It wasn’t very summery but there was no shortage of glory at a rain-soaked Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night, where two talented leaders emerged victorious in Victoria’s richest pacing and trotting crowns.
The final night of the Summer Of Glory saw brilliant trotter Tornado Valley claim the one prize that had been missing from his cabinet with an all-the-way win in the What The Hill Great Southern Star for Long Forrest stable Andy and Kate Gath, narrowly edging out Bolinda-trained mare Red Hot Tooth.
And then in the $500,000 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup it was King Of Swing, who didn’t even have a start in Victoria’s greatest race until Saturday morning, who made the most of a drama-filled lead-in to salute for a big band of owners.
Among that lot was previous trainer and part-owner Gary Hall Snr, present trainer Craig Cross and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who leapt from his West Australian bed Saturday morning when he received the sweetest call of all.
“Pretty surreal feeling,” Hall Jnr said post-win.
“I went to bed last night without a drive in the race basically, didn’t look like he was going to get a run, (then got) the phone call 5.30 in the morning saying you better get here. It’s a rush trip but I was really happy to get the call.”
As the day wore on the situation only got better for King Of Swing and connections.
First off San Carlo’s scratching gave him a place in the race, then both gate one (stablemate Alta Orlando) and then gate two (Mach Shard) horses scratched, handing the one-time emergency the pole draw.
King Of Swing made the most of it, comfortably holding the lead and controlling proceedings throughout.
“I must say half-way down the straight I thought we were going to run a nice second, but … they seem to be able to get to his girth but it’s the next half a length that they have trouble with,” Hall Jnr said.
“This horse, it’s no secret he’s always had great ability. To win the Breeders (Crown) here and now come back and win a Hunter Cup, I’m pretty proud of the horse because I always knew he had that ability.”
Earlier, Andy and Kate Gath claimed the What The Hill Great Southern Star courtesy of Tornado Valley, a victory in the $250,000 Group 1 that was more than 12 months in the making.
Tornado Valley had to be scratched from the 2019 edition when a commanding favourite and then had a rocky road into the 2020 edition, having erred in the lead-up in his last start and been forced to trial twice to be back in the draw.
Trainer Barry Purdon’s Belle Of Montana took the remaining Group 1 feature, the Pridmore’s Electric Ladyship Cup, leading and winning narrowly to justify her trans-Tasman trip
-Michael Howard
