 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2000
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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Godsun picked a fine time to break through for his maiden success when he took out the $50,000 PGG NZ Yearling Sales 3yo Trot.
In what was a virtual replay of their previous clash on the course, except in the reverse order, Godsun and Colin De Filippi staved off the game challenge of Flip Flop to pocket almost $27,000 plus trophies in his seventh raceday start. And the success was fully deserved after Godsun had sat parked outside Cambridge visitor Classic Wizzer Dee before going on to score by a neck in 2:28.1, which bettered Sunning's national record by over a second.
It was by far the biggest payday for Ashburton trainer Tony Soal, who races the Chiola Hanover chestnut with Neil Scott, a semi retired Ashburton sheep farmer, and a long way from the day when the latter watched the gelding get passed in at the sales for $2500. "I had gone to the sales with no intention of buying a horse," recalls Scott. "This fellow caught my eye, but I thought he would go for over $10,000. When he was passed in, I went back to Ian (Cameron, vendor) on the second day and asked if he had been sold," he added. When Cameron said no, business was quickly done.
For Soal, who has been training on his own account for about 10 years after working for Pat O'Reilly, this was his biggest moment in what is a belated career. His previous best horse was the trotter Alias Al, who won seven without threatening open class. "I have not had a lot to work with and certainly 'no big money men' until Neil came along," said Soal with a grin. However, Soal's training rates have kept him ticking over with owners to a point where he has not ony Godsun, but at least another dozen in work to keep him busy.
For Scott, Godsun also provided him with his biggest thrill, although he can claim a 1/25th share in the NZ Cup won by Soundoration at Riccarton a few years ago. More recently, Soal and Scott have had some measure of success with two previous yearling sale purchases in Motu Mister Fame and Ado's Lucky Dip, but in Godsun they have much to look forward to after last week had looked rather grim. "You would not have given two bob for him the way he worked on Monday," said Soal. "He has had a skin problem, but I changed his feed, and he worked a lot better on Wednesday," he added.
Soal said he always believed Godsun had the potential to be a very good horse and it was just a matter of time. "He has always had the speed, it was just a matter of getting his head right. Early on, we had a trotter by Sundon which looked by far the better, but this fellow has really put it together just lately. He will line up in the Trotting Stakes now, but I will probably send him for a spell after that. He needs more time and I don't think you will see the best of him for another six months yet. The Sundon horse is at home in a paddock right now, but I guess it is time to bring him back in now," said Soal.
Godsun proved the first leg of a notable treble for the inform De Filippi. Before long, De Filippi had also won the fourth heat of the Civic Video Sires' Stakes Series with Miami Beach and expertly used the passing lane to have Special Force home with ease in the $30,000 NZ Trotting Championship in what was his first win since Europe.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 19Apr00