By John Dunne
Keayang Chucky continued his stellar early-season form when he outclassed rivals in the Group 3 Australasian Trotting Championship at Melton on Saturday night.
Aided by the scratching of Arcee Phoenix, Keayang Chucky was enlisted as the short-priced popular elect and duly won as a $1.35 favourite should.
Keayang Chucky stepped safely from the tapes and Jason Lee gave the star six-year-old time to balance up before wrestling the lead off Lovemeto with two laps to travel.
The Yabby Dam Farms-bred son of Love You reeled off consecutive sectionals of 27.5 and 27.8 before cruising to victory with plenty in reserve from Harry Stamper and Lovemeto.
Keayang Chucky had already racked up wins in the Hamilton, Terang and V L Dullard cups, along with a placing in the Great Southern Star Final through the first couple of months of the season.
Lee agreed the winner could have run faster if he had been asked.
“He had a bit left, I didn’t pull the plugs or turn the whip around and if I had of asked him, he probably could have broken 27 for his last 400,” Lee said.
“Jackie (Barker) was wanting to get up on Plymouth Chubb and have a bit of a look and was whistling her horse up and my bloke was wanting to get on with it for the last 1000 metres, hence why we went pretty quick off the back.”
Lee said Keayang Chucky is likely to head north this week to contest the Tough Monarch Free For All at Menangle before the Group 1 Hammerhead Mile on Miracle Mile night, where he will clash with Kiwi star Oscar Bonavena and Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive.
Outstanding mare Queen Elida is approaching $1m in prizemoney after she took out the Group 3 Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Gold Trot.
Sent out a $1.55 favourite, Queen Elida sat parked outside Aldebaran Vera before surging to the lead half-way down the home straight to score by three metres from Aldebaran Acrux in a mile rate of 1:54.9 for the 1720-metre sprint trip.
Queen Elida now boasts an imposing career record of 37 wins and 31 placings for more than $982,000 in stake earnings.
Yabby Dam Farms principal Pat Driscoll is having a rethink about the racing future of his American-bred mare Nabrina after she scored an impressive win in the Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Bronze Series Final.
Nabrina was caught wide early before working around to sit outside the leader Christmas Babe over the 1720-metre journey.
Despite the arduous passage, Nabrina bounded clear around the home turn when given more rein by Kerryn Manning and the daughter of Father Patrick was untroubled to score by eight metres from Lady In The Sky and Frosty Girl.
After the race Driscoll conceded he was surprised by the mare’s performance.
