DREAM SUCCESS FOR RASMUSSEN IN NSW OAKS
Star reinswoman Natalie Rasmussen nominated (Our) Dream About Me as her ‘dream’ drive on a big Miracle Mile day program at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
And so it proved as the daughter of Bettors Delight toyed with her rivals for a devastating 9.6m win over Dodolicious and Art Mistress in the $A200,000 Form 700 NSW Oaks, the first of many Group Ones on the day.
(Our) Dream About Me and Natalie Rasmussen winning the $A200,000 New South Wales Oaks in a brilliant 1:54.2 rate (2400m).
Rasmussen suggested the only thing that could beat the Mark Purdon-trained (Our) Dream About Me was bad luck in the fillies’ feature.
Still the former Queenslander, who now resides in New Zealand, made certain that was not an issue.
Eased out of the gate after drawing the inside of the second row, Rasmussen was quick to get the unbeaten filly away from the markers and out into the running line.
While Rocknroll Magic (Gavin Lang) set a steady speed from the front with an opening half of 58.6s, Natalie was content to bide her time and eased three wide with less than a lap to travel and slowly made her way towards the head of the field.
By the time they reached the home turn she had the leader well within her sights and when she said go (Our) Dream About Me simply accelerated away from her rivals, who had no answer to her class.
With a last half run in a scintillating 55 seconds with splits of 27.2s and 27.8s, (Our) Dream About Me gave nothing else a chance in a world record-equalling win with a mile rate of
1:54.2.
Rasmussen later commented: “We don’t go out there to run time, we’re just happy enough to win the race.
“We knew how tough our filly was and we were happy to be in the breeze.
“I let her down at around the 600m mark and she felt great when
I shook her up a bit, she just has unbelievable speed.
“She’s as good as our boys, that’s for sure. She’s a super filly.”
(OUR) WAIKIKI BEACH UNBEATEN AFTER 16 STARTS
Horses just don’t win 16 races in a row.
Yet (Our) Waikiki Beach is definitely something special and he reached that mark in style with another remarkable win in the $A200,000 Coca-Cola Amatil NSW Derby at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday, February 28.
The three-year-old gelding gave the Mark Purdon stable their third Group One for the day . . . with the Miracle Mile still to come.
(Our) Waikiki Beach remains unbeaten after 16 starts with his win in the $A200,000 NSW Derby on February 28.
Driver Natalie Rasmussen explained (Our) Waikiki Beach only ever did what he had to do to win.
And that was the case again today as the son of Somebeachsomewhere held off Cant Refuse (James Rattray) to score by 2.1m with Zee Dana (Nathan Jack) third in a 1:55.5 mile rate.
It was a relieved Rasmussen who received the Derby trophy, explaining (Our) Waikiki Beach had been getting a little bit too fired up at his most recent start which had been a slight concern.
“We’ve tried to keep him calm before his race since then,” she said.
“But he’s a good boy. He just what he has to do.”
And no-one does it better in the three-year-old ranks than (Our) Waikiki Beach who may yet rival some of the great horses with his unbeaten run.
Part-owner Trevor Casey said he never expected to have a ‘second’ horse to win that many in a sequence.
“I had something to do with Courage Under Fire, who won 25, but this bloke is now starting to stack up the wins as well,” said Casey.
Rasmussen said she always felt Zee Dana (third) would be her biggest danger because he was so impressive in his record heat win.
“Amanda Turnbull [trainer] has him flying at the moment,” she said.
“But we were confident with our guy.
“Mark and I don’t really go out to try and set records like that – we’re just happy if our horses are fit and healthy and going well.
“Of course you have to aim for the big Derbys.
“And I’d have to be happy with a day like this. They don’t come along every day.”
SMOLDA SHOWS HE’S UP WITH BEST
Little fish might be sweet but many harness racing fans at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday, February 28, were left thirsting for more.
More Smolda that is, after the magnificent son of Courage Under Fire obliterated Global View’s world record of 1:53.4 set in March 2015 in accounting for his rivals in the $A100,000 Group One Bohemia Crystal Free-For-All.
Smolda (Mark Purdon) rated 1:52.7 for the 2400m journey, pacing the full 2400m in 2:48, to leave many racegoers wishing he was lining up in the Miracle Mile later that afternoon.
After drawing the inside of the second row, Smolda eased in the market just before the jump and looked in danger of being stuck in a pocket behind Major Crocker going up the back the last time.
Still when (Our) Sky Major, trained by Mark’s brother Barry and driven by leading reinsman Blake Fitzpatrick, began to drop off before the home turn after a tough run, Smolda and Mark Purdon found a path away from three-back on the pegs and surged into calculations as they headed for the home turn.
Smolda paces a staggering 2:48 (2400m) to win the $A100,000 Bohemia Crystal Free-For-All at Menangle on February 28.
Purdon had no hesitation urging Smolda into the death seat and turning for home Smolda finished full of running to account for the surprise packet of the race Iam Mr Brightside (Robert Morris) with Major Crocker (James Rattray) showing something like his best form to hold third after leading.
Smolda’s splits for the final mile were 29.5s, 28s, 27.6s and 28s for a 2.7m win and a deserved place in history . . . unfortunately not as a Miracle Mile winner but nonetheless still one of the best horses in Australasia.
Purdon couldn’t hide his admiration for the seven-year-old gelding: “It’s a time-honoured race and there’s a lot of great horses here.
“He’s a great horse and I knew we were rolling all the way. He felt great in the race and I was worried about our position but the chance came to get off and I had to take it.
“This horse means a lot to us. We bought him from Australia and he’s always had a special place in our hearts.
“He’s had his problems along the way but he’s come back every time. We just love him.”
Courtesy of . . .
