Sport
3 February, 2022
Emerging pacer claims second group one
HEZA Son of Agun produced a stunning run to claim another group one win for local trainer Matthew Craven at Melton on Saturday night.
HEZA Son of Agun produced a stunning run to claim another group one win for local trainer Matthew Craven at Melton on Saturday night.
The three-year-old pacer, driven by Swedish newcomer Sofia Arvidsson, sat outside front-runner Captain Ravishing without cover for the entire race, only to bring home victory in the VRC Caduceus Classic with a burst of speed down the straight.
The victory is the colt’s third in a row and second group one triumph in the space of a month.
Its first was in the VicBred Super Series final at Melton on New Year’s Eve.
Craven said the race did not go as expected, but he was impressed with the win.
“He’s got really good gate speed, but we knew all the ones drawn inside him were really fast,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be hard, so we had a crack to see if we could get to the fence, and we couldn’t, so he just had to park out.
“It wasn’t ideal or what you’d hope for, but he overcame it, so that was really pleasing.”
Heza Son of Agun showed continued improvement throughout 2021, but has reached a new level with the latest string of wins.
“Throughout the year he just got stronger and stronger,” Craven said.
“He was always fast, but he wouldn’t have sat outside the lead and then been able to back it up down the straight like he did on Saturday night.
“To have to sit out without cover and work home was another improvement from him.
“He’s just improved and improved all the way through.”
Craven praised Arvidsson, who also drove the colt on New Year’s Eve, and said she deserved her success.
“She’s just a natural, she had no background in harness racing, she’s just completely new to it,” he said.
“She’s only been driving for two years, but she was desperate to win a group one.
“Through the back half of last year she’d had some drives that hadn’t gone to plan, or had no luck, so it was good for her to put two group one wins together.
“It’s a pretty amazing effort, and just a testament to how far she’s come in two years.”
Heza Son of Agun is now bound for Sydney this week, with the pacer out to earn qualification in March’s New South Wales Derby.
