Catch A Wave showed he is right on target for next month’s TAB Eureka by returning to winning ways at Melton Park on Saturday night.
The Andy Gath-trained Miracle Mile and Chariots of Fire champ was beaten in his return to the track on July 22, but put up a brilliant run to claim a convincing, albeit narrow, victory in the My Lightning Blue Free For All.
Catch A Wave let the early dust settle from his outside back row draw and then came with a three-wide charge in the last lap to surge past leader Bulletproof Boy entering the home straight. He got a length clear on that rival, but had his advantage whittled away as Scott Ewen’s star kicked back strongly and closed the margin to a neck on the line.
The closing quarters of 27.4 and 27.7 contributed to a sharp mile rate of 1:51.7 over the 1720m trip.
“It never felt like it was going to get me, thank God. So it wasn’t as scary out there as what the start before was and he was holding him just there on the line,” driver Kate Gath said.
“He’s just knocking off a little bit more than what I’d like, so I just have to work on that a little bit.”
Andy Gath says that is likely to be Catch A Wave’s last start before the TAB Eureka on September 2, but a public trial is still on the cards before the $2.1million slot race at Menangle.
Half an hour after Catch A Wave’s success, one of his main Eureka rivals added to his picket fence formline with a dominant performance in the TAB Download The App 3YO Pace.
Emma Stewart-trained The Lost Storm capitalised on a strong tempo set up front by stablemate Techys Watching and top Kiwi Son Of Mac, and came with a withering finishing burst to score by 5m over Final Collect.
It continued a flawless preparation for the three-year-old, who is now unbeaten from his past seven trips to the races as he heads towards the Eureka.
“I give him a big chance,” regular driver Mark Pitt said.
“I personally think that he’s right in with a big show.”
Master trainer-driver Chris Lang has always had a big opinion of his squaregaiter Ollivici and the five-year-old returned from a spell with great win in the Maori’s Idol Trotters Free For All.
He led and dominated the sprint trip battle to prevail at his first start since February’s Australian Trotting Grand Prix.
Tim O’Connor
