Rocknroll Magic may have confirmed her status as the likely winner of the Southern Cross Series for harness racing two-year-old fillies, but South Australia’s Hilltop Sophia, won’t allow an easy win.
Emma Stewart, trainer of Rocknroll Magic, looked to have the first semi-final in her grip as well with Celebrity Guest ($1.60 fav) in the first semi-final when the filly led from gate two.
Hilltop Sophia ($4.60), trained by Peter Bain and driven by his son Aaron, began well from gate four but couldn’t cross and sat outside the favourite.
Celebrity Guest hadn’t raced for more than a month and driver Mark Billinger nursed her early with 32.4 and 31.0 quarters before Bain decided to test the favourite.
Hilltop Sophia moved alongside and with two 29.5 final quarters the pair raced stride for stride but on the line, it was Hilltop Sophia by a short half head from Celebrity Guest with Just Wantano ($4) three metres away third.
While the winner’s effort was great, so too was the runner up which will benefit from the race, and also the third placegetter which took good ground off the front pair when they were running time.
Trainer Peter Bain said his filly would also be better for the run.
“When I took her to Melbourne earlier in the month she got off the float when we arrived home with an abscess and I thought we might not be able to have her ready,” Bain said.
“But we got her to the track and she again proved she is a good filly.”
Driver Aaron Bain said the filly has a bad habit of not being keen to get to the line and laying in over the final stages.
“She did it again tonight and if she had gone straight I could have won a bit easier,” he said.
“The good thing is that she can do it tough but with the right run she can also unleash a sprint.”
Managing owner Bruce Cameron was pleased with Celebrity Guest’s run and said she would be fitter for the final but knows it will be a tough task to beat the stablemate Rocknroll Magic which is another of his syndicated horses.
Rocknroll Magic, an unbackable $1 favourite, cruised to the front from gate six in the second semi-final and gave driver Mark Billinger an armchair drive scoring by 11 metres from Rockfromcork ($28.80) with Hilltop Rose ($14.60) a metre away third.
Billinger rated the filly perfectly with 30.3, 32.1, 32.0 and 29.3 quarters.
“I didn’t want to knock her around,” Billinger said, “she has had a bit of racing and travelling, and she needs to be right for the final.”
Bruce Cameron said Rocknroll Magic was only small but all heart and ability.
The filly is a perfect introduction for his son Henry, 15, as it is his first involvement as an owner, and for a few others in the syndicated including the Magic Sons Group managed by Brenton Thompson."
“A lot of her owners are South Australians and they will be here on Saturday night to cheer her on the final,” Cameron said.
Graham Fischer