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Meredith Wilson presents the Cup to Margaret Gibson

Pompallier has the high ground as New Zealand's best trotter after a handsome win in the $100,000 Southern Trust Dominion Handicap.

But there in one getting the same view. Jasmyn's Gift ran the race of her life to finish third, behind Major Decision, after a break that cost her 50 or 60 metres but probably more. She would have given Pompallier an awful scare had she stepped and been part of the bunch. She caught them at the 1800m, and went forward almost immediately.

Colin De Filippi, who had replaced Brosnan in the sulky at the suggestion of the owners, was well placed four-back on the outer, but left that cover and took the lead off Major Decision at he 1200m. From there, Pompallier was on a winning rein. Jasmyn's Gift produced not the run of the race but the run of the meeting. But ability is little comfort without manners, and they stood to Pompallier and Major Decision.

Brosnan was not dismayed when the decision was made by part-owners Margaret Gibson and his wife Julija after Pompallier's Show Day sixth to see if De Filippi would handle the horse. He needed to be released from Paris Metro, which John Parsons happily agreed to. Brosnan and De Filippi have combined before, De Filippi winning with Trojan while Brosnan was still in South Canterbury and with Gee Sixty Eight since he's been in the north. The Brosnans, Margaret and her husband Noel have been neighbours for many years, the Gibsons having bought the adjacent property when they originally settled at Ardmore.

Pompallier was bred by the Brosnans after buying Armbro Gold, who was one of a number of horses advertised by John Curtin in a dispersal sale. She was a winning Armbro Del mare from the family of Local Light, and she'd been breeding by the time the Brosnans got her. "I'd had a good run with Castle Derg, Kilat and Jenlight who were all by Local Light, so that was a factor. And as she was related to Best Bets, who was a very good trotter for Eddie Cowie," he said.

Sent to Tricky Dick, Armbro Gold left Baltic Flight, the dam of Inter-Dominion Grand Final winner, Baltic Eagle, which the Brosnans sold after two starts for a fourth and a first. Since leaving Pompallier to Sundon, Armbro Gold has left him a sister, seven years younger, and is grazing at Carl Middleton's. She is 27 and perhaps past breeding successfully again, but Brosnan said "we might give her one more go".

Brosnan says Pompallier is an easy horse to work with, but he's "useless" if he gets fired up. "I always work him on his own. It's a privilege to have a horse like this. Along with No Response, he's the best horse I've had," he said.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

Pompallier & Jack Smolenski win from Some Direction

The late scratching of Play On through injury before he went on to the track and a punctured tyre Allegro Agitato had to pull for 2000 metres may have been factors in the final domination Pompallier had in the Group 1 $75,000 Fred Shaw & Garry Thompson NZ Trotting Championship at Addington.

Then again, the manner in which Pompallier won and ran the mobile 2600m in 3:17.7, could have made an argument for him winning in any event. Certainly he was impressive, as he was winning the Dominion Handicap in 2005 in the hands of Colin De Filippi. Trainer Richard Brosnan came and watched that time, but he didn't last week, sending the horse to Jack Smolenski and checking on his progress and supervising his training every second day. It was possibly a chat of things in general because Smolenski, now 73, has been round a few good horses in his time, and his record in the big-time is more than bedtime reading.

Pompallier was sent south after running second to Braig on Auckland Cup Night. Brosnan thought he was near his best again, and told Smolenski that. "Richard said he was getting back to where he was, and he felt good in the work he did for me," he said.

Smolenski drove him with confidence, sending him on a stayer's run from the 1200m that took him alongside pacemaker Cracker Nova at the 700m. He pressed on, gradually at first, and then with a clear lead as he turned in. The chasers were not chasing well at this stage. Some Direction was holding her place, but Allegro Agitato and Cracker Nova were battling, and Idle Wishes was finding the others out with a stout, late run that would take her into fourth. Pompallier's 3:17.7 and mile rate of 2:02.3 was still well short of Lyell Creek's NZ record of 3:14.3. Pompallier is now back home, another 9-year-old with a feature trot to his credit this season.

He gave Sundon the race trifecta, a result the great sire also achieved two races later in the NZ Trotting Derby.

A champion driver, and still one of the best, Smolenski has driven more top trotters than trained. With Al Mundy, who won his first race for C G Haugh and six for 'Ginger' Bourne, Smolenski won the Ordeal Cup from Mighty Dollar and Black Frost and three other races. He recalled driving Game Paul when he was favourite for the Dominion Handicap, and thought he was unlucky running second to Tussle with Melvander in an Inter-Dominion Grand Final. He did well with Johnny Fling, and finished second in a Dominion Handicap with Rosie O'Grady. His call-up for more of the Easter race specials at Addington will continue this week when he handles Gimme A Break in the Easter Cup. This is a big ask for the young horse, especially when ageless warriors like Sly Flyin show no sign of leaving the front line. Put Jack Smolenski in that category, too.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 4Apr07