FLYING ISA SETS AUSTRALASIAN RECORD
NZ-owned squaregaiter Flying Isa is the new Australasian mile trot record holder after a blazing front-running romp in 1:53.2 at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Tuesday, March 4.
Flying Isa, now with the Belinda McCarthy stable, missed a start in last Sunday’s $A200,000 Glenferrie Farm Challenge as Keystone Del lowered the mile mark to 1:53.9 when holding Canterbury trotter Stent for his second consecutive Challenge win.
Flying Isa, the newly-crowned Australasian mile record holder.
However, Flying Isa, the former top two-year-old classic performer for north trainer John Dickie, returned to his former glory as a $1.30 favourite in Tuesday’s $A7000 Cordina Chickens Trotters Mile.
The 5YO Pegasus Spur-Sun Isa gelding free-wheeled in front from the outset for driver Luke McCarthy, spearing clear early from the six gate.
McCarthy ran fairly even quarters throughout of 28.3s, 28.9s, 28s and 28s to make a mess of his T2-5 rivals, winning by a big space of 21.7 metres.
This was his third run since teaming up with the McCarthy barn, having won first-up at Menangle on February 18, then running second to Cyclone Jake at Menangle on February 22.
Flying Isa, who won the $A164,000 Australasian Breeders Crown 2YO trot at Melton at his only other Australian start in the hands of Robbie Holmes in 2011, has now won 13 of 38 career starts for nearly $A310,000 in stakes.
He won the 2YO Harness Jewels Emerald earlier that year in 1:59.3 for the mile at Ashburton, beating Escapee, and also the $55,200 Seelite Windows & Doors sires Stakes 2YO Trot Championship.
A NZ-bred also holds the Australasian mares mile mark, with Savona (Dream Vacation-Millburn Segil), having posted the female record of 1:55.4 on April 14, 2012.
Savona, sent to New South Wales for the twilight of her race career by Highbank owners Carl and Heather Middleton, has returned to NZ for her breeding career.
She won 13 races and was 20 times placed in 80 starts during her career, winning $157,444 in stakes.