 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2021
HORSES
The queen had to earn her crown and Bettor Twist did it with style when taking out the Group One New Zealand Oaks at Addington on Friday night.
Doing midrace work and sitting parked in the second-fastest ever running on the 2600m classic were of little worry to the champion Hayden Cullen trained filly as she powered to the line to again confirm her star status.
The victory was aided by a pinpoint Natalie Rasmussen drive on a night she and Cullen dominated the Addington card with dual Group One victories.
Rasmussen’s fellow leading reinswoman Samantha Ottley set up an enthralling affair and made Bettor Twist work for her second Oaks crown with positive early tactics behind her archrival La Rosa.
Sent forward early, Ottley parked the favourite early and set a strong clip in front to give her charge her shot at taking down Bettor Twist.
And while La Rosa was brilliant in second her effort wasn’t enough to hold out her star rival who thrived in her second attempt over on Oaks distance.
“La Rosa really made a race of it and our filly had to be good tonight,” Cullen said.
“And she showed how good she is.”
“She has always gone well over the shorter distances but I thought 2600m would suit her right down to the ground.”
“She really stuck to her guns the whole way and we got the job done.”
Credit : NZ Harness News, 22 May 2021, Jonny Turner
Credit: NZ Harness News