It was billed as the race of the harness racing series and it didn’t disappoint.
The Empire Stallions $115,000 Vicbred Super Series Final four-year-olds, on the cusp of Grand Circuit racing, dazzled under the Tabcorp Park Melton lights, none more so than Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin trained star Ideal For Real.
Despite getting parked outside the Birchip Bull and reigning Victorian horse of the year Menin Gate, a noted fighter when in front, Ideal For Real packed too much punch in tonight’s Group 1 final and delivered a knockout 3.9-metre win over runner-up Tee Cee Bee Macray, who produced a super run rocketing home from the back, with Menin Gate boxing on gamely for third beaten 4.7m.
Driven by “Group 1 Gavin Lang”, who notched his third top-level trophy for the evening with the victory, Ideal For Real rated 1:56.1.
“We expected that’s how it would unfold in the race,” Lang said.
“He cornered so well … in the straight he wanted to make a bit of a beeline to the outside … but he’s a great little racehorse and it was a great training performance from Emma and Clayton.”
Ideal For Real (by American Ideal out of Tamara Hall) started from gate five and notched his fifth straight success this time in from five starts.
Ideal For Real has now won 11 of 19 starts for almost $300,000 in stakes.
And the future for the powerful pacer is bright, according to Lang.
“With the four-year-olds their next step is the Grand Circuit racing next year so it’s harder as we go along but I’m quite sure this little guy will take that step,” he said.
“He had too much speed for his own good when he was young. When you would show him a little bit of daylight he would try and go from A to B too quickly. He wasn’t sort of ready for that and he had a couple of little issues early as you can see now the team have turned him into a great little racehorse.”
Stewart said the stable would take a cautious approach to Grand Circuit racing for Ideal For Real.
“He’s a nervous sort of horse so we’ll take him slow," she said.
“He’s a lovely horse and I think the second horse (Tee Cee Bee Macray) is a terrific horse too so I look forward to those clashes in the future."
Lang drove four Group 1 winners tonight, all four legs of the quaddie.
Ideal For Real was bred by Bruce Edward of Durham Park.
Cody Winnell
Harness Racing Victoria