Michael Howard
A stunning Queen Elida sprint rattled the foundations of Australasian trotting at Tabcorp Park Melton tonight as the emerging star blew away her rivals and signalled even better was to come.
The headliner of a standout night for trainer Brent Lilley and reinsman Chris Alford, who combined for a treble of wins, Queen Elida’s stunning sectionals in winning the Woodlands Stud Carlottas Pride Trotters Free For All briskly enhanced her flourishing reputation.
“She’s pretty special,” said Alford, who was pressed on TrotsVision to rate the best trotters he’d driven.
“Wobelee was super, Sleepee’s been really good, Noopy (Kiosk), Kyvalley Blur – he was a really good one – won heats of the Inter and all that. Elida’s right up there with them.”
The champion reinsman was then asked if she had the potential to be the best of the lot.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said. “She’s only had one blemish on her record since she’s been here. That was in a Breeders Crown as a two-year-old, she was sick that night and went horrible. Apart from that she’s been outstanding and only going to get better.”
The generous words were a reaction to her devastating performance in tonight’s Group 3 for trotting mares, with Queen Elida at the back of the field entering the final turn but cornered spectacularly to draw level with the leaders.
She then put paid to any challengers in the straight, clearing out for a 13.7-metre win, stopping the clock in a 56.23-second last half. It was 1.32 seconds quicker than the next best, second-placed Peakz Luck, despite Queen Elida covering three more metres in the final half than any other horse.
Making the win all the more impressive was that Queen Elida mowed down the front runners despite leader Aldebaran Crescent getting an easy lead and following up with modest first (30.2) and second (31.7) quarters.
“In the run I was cursing a little bit that they were going that slow, but she wasn’t that far off them,” Alford said. “I knew how fast she was, but I didn’t think she could go from last to first three-wide around the bend and put them away like that.”
The win was the Love You mare’s 13th from her 23rd start and has only fuelled aspirations for her, which Alford is hopeful will include a tilt at the 2022 Inter Dominion, which returns to Victoria in November.
“The way she’s going and if she stays well and keeps improving I hope they leave her around for the Inter Dominion later in the year,” he said.
“If she got in a race where there are a lot of good ones and they go hard all the way she’d still have that great finish.”
Alford and Lilley also combined to win with American Legacy in the DNR Logistics Pace and veteran Sicario in the HERO Claiming Pace with a pair of front running wins.
Sicario’s win was the first of his campaign with the seven-year-old reminding of his strength when he gets a run to suit, while American Legacy flagged that big things were ahead.
The four-year-old American Ideal gelding made it two from two since being purchased from New Zealand and has quickly banked $16,530 for connections.
“He’s a big, green, raw horse and he only seems to race when there’s one right beside him at the moment, but I’m sure he’ll learn and make a nice country cups horse,” Alford said.
“Either following or sitting on the fence on a good speed I’m pretty sure he’ll win his fair share of races.”
QUEEN Elida wasn’t the only horse to strike a stunning blow at Tabcorp Park Melton tonight with Like A Wildfire upending the pacing landscape.
Triple Eight had seen to be firmly ensconced in the upper echelon of Grand Circuit ranks and enjoying a smooth campaign ahead of a likely Queensland tilt, but Emma Stewart’s returning pacer rattled all perceptions in the TAB Italian Cup.
A $1.25 favourite, Triple Eight had had it all to suit early for Greg Sugars, who strolled to the top and controlled the lead time (47.4) and first (31.2) and second (30.2) quarters.
But while he was able to get home in a respectable 54.65-second last half Triple Eight was blown away by Like A Wildfire, who sat outside his rival and blazed to a 7.4-metre win in Mark Pitt’s hands.
“To do what he did tonight off a little let up from his Tassie campaign, it’s just a really big effort from the team,” Pitt said.
The race was Like A Wildfire’s first since his second in Launceston’s Easter Cup on April 16, but he showed no signs of ‘needing a run’.
“To run home in 53.9 on a track like that tonight, it’s just a huge win,” Pitt said. “I still think there’s a bit more improvement in this horse yet.
“I’m sure they will be (looking at) the free-for-alls and some of the bigger races coming up would be the main aim for him, maybe even the Inter Dominion. If I could take the reins of any horse in the Inter Dominion it’s a dream come true. Hopefully I keep progressing and can get a drive in it.”
The win was one of two on the night for Stewart and Pitt, who also paired with Von Art to claim the Garrards Horse & Hound Pace, a fifth straight win for her big syndicate of owners.
The Inter Dominion may also be in the frame for some of tonight’s other winners.
Spring In His Step was dominant in The Big Screen Company Pace for trainer Russell Jack and reinsman Nathan Jack, leading and bristling home in 55.9 seconds to win by 6.5 metres.
And Ross Graham’s trotter Nephew Of Sonoko showed he may also be worthing of a top flight campaign with a dominant display in the Aldebaran Park Trot, with James Herbertson controlling the race from in front and winning handsomely.
