Tim O'Connor
The Mimosa Homes Breeders Crown Series 2YO Colts and Geldings Final looks at the mercy of Catch A Wave after he put together another dominant performance in his semi-final on Saturday night.
The Andy Gath-trained son of Captaintreacherous again showed some of his quirks and did a few things wrong, but proved far too good for his rivals and is likely to start a short-priced favourite in the Group 1 decider regardless of what takes place at Monday night’s barrier draw.
Coming from the outside of the back row, driver Kate Gath wasted little time getting her charge up into the race and had worked to the top by the bell. She had to keep his mind on the job approaching the turn, but he knuckled down and was full of running through the line.
He zipped home in a final quarter of 27.7sec to clock a mile rate of 1:56.2min and had 6.8m to spare over runner up My Ultimate Baxter (Jarrod Alchin/Cameron Hart), with Anotherbigman (Emma Stewart/Chris Alford).
Catch A Wave has now won five of six starts, with his only blemish coming in the Tatlow Stakes at Geelong on October 23.
“He’s definitely got the raw ability, hasn’t he? He’s just got to put it all together,” Kate said.
“He felt like he was walking or not going as quick as what he went, put it that way.
“Then he probably went a little bit quicker than what I wanted up the back straight because he went to ease up, so I just had to put his mind on the job. Then he went a little bit too quick.”
One of Catch A Wave’s biggest challengers in next Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 final is Julie Douglas-trained Interest Free, who took out the first of the semi-finals in impressive style.
In a race of changing complexion, Interest Free was taken three back the pegs from his barrier eight draw and had to watch on as Aaron Dunn shot for home on Flash Jimmy, but sprinted quickly with clear running to haul him in comfortably before the line. Hes Charlies Angel (Charlene Gusman/David Miles), who found the early lead, held on to run third.
Final quarters of 28.5sec and 28sec set up a mile rate of 1:55.0min, which was significantly quicker than the one Catch A Wave recorded.
Interest Free and Catch A Wave have clashed twice in their short careers so far, with the later prevailing on both occasions at Melton and Ballarat.
“We saw first-up at Melton here when he sat on Interest Free… he just gave him a cold in the home straight,” Kate Gath said.
“Interest Free was parked and I was one-one, but that was his first start in a race.
“His last quarter then was 26-something and his last half was 54, so he can run really good speed off horses as well.”
