FRITH BACK TO GLORIOUS BEST AT MENANGLE
Mighty mare Frith bounced back to her brilliant best with an all-the-way win to take out the first feature of a stellar night’s harness racing at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 13, 2016, in the $50,000 Group Two Therese Cordina Sibelia Stakes.
Blessed with the gate speed to easily cross and find the front from gate three for star young reinsman Todd McCarthy, Frith reeled off a 27.7s first quarter of the mile to ensure nothing was going to challenge the six-year-old mare for the lead.
After a 29.5s second split, the race was always going to be Frith’s for the taking, so McCarthy lowered the handlebars and the daughter of Four Starzzz Shark posted a 27.8 third split to test her rivals to the max.
Frith saved her best for last as she romped home the last quarter in an even 27 seconds to score by 1.5m from Nike Franco (Luke McCarthy) with $1.80 favourite Fight For Glory a fighting third.
Natalie Rasmussen angled Fight For Glory away from the pegs turning for home and she had ever chance in the long Menangle straight to run down Frith, while Nike Franco came from three-back on the pegs to surge up the inside and briefly looked a chance of getting to Frith before pacing roughly about 50m from the finish.
Still all honours were with Frith with the mighty mare now guaranteed a berth in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Ladyship Mile, one of many features to be run on Miracle Mile Day, February 28.
While owner Diane Kelly was trackside to acknowledge her great mare, reinsman Todd McCarthy, one of the form drivers at Menangle in recent months, said hopping behind a horse of the calibre of Frith made the big nights like these memorable ones.
Trainer Belinda McCarthy commented that the real Frith stood up tonight after she had finished a close and unlucky fourth to Easy On The Eye a week ago at the same track.
Belinda will no doubt put the great mare on ice now as she edges towards that magic million dollars in earnings.
Saturday night’s success put Frith a mere $25,000 short of the historic mark.
Courtesy of Mandy Zammit,
Catering & Administration Co-ordinator,
NSWHRC.