Tim O'Connor
Petracca helped ease the heartbreak of his Melbourne-mad owner by providing him with some September finals success on a blockbuster night of harness racing at Melton on Saturday.
The Emma Stewart-trained pacer broke his Group 1 drought with a dominant display in the Vicbred Super Series final for three-year-old colts and geldings, leading and then racing clear to beat stablemates Techys Watching and Perfect Class by more than 10m.
His victory was just the tonic for Danny Zavitsanos, who purchased the son of Captaintreacherous and named him after Demons superstar Christian Petracca.
The triumph was the third of four on the all-Group 1 card for reinsman Mark Pitt, who missed an important family wedding in New South Wales to drive at Saturday night’s $1.5 million meeting.
“He is a lovely little fella,” Pitt said after the race.
“I am surprised that he hasn’t won a Group 1, but he had the draw (barrier one) on the lot of them and it was always good to use that advantage.
“He just travelled so well and when I asked him to go, he went tonight.”
Stewart created a new record for most winners trained at a single Victorian harness meeting when she claimed nine of last weekend’s Vicbred Super Series semi-finals, and captured five Group 1 deciders – four in the pacing ranks – seven days later.
Petracca’s stablemate Amore Vita became just the second female pacer to complete a Vicbred clean sweep when she backed up her wins at two and three with success in the final for four-year-old pacing mares.
It gave champion reinsman Chris Alford a Group 1 double at Melton after he had previously saluted with Gary and Debbie Quinlan’s Sahara Breeze in the three-year-old fillies’ showdown.
“It’s great that she can join Maajida as the only mares that have won the two, three and fours,” Alford said.
“She maybe was a little bit flat from last week – she ran super – and just sort of felt a bit doughy tonight, but that might have just been because she was in front. She might have just been waiting for them a bit, getting a bit smart.”
Stewart’s other Vicbred pacing victories came with two-year-olds Draw A Dream and Stormryder for drivers Kerryn Manning and Pitt respectively.
Andy Gath has produced many pieces of brilliance in his time as a trainer, and his efforts with recent stable acquisition Solesseo Matuca are certainly worthy of joining that long list.
Gath and long-time owner Norm Jenkin purchased the son of A Rocknroll Dance following his last start for previous connections in early July, with the horse winless since December 2021.
But he continued a remarkable return to form with his third success at start six for Gath and his team when he sprint-laned to victory in Saturday night’s Ride High Vicbred Super Series final for four-year-old colts and geldings.
