 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2015
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2015 NEW ZEALAND OAKS
Natalie Rasmussen take a bow. Three horrible barrier draws in three major races. It's not the most appealing of prospects for a driver when they are heading into a big night of racing. Yet, although she was initially concerned with what looked on paper to be horrid luck, Rasmussen remained unmoved and went about the challenge as though it was a normal night at the races.
"When the barrier draws came out I thought I would be stretching it to win one race," Rasmussen laughed. "Racing can be funny sometimes things have worked out really well for me all night."
Rasmussen's night began with a training victory alongside her partner Mark Purdon when Northern Velocity won the Sales Series Final. She then picked up her first success on two-year-old trotter High Gait. Hampered at the start after beginning from one on the second row the unbeaten filly then looked a forlorn hope at the top of the straight before unleashing a devastating final sprint to run past all in front of her. "She probably didn't have any right to win that from where we were. But that's the thing with her she just goes out and gives her best, she's such a game wee girl."
Arguably Rasmussen saved her best driving effort for the night's biggest assignment, the New Zealand Oaks. Her drive on Fight For Glory, who is owned by Diane Cournane, Dean Illingworth, Anne Gibbs, Mrs L Tucker and Gary and John Tate was inch-perfect. Yes, she managed to get around at the slowest part of the race after getting off the fence from her one on the second line barrier draw, but her timing and decision making was superb and when she cut Fight For Glory loose at the 400 metre mark she put the race beyond doubt. "I couldn't really see where anyone was, but I knew that The Orange Agent would be tracking into the race so I decided to go for broke."
Credit: Matt Markham writing in Harnessed June 2015