Tim Williams now has a rich 2yo PGG Sales Open to match the 3yo one he posted with Have Faith In Me with a rather surprisingly easy win in the rich feature at Addington on Friday night. Surprisingly easy because he was so well rated.
Tim pushed Another Masterpiece hard enough early to get to the front. He dictated the terms astutely and had enough in the tank that stablemate Jesse Duke in spite of being in the one one, could not match his closing speed and in fact the winner seemed to have plenty left in the tank at the finish.
"It was not an absolute plan to go to the front but I wanted to use the draw and the thing with this horse is that he is sensible. If you ask him to go he goes but he doesn't get carried away. Doesn't take too much out of himself and eases back just when you want. That is a big help in races like this"
While the race time was a rapid 2.18.6 -last year The Devil's Own came from off the pace to win in 2.16.5-it was also three seconds faster than Lazarus in 2015-it was the style of the win which suggested Another Masterpiece might be a well named youngster. Tim added to a night to remember by winning the Driver's Challenge even though Nathan steered Semirarmide to a late run to run Tim down in the last. Semiramide is raced in partnership by Natalie's parents Cheryl and Vic Rasmussen, Cheryl's second win on the night.
Jesse Duke got the run of the race but was unable to run his stablemate down.
"I was not disappointed with him. Everyone is rating him on that huge run at Auckland but those sort of performances can be misleading. As I said in the preview there is nothing much between these two so the result was not a surprise" Mark said
"He was doing his best at the turn but it was just too much for him to make up"
Mark underlined how horses develop at different rates.
"I would guess Another Masterpiece was about No 4 among them at home five months or so ago but he has kept stepping up!"
Mark's son Nathan who had his own big moment last night, drove Another Masterpiece in work and recalled that he was a "quiet achiever"
"You didn't get much of a feel that he was special but he always did the times he was set and seemed to do them with a bit up his sleeve"
While the KENNARD SYNDICATES are active at the Yearling Sales and would be expected to play a role in races like this, they have won four of the last six editions of the race. And how about famed thoroughbred trainer, Jim Gibbs and his wife Anne ? This was their third win in the race since 2014. Quite incredible.
The Kennard syndicate who race Another Masterpiece including familiar faces like Kennards, Breckons. Gibbs and Woodhams. -All Stars Photo
The modern run of success in the race for All Stars started with Isaiah in 2013 followed by Alta Orlando who won for the Gibbs and Neil Pilcher the following year. By coincidence he won last night also. Lazarus and More The Bettor and The Devil's Own have been the other recent winners but Western Cullen had won for Mark and Grant Payne in 2011.
Harnesslink
Courtesy of All Stars Website
http://www.allstarsracingstables.com/