John Dunne
Champion reinswoman Kerryn Manning joined the driver merry go round on Like A Wildfire in successful fashion in the $24,000 Golden Reign Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
Manning made a mid-race move to sit parked outside the leader Dangerous with 1400 metres to travel as the leader was able to slow the tempo with a 31 second quarter ‘breather’.
Dangerous appeared to be travelling like a winner on straightening for home however Like A Wildfire refused to yield, digging deep into his reserves of stamina to get up and score by a head in a
slick 26.6 last 400 metres.
The Emma Stewart-trained pacer has had different drivers at his past four starts winning with Luke McCarthy and Mark Pitt in the sulky prior to tonight’s victory.
“It’s my first drive on him tonight, I was lucky enough to get the steer on him and he’s a lovely horse,” Manning said.
Manning was suitably impressed with the nine-year old’s will to win.
“He just knew where the line was, he gets a bit flat on the bends where he just gets in a little bit but then he goes again in the straight,” she said.
Manning said she had concerns with Ideal Escape finishing hard along the sprint lane
“He got his head in front and then I thought Ellen (Tormey) was going to get to me along the sprint lane, but he kept sticking his head out,” she said.
The win took Like A Wildfire’s stake earnings to more than $400,000.
The nicely bred John Justice trained filly Galaxy Lass was too strong for her rivals despite racing greenly in the home straight in the Charlie Bezzina Memorial 2YO Pace.
Galaxy Lass bounded clear around the home turn and straightened with a big lead, however the daughter of Bettors Delight appeared to lose concentration before holding on to score by two
metres from the fast finishing Scherger That.
“She appreciate the drop in class tonight but she did her best to get beaten after clearing out and I thought she was going to stop but to her credit she got going again when she heard them,” Justice
said.
“She’s been as good a filly as I’ve had for a long time,” he said.
Later in the night consistent pacer Stir Me Up broke through for his maiden metropolitan win in the Hip Pocket Castlemaine Pace
Stir Me Up landed behind the leader Sweet Passion while the $3.70 favorite Hes A Meister worked forward early to lead the outside division.
Hes A Meister began to give ground around the home turn and Anthony Butt was able to pull Stir Me Up to the outside and the son of Auckland Reactor produced a stout finale to score by two
metres in a mile rate of 1:53.9.
