Harness racing driver Kirstin Barclay adopted a ‘catch me if you can’ approach in Sunday's feature trot at the annual Riverton Trotting Club meeting at Ascot Park.
Starting against higher assessed square gaiters, she made the most of her front line draw and took Somethings Burning straight to the lead where she stayed.
“With the good one behind you, you had to make the head start count. It makes it harder for them to catch up,” she said.
Throughout the 2700 metre handicap event she maintained a good margin over a chasing bunch and the closest the field got was at the finish when Robbie Royale ran home for second, two lengths behind Somethings Burning.
“Up the back I thought she was starting to get a wee bit tired but the others had to do a wee bit to catch her. She was doing it easily enough at the end.”
Somethings Burning’s time was 3-28.2. The track and Southland record for four year old and older mares of 3-26.7 is held by Dark Horse. The time however was a new race record erasing Father Christmas’s 2017 time of 3-29.0.
When I spoke to Barclay on Wednesday she wasn’t talking up her chances against a strong field but her opinion changed the following day.
“After I spoke to you her work was phenomenal. I thought if she stepped we’d make a show of it.”
The Majestic Son mare generally doesn’t have a liking for the Ascot Park circuit.
“She doesn’t trot Invercargill as well as she trots other tracks. She can get round the bends okay and then knock off in the straights but today it felt as though she could hold them all the way down.”
Somethings Burning, currently under offer, is out of the one win Earl mare Fiery Filly which is a half-sister to twenty eight race winner The Fiery Ginga.
“She’s a big rangy thing. She still needs to fill out. She was lovely to drive today.”
Somethings Burning is owned by Julie Kilkelly and Kirstin Barclay and was bred by Julie’s husband Tom.
Meanwhile Winton mare Rockabilly Blues, who’s heading for motherhood, won her fourth race at Ascot Park yesterday.
The giant Rock N Roll Heaven mare bounced back after a disappointing run at the Harness Jewels to narrowly beat Bridesdale Robyn by half a head.
Rockabilly Blues beating Bridesdale Robyn – Photo Bruce Stewart
Her winning time of 2-40.8 was only 1.2 seconds outside of Royal Counsel’s track and Southland record of 2-39.6. It was the first of four winning drives for Nathan Williamson.
In the re-run of Race Two Kickupyaheels was too strong for her rivals. The original race was abandoned after Pretty Azz broke, fell and dislodged driver Alex Milne who was knocked unconscious for a period. Milne was stood down for the rest of the day.
Kickupyaheels, who’s shown potential in her previous three starts finally nailed a maiden win.
American Ideal mare Ideal Glacier also cleared maiden ranks when she won for junior driver Ellie Barron. It was the six year old mare’s tenth start.
Ideal Glacier returning to the birdcage on the new rubber matting – Photo Bruce Stewart
Washington VC gelding Whata Razzle Dazzle came with a nice run down the middle of the track to win his fourth race. He’s trained at Tahakopa by Brian Norman and was driven by Blair Orange.
Pembrook Playboy looks to have a good future in the southern three year old ranks. Trained and driven by Nathan Williamson the Bettor’s Delight colt capitalised on a nice trail behind pacemaker Hampton and won easily by a length and a quarter from Ashburton visitor Just Wondering.
The Lyndon Bond trained Tweedledee improved on his fifth on debut when he proved too good in the Bill Keast Memorial Gold Chip Final.
The Superfast Stuart four year old, driven by Nathan Williamson is owned by Bond’s father Jimmy who was one of Southland’s leading trainers and drivers in the 1980s.
The diminutive See Ya Write was the fifteenth winner for The Test Syndicate. The syndicate is made up of old rugby mates who played for the Edendale Senior team. Des Baynes who trains the three year old was also in the team.
See Ya Write winning for Blair Orange – Photo Bruce Stewart
Other winners for the syndicate have been Galactic Star, Better Buy It, Don Sebastian and Poacher.
Tairlaw Toll won the last race of the day giving Williamson his fourth winner. The Somebeachsomewhere five year old started off with Invercargill trainer Brent Shirley before returning to one of his co-breeders Brent McIntyre.
He’s out of McIntyre’s ten win mare Bonnie Lass.