The harness racing barrier draw will be crucial for this week’s Group 3 $33,500 Alabar Golden Nursery Stakes final (1800m) at Globe Derby Park following three heats last week.
South-East owned pacers won two of the three heats while a high-priced ready to run purchase scored in the other.
Strongnbold was an impressive all-the-way winner of the Sam & Pauline Spirou Golden Nursery heat one (1800m) for breeder-owner-trainer Desmond Glynn from Mount Gambier East.
Driven by Wayne Hill, Strongnbold ($13.60) rated a quick 1:59.0 in scoring a two-metre win from Mackalan ($1.50 fav) with Above Average ($3.80), 10 metres away third.
Glynn was confident of a win and told Hill the gelding would run ‘around 1:58.0’ and was proved correct.
Strongnbold pushed through from gate one to lead comfortably with Mackalan, backed in from $2.10, settling one-out, one-back for driver Danielle Hill.
With 500m to travel, Hill came wide on the favourite and the colt sprinted sharply to join, and narrowly head the leader off the back and looked a likely winner.
Strongnbold responded to Wayne Hill’s driving and came back to win running away by a metre.
Glynn knows what is required to win a Golden Nursery having taken out the event in 2013 with Major Cruiser.
High-priced purchase Culture King made it two wins straight taking out the HRSA / SA BOTRA Golden Nursery heat two for trainer-driver Paul Cavallaro.
After sitting back, Culture King ($3.70) finished strongly to grab a one metre win from Disclosure ($6.90) with Martys Party ($11.60), four metres away third.
A big colt by Art Major, Culture King has the physique to be better as a three-year-old and Cavallaro believes what he is doing at two is a bonus.
“He is certainly getting better with racing and trials,” Cavallaro said.
“Tonight, he sprinted home strongly with a 28.7 second final quarter and hopefully he will be even better again next week.”
Improving Bubbles And Cheese ($1.50 fav) led throughout for an easy 14-metre win in the Alabar Golden Nursery Heat three.
Bred and owned by Bob and Zita Maloney from Glencoe in the South-East, Bubbles And Cheese is now trained by Bronte Giorgio at Globe Derby Park.
Michael Smith had the drive on Saturday and rated the two-year-old beautifully with moderate early sectionals before sprinting up the final 500 metres and winning easily.
Jenesaisquoi ($4.80) held on for second a metre in front of the fast-finishing Shesashark ($9).
Maloney said the filly was improving with racing and had not really been extended in winning.
“She has raced against some of the best in Victoria and not been disgraced,” Maloney said.
“I thought she was very good tonight and expect her to prove a good chance in the final.”
Maloney said Smart Kreuza, the dam of Bubbles And Cheese, also had a filly yearling by Courage Under Fire which looked nice and he was excited about her turning two.
Bains barn is set to shine
The training career of Aaron Bain looks to be on the way up.
Bain came away with two winners at Globe Derby Park on Friday and Saturday, then followed up with another victory at Mildura on Sunday.
Stable foreman Paul Tonkin said a virus had affected the stable recently, but they were looking forward to a good run over the next few months.
“We have a good team in work, and hopefully the winners this weekend are the start of many more,” Tonkin said.
On Friday, talented three-year-old filly La Machnificent was superb in winning at Globe Derby Park, then backed up on Sunday at Mildura with another easy win.
On Saturday, it was Just Seduce Me which dominated with a comfortable win at Globe Derby Park.
La Machnificent, a filly bred by Graeme Lang in Victoria, continues to improve.
In the SAHRC 3YO Fillies heat (2230m) on Friday, the daughter of Mach Three started a $2.40 favourite and driver Ken Rogers had no hesitation sitting parked outside former New Zealander The Shooting Star ($3) having her first start for Les Harding.
Danielle Hill, on The Shooting Star ran a 61.4 second first half before sprinting up a 27.7 second third quarter.
Despite sitting parked, La Machnificent matched her rival, then dashed clear as Rogers asked her to go for home.
La Machnificent cruised away to win by seven metres from The Shooting Star, with Bobbies Delight ($4), eight metres away third.
The filly went to Mildura on Sunday and came from gate eight as a $3.10 chance and ran out a one metre win of the Ray and Grace Hepworth Memorial heat one rating 2:01.8 beating Majadore.
La Machnificent will be back at Globe Derby Park this week to contest the $10,000 final of the SA Fillies event.
The filly has built up an imposing record of 10 wins, a second and a third from just 13 starts.
On Saturday, Just Seduce Me ($2.70 fav) began smartly to cross and lead from gate five to run out a comfortable five metre winner of the SA BOTRA Mares Heat (2230m).
With Ken Rogers in the sulky, Just Seduce Me did over-race early but then settled and never looked in danger.
Stylish Icon ($8.10) and Canelliesparkle ($10.60) deadheated for second but never looked a winning possibility.
Just Seduce Me has won six races since coming to South Australia midway through last year.
Graham Fischer