American-bred mare Aldebaran Acrux earned herself a trip north to contest next month’s Inter Dominion after scoring an authoritative win in the Mimosa Homes Mares Trotting Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
Aldebaran Acrux was quickly extricated off the pegs from her inside second row alley by Chris Svanosio, moving up to sit parked outside the Aldebaran Vera over the 2240 metre journey.
When asked for more effort by Svanosio on turning for home, the six-year-old gradually wore down Aldebaran Vera and moved away on the line to score by three metres in a mile rate of 1:58.
The daughter of Chapter Seven won three races in the US before owner Duncan McPherson transferred her to Svanosio’s stable last year.
“The plan was to race her for a while here with Duncan going to breed from her, but she has kept improving, she has kept stepping up and that was a terrific run tonight,” Svanosio said.
“She sat parked over 2700 here in a race and wasn’t far away, so she is tough enough to do it and she’s got a big engine.”
Svanosio said Aldebaran Acrux will accompany stablemate Arcee Phoenix on the float to Brisbane, with that horse a $4 second favourite for the series with Callmethebreeze behind New Zealand trotter Oscar Bonavena.
“She might have earned herself a trip to Queensland now. She’s in the Inter Dominion and we know she’s probably a little bit off the very best ones, but she is in great form and deserves a chance up there,” he said.
Multiple Group 1-winning mare Im Ready Jet has been retired after being beaten into sixth place despite enjoying a cosy run two horses back in the running line.
Svanosio indicated Arcee Phoenix will have another outing at Melton before heading north.
“He’ll have one more run and then off to Queensland after that,” he said.
The win completed a trotting double for Svanosio after the lightly-raced Remus Phoenix scored his first win of the season, sprint-laning his way to victory in the Nutrien Equine Trot earlier in the night.
The Andy Gath-prepared Yambukian served notice he is closing the gap on his much-vaunted younger half-brother when he chalked up a fourth win from his past six starts at Melton in the Logical Staffing Solutions Free For All.
Kate Gath worked Yambukian forward to sit outside the leader Bulletproof Boy with 1200 metres to travel before surging past the front-runner around the home turn.
The son of Bettors Delight showed his customary staying prowess to stave off the fast-finishing Triple Eight by two metres in a mile rate of 1:54.7.
The somewhat unheralded older half-brother to Catch A Wave has now won 19 races from his 66 starts for more than $270,000 in prizemoney.
“He’s really gone up a notch this time in and his brother better watch out as he is becoming a bit of a favourite,” Gath said.
“The job he is doing is just outstanding and it’s probably a good time to be here while the others are in Queensland.”
As race caller Dan Mielicki mused after the race, “if he was in any other stable, he would probably be the star of the stable”.
