Some of the Mach Three-Belladonna (Bo Scots Blue Chip) gelding's untapped potential was revealed at the Auckland Trotting Club's Trials and Workouts at Alexandra Park in Auckland today (Tuesday February 9) when he and driver/caretaker trainer Nicole Molander came from well back in the field to win a lowly 1-4 Win Workout. It wasn't so much the quality of the opposition he beat, but the way he dealt to them.

The winner of eight of his 23 starts, who has placed in seven others for $61,402 in stakes, drew the eight marble in the eight-horse field and Molander was left with no option but to restrain him to the rear shortly after the start. They settled at the rear 10 lengths behind the pace-making Shady Su until the 700 metre-mark when Molander left the single file line as she got a nice drag into the one-one behind the Geoff Small trained Colonel Pickering.

Even on the home turn Scotty Mach, who is trained by Mark Purdon and Grant Payne at Rolleston, had several lengths to make up on the pace-maker, but he levelled up to the Elsu-Homin The Shade (Holmes Hanover) gelding at the 30m mark and won going away.

Molander agreed Scotty Mach was an above average gelding for his age, adding he would remain here and race at Alexandra Park - leading up to the bigger races later in the season, including the two Group One 4yo races - the $100,000 Woodlands Taylor Mile and the $150,000 New Zealand Messenger Championship in late April and early May. This was in preference to the Inter Dominions.

"He's a really nice 4-year-old who is well classed. He felt super today. His winning time might have been a slow 2:50, but he made up a lot of ground in the straight and won with plenty in reserve. I timed his last quarter in 26.9 seconds. He will most likely race on Friday week (February 19)," Molander said.

The Pukekohe-based driver said she never turned the bat on Scotty Mach despite making up a lot of ground in the straight.

"He got a touch of the reins and when I whistled him up he won under his own steam. He sprinted really well. I was impressed considering Shady Su is a good front-running horse," Molander said.

"I think he could foot it with the best of his age group later in the season," she added.

Workouts Results.

INTER DOMINION FINAL RANKINGS:

1 MR FEELGOOD USA; 2 BLACKS A FAKE; 3 MONKEY KING NZ; 4; WASHAKIE NZ; 5 BONDY NZ; 6 CINCINNATI KID NZ; 7 SMOKEN UP NZ; 8 KARLOO MICK; 9 CHANGEOVER NZ; 10 PEMBROOK BENNY NZ; 11 TANABI BROMAC; 12 BAILEYS DREAM NZ; 13 NOTASWETHORT NZ; 14 LONESTAR LEGEND USA; 15 SAMMY MAGUIRE NZ; 16 BE GOOD JOHNNY; 17 I AM SAM; 18 OUR MALABAR NZ; 19 MAGIC OPERATIVE; 20 KARLSRUHE; 21 WESTERN CAM; 22 CANT BLUFF ME; 23 OUR AWESOME ARMBRO NZ; 24 ATOMIC ARK; 25 PANORAMA SWING; 26 CULLENS LEGACY NZ; 27 OUR BRAHMAN BOY NZ; 28 PACIFIC CHARM; 29 HAVA BONVOYAGE NZ; 30 FOX VALLEY APPEAL USA; 31 SMARTY JONES; 32 GAME SAFIN NZ; 33 TEE PEE VILLAGE NZ; 34 BALTIC ICE; 35 GENUWINE USA; 36 BORIS BADENOV; 37 VIRAGE; 38 PRINCE BENJI; 39 FEW GOOD MEN; 40 THE GUNSTAR; 41 OHOKA UTAH NZ; 42 JUST CALLME CULLEN; 43 IM FULL OF FIRE NZ; 44 ST BARTS NZ; 45 MYSTICAL WARRIOR; 46; SCOTTY MACH NZ; 47 VILLAGE WARRIOR; 48 SO DEEP NZ; 49 FIFTY GORILLAS; 50 LADY OCTAVIA; 51 ERICS LEGEND NZ; 52 EARLIER NOT LATER NZ.

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MACH THREE AND BETTOR'S DELIGHT 2YOS QUALIFY IMPRESSIVELY

Scotty Mach wasn't the only Mach Three, Purdon, Payne and Molander winner at Alexandra Park today.

Two-year-old filly, Collectable, who is by Mach Three-Stage Talent (Soky's Atom), beat the qualifying time of 2:13.4 by 2.4 seconds when winning the 1700m mobile by a neck, 1-1/4 lengths and half a length from Caballe (Simon McMullan), More Delight (Bernie Hackett) and Bet On Me (Michelle Wallis) respectively. All four starters qualified.

Collectable's winning mile rate was 2:03.9 with final 800m and 400m sprints of 59.6 and 29 seconds.

Molander said Collectable was also above average for her age, and although still ‘very green' she was coming to it nicely.

"She curbed a hock early on so we have been taking it slowly with her. She's a game little filly who just needs a little bit of time. She has put some condition on recently and keeps stepping up to the mark. The purpose of today's race was to qualify her, so it worked out well.

"She will race in the Young Guns Series in a fortnight," Molander said.

Meanwhile, the Tony Herlihy trained and driven Agent Smart (Bettor's Delight-Star Belle [Soky's Atom]) also impressed when beating the qualifying mark by 5.3 seconds in his 1700m mobile Qualifier. He had two lengths and a neck to spare over Beau Starlight (Craig Jamieson) and Red Buttons (Scott Phelan) - winning in 2:08.1 (mile rate: 2:01.2) with final 800m and 400m sectionals of 58.9 and 28.8 seconds.

Fourth and fifth place-getters, Regal Encounter (Lynn Neal) and Time To Smile (Michelle Wallis) also qualified.

For the record Molander is working nine horses from the Purdon-Payne barn in Pukekohe. Other talented standardbreds include Russley Rascal, Pocaro, I Can Doosit and Secret Potion.

Qualifying Trials results.

by Duane RANGER (editor)