The first of the group races on tonights big night of harness racing at Alexandra Park was the $55,000 Lone Star Riccarton Sires Stakes Championship and it looked to be a two horse battle once the draw came out with Speeding Spur drawing beautifully at three with arch rival Prince Fearless at four.
However all that changed 100 metres after the start when Prince Fearless went into a wild gallop losing all chance.
Josh Dickie worked the Pegasus Spur colt to the front after 300 metres from Habibti Ivy and Blair Orange who settled into the trail on the favourites back
The rest of the field were in Indian file apart from Monbet and Ricky May who slowly worked their way forward to sit on the wheel of Speeding Spur with 800 metres to go.
Josh upped the tempo with Speeding Spur down the back the last time but Monbet stuck with him and was still on his wheel as they turned for home.
All the way up the straight Monbet slowly took ground off Speeding Spur but come the finishing line was still a nose back with Habibti Ivy making ground up the passing lane to be only a 1/2 neck away in third.
Josh was happy to have won the $55,000 feature but thought Speeding Spur wasn't 100% on his game tonight.
" He didn't really switch on tonight like he can and was gawking about down the back straight."
" With so many big races coming up we haven't done that much with him and didn't take him to the trials last Saturday so he will improve on tonight's run next week."
" They were getting really close late but his way of racing with his neck stuck out helped in the end," Josh said.
Monbet went huge in second and is a live chance next week to reverse the result if he can just for once draw inside Speeding Spur and Prince Fearless.
Harnesslink Media