 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2013
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2013 GLENFERRIE FARM 4&5YO TROTTERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Small fields can result in intriguing tactical battles which make them the most difficult to win and we certainly saw a great example of this last Friday night in the Glenferrie Farm 4&5yo Trotters Championship at Addington.
With 5-year-olds included for the first time, this was still a disappointing eight horse field to start with, but when Cyclone U Bolt fluffed the start badly along with both 10m starters in Pretty Sunday and Trip's On Me, and then Monnay made a mistake later, it was effectively down to a three-horse war.
Stant led easily from 20m but Colin De Filippi soon handed up to Phil's Gift, retaking a short time later. Springbank Sam, a noted sit-sprinter, then movedfrom third a lap out to sit parked and 'stuck it' to Stent with a sharp quarterdown the back. De Filippi later explained that if he'd stayed where he was, Nathan Williamson was likely to hand up to brother Matthew with Springbank Sam at some point sooner or later, and Stent would have been three-back in a sprint for home.
Matthew Williamson didn't want to be in the same predicament with De Filippi allowed to dictate however, so he wanted to be handier and in a position to control the speed better, but Springbank Sam over-raced once in clear air. "He settles good in behind and I didn't want to go up to Colin, but he has a mind of his own," said Matthew.
All this left Stent and Springbank Sam as sitting ducks and the benefactor was Phil's Gift, who had again made his own luck by stepping sharply from the unruly mark off 20m. He took the passing lane with purpose to nab Stent by half a length as they trotted the last quarter slower than the penultimate one. Springbank Sam just battled the last bit and Sunny Kash had gamely but vainly chased them around for fourth money.
This completed a great week for Phil's Gift, who had likewise upset Springbank Sam the previous week after being set for the Group 3 race by trainer Marray Tapper, whose brother Kim shares in the ownership with Mike Hynes, Peter Parker and Ray Scott, all of South Canterbury.
This was Phil's Gift's eigth win and apart from being third in last year's Jewels, where he was beaten a neck, this was easily their best week and biggest result. The Sundon gelding picked up $20,000 for his weekly efforts and took his overall stakes past $66,000 after the brother to top mare Jasmyn's Gift had been purchased at the Premier Sale for $18,000. "That's put him well into the Jewels again now, so we'll start next week and then give him a wee break with the Jewels in mind," said Murray Tapper. "I think these Sundons are better when they're a bit silly".
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 27Mar13