It seems as though Victorian trainer Neil Dyer has unearthed another future star in the NT following the comprehensive win by Hettinger in the $30,000 Katherine Cup (1700m) on Saturday.
The half-brother to Kaonic – fourth (2021) and second (2022) in the Darwin Cup – hadn’t won a race after 16 starts in Queensland, NSW and Victoria before Dyer brought him to the NT.
The five-year-old gelding has thrived ever since, and to win the Katherine Cup by almost seven and a half lengths with a leg in the air sealed his ticket as far as returning to the NT next year.
Jumping as a $4.60 hope with online bookmakers, Hettinger shared the lead with Phil Cole’s Afternoon Tea in the early stages of the Katherine Cup, and they were well clear of Gary Clarke’s stablemates Vallabar, who won the race last year, and $3 favourite Influential Jack along the back straight.
Down the side and with 600m to go, Hettinger hit the front with a burst of speed, and by the 400m he was easily five lengths clear and the race was as good as over.
Turning for home and with 350m to go, the son of I Am Invincible was in front by six lengths, and although Vallabar gave chase, Hettinger was never in danger of defeat as Canberra-based jockey Aaron Sweeney cruised past the winning post.
Vallabar held on for second, while Chris Pollard’s $11 hope All Hard Wood, who was easily a dozen lengths behind in last place with 700m to go, rallied late to finish a further three lengths away in third place.
Katherine Cup 2023 replay – Hettinger
It marked Dyer’s second Katherine Cup, following the win by Mywordsaidthebird in 2017, and brought a fitting close to Hettinger’s first NT campaign, which also included a maiden win at Alice Springs and two more at Darwin.
It was yet another feature win for Sweeney, who was aboard Munster in the Jaytex Construction Cup before partnering the Dick Leech-trained Early Crow to victory in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) during the Darwin Cup Carnival.
Meanwhile, trainers Chris Pollard and Phil Cole and jockeys Adam Nicholls and Jarrod Todd ended Katherine Cup Day with winning doubles.
Darwin apprentice Emma Lines also had her first win at her first Katherine appearance.
Pollard celebrated a win with the in-form Go Bundle over 1700m with Nicholls in the saddle, while $6 hope Hello Hollywood posted his first win after 13 attempts by taking out the 1000m maiden.
Go Bundle has won two of his past six starts and only once has he missed a place.
Cole was all smiles when $4.20 chance Sedona won his first race since saluting in Alice Springs last September, before $7.50 contender Great Boulder made it two wins from 22 starts by getting home over 1300m after giving the leaders a big head start.
Nicholls’ other win was on The Albion ($6.50) for trainer Peter Stennett, while leading Top End jockey Todd kicked off the meeting with a win on Pocket Pistol ($4.40) for trainer Tayarn Halter.
It’s never easy picking winners on Katherine Cup Day highlighted by the fact that not one favourite won on the seven-event program.
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