this country, at Cambridge in 1979.
The night also featured an extra special moment for Cambridge Raceway Chief Executive Dave Branch. The Night of Champions has been a huge undertaking for Branch and his team and he was trackside with a big group of supporters as the eight-year-old gelding went to the front and starved off the challenge of Castana and favourite High Energy.
He is in the ownership group that races Romeo Foxtrot. The gelding, who is trained by Dave’s mother Susan Branch, made it career win number 12 in the Charlie Hunter Northern Championship Final Handicap Trot.
Without You upset hot favourite Beside Me in the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes 3YO Semi final while Bettors Anvil got home, paying $20, as he led and held on in the 3YO Colts and Geldings Semi Final from Greased Lightnin and hot favourite Got The Chocolates.
