A terrific night at Gawler has been enjoyed by a handy crowd, who braved the weather conditions to watch some great racing.
The star of the night was Victa Reid who took out the 2022 Gawler Gold Cup, making it back-to- back victories for the Fernando Bale x Victa Victoria litter, with his brother Victa Grosso winning the 2021 edition. It was a cracking field with the Victorian Kelsey Bale all the rage in the market, starting odds on favourite in the Group 3 event. When the boxes opened, it was Charlee’s Misty that headed the field, leading clearly to the first mark. Came And Went quickly got up inside of her but had to work hard to try and force a clear run. Turning up the back straight it was still Charlee’s Misty leading with Came And Went and Impress Us behind. The tension built turning for home, with the lead pair coming back and the swoopers arriving fast. It was an open race still with 30 metres to go, but Victa Reid was the one coming home the hardest and he was able to hit the front in the shadows of the post, claiming a brilliant win in 30.90. Came And Went and Charlee’s Misty rounded out the placings, but all credit went to the winner who showed his smarts and strength to take home the Cup. The win, which was surprising to many punters given he blew in the market, took Victa Reid’s career earnings to $98,865 and was his 23rd win. It has been a freakish litter, which has now won 173 races from 780 starts and amassed almost $600,000 in prize money. At just three and a half years old, it would appear that there is still plenty of racing left for Victa Reid and his fellow littermates.
Other feature finals were also run on the night with Nathan Goodenough landing his first big win as a trainer, taking out the Sprint Classic for 2022 with his gun chaser Taylor Toves. An even field was assembled and it was reflected in the market, with no clear favourite in the race. From box eight, Taylor Toves had it all to do, with some quick chasers drawn nicely down low. It was a hot go to the first turn when the boxes opened, with Sutton Sandy the first to put the head in front. A clip from behind ended her chances with Taylor Toves quickly sweeping around and pouncing on the lead. Once he found the front, he quickly found himself two lengths ahead with the race seemingly over. Patched was gallant behind but Taylor Toves was too good, winning in 22.90 and making it a memorable night for Nathan!
The Gold Cup Consolation was next with Top Quality making amends for a luckless Cup heat run last week, absolutely blitzing the field in the other feature of the night. It was quite a handy field that was assembled, with Top Quality starting favourite ahead of Springvale Max who drew perfectly in box one. Top Quality flew out of box two and led by a length as they went past the finishing post for the first time, before a bit of bumping in behind meant that he had a handy margin leaving the first turn. Down the back straight the race was done, with Top Quality a huge leader, and the margin only extending the further they ran. In the end, Top Quality demolished them by 9 lengths in 30.63, a time which would have had him winning the Cup by some margin!
Other notable performers of the night were Mr. Ibrox and Spring Agatha, who both took out their respective heats of the Bothing Stayers race, with the final to be run next week. Hill Top Jack took out a hot grade 4/5 race, with a professional run that saw him lead the entire trip ahead of Springvale Roxy and Strategise.
Well done to all involved on a terrific night and to the Rasmussen and Schadow teams on taking out their second successive Gawler Gold Cup!