CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Allegro Agitato wins the FFA from Play On, Major Decision & Some Direction

Justin Smith and Craig Thornley know that Ricky May is the form runner of the NZ Cup carnival. They also know he is on a good thing to add the Group 1 trot to his Group 1 Pace.

May won the NZ Cup with Mainland Banner last week and is cheerily placed with Allegro Agitato to win Friday Night's $100,000 Dominion Handicap. The Sundon mare is likely to be favourite after leading throughout and holding off Play On and the trailing Major Decision in the $50,000 NZ Free-For-All on Show Day.

Smith finished fourth in the race with Some Direction, less than a length and a half from Allegro Agitato, and Thornley ran second with Play On who closed quickly. "She had no luck whatsoever," said Smith. "She is racing as good as ever, but her form doesn't show it. The rest of them are all that even," he said.

Thornley thinks trainer Peter Lamb has Play On ready to strike again. "He feels just like he did before he won the Inter-Dominion Grand Final," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 16Nov05