Sport
17 September, 2020
Ride High impresses at Terang
THE rain may have ultimately impacted a track record attempt but Ride High still stopped the clock in slick time at Terang’s Dalvui Raceway on Saturday night.
THE rain may have ultimately impacted a track record attempt but Ride High still stopped the clock in slick time at Terang’s Dalvui Raceway on Saturday night.
The five year-old gelding was the headline attraction of Terang Harness Racing Club’s metropolitan meet and the son of Art Major did not disappoint.
Driven by Kate Gath, Ride High ran the last quarter in a staggering 26.2 seconds to finish 19.7 metres clear of his nearest rival in the $30,000 Christians Bus Gammalite Pace.
The mile rate of one minute, 53.9 seconds was just 0.3 seconds outside the track record, with Ride High clocking up his 11th straight victory ahead of Idealsomemagic and Out to Play.
Gath, who was having her first steer on the star, said Ride High was one of the best pacers she’s driven.
“He’s such a lovely horse, he just ambles along early, drops the bit, he pretty much just quickens himself when he needs to and when he does he just grabs the bit, puts his head down and wants to go,” she told Trots Vision post-race.
“Around that last corner I was low-flying. He was just doing it so easily and I was just basically there for the ride, hanging on.
“Obviously everyone knows how good he is, but the feel he gives you because he just goes himself you don’t need to even really ask him.
“I haven’t driven a horse that’s given me the feel that he gave me tonight (Saturday night).”
Gath finished the evening with a driving double following a win on The Dude in the meeting’s opening event.
In other races, Sammy Showdown won the meeting’s trotting feature, the $20,000 Volstead @ Haras Des Trotteurs Trot for trainer Kylie Sugars.
The rest of the card was a night for the favourites, with four short price horses including Marg Lee’s Keayang Livana recording wins.
The four year-old mare won the Terang Harness Owners, Trainers and Supporters Group Trot for the local trainer under a strong drive from her son Jason Lee.
“It’s a good reward for Marg and the team at home,” Jason told Trots Vision post-race.
“We’ve had a bit of a lean patch trying to sort them (all) out but it was good to get back on the winners’ board. She was terrific.”
Jason Lee is confident Keayang Livana can now step up to metro level regularly after two strong runs.
He said the mare was unlucky to finish second at Ballarat ahead of her Terang victory.
“She was terrific last week so hopefully she earned a bit of a respect,” Lee said.
