Victoria’s Watpac Inter Dominion Pacing Championship hopes rest with Smoken Up after the Lance Justice-trained gun was the only Garden Stater to qualify for next Sunday’s $1 million final at Menangle.
The Graeme Lang-trained Sammy Maguire, who ran third in last night’s second of heats at Newcastle, finished tied with Baileys Dream on 18 points, but lost out to the Kiwi in the ballot to fill the last spot.
The Benny Hill-trained gelding, a fourth placegetter last night, joins stablemate Monkey King, Blacks A Fake, Bondy, Washakie, Atomic Ark, Our Awesome Armbro, Smoken Up, Mr Feelgood and Changeover in the final.
Sammy Maguire is the first emergency with Be Good Johnny winning the ballot for the spot as second reserve.
Smoken Up sealed his spot with a costly second placing to Washakie last night. It followed a brave third from an awkward back-row draw in his opening qualifier at Harold Park.
The tough front-runner was sent out the $1.30 favourite from a better barrier (two) last night and while the race was made to order after a pedestrian 64.4-second first half of the last mile, he didn’t appear to handle the final bend.
An ingenious drive from John McCarthy saw Washakie open up a race-winning break at the 300m and while Smoken Up got going again in the straight he was 1.6m astern the Queenslander on the line.
Cincinnati Kid and Few Good Men were the other Victorians in that heat who could have sealed a final berth with victory but had to settle for fourth and fifth respectively.
The final quarter was covered in a blistering 26.4 seconds, which secured a 1:58.9 mile rate.
That was 0.8secs quicker than Bondy went on the way to victory over Be Good Johnny and Sammy Maguire in the second heat, but he did pull out a 26.2-second final split.
Tanabi Bromac went into that heat needing a top-two finish to make the final, but he raced three-back the pegs and could get no closer than fifth.
The latter two heats were easily the fastest of the night.
Monkey King went 1:56.2 in a third heat that contained longshot Victorian final contenders Pacific Charm (sixth) and I Am Sam (seventh), while Blacks A Fake readjusted the track record in the final qualifier.
Despite sitting in the death, the three-time Inter Dominion champion went 1:55.3, which included a 55.1-second final 800m, on his way to victory over Mr Feelgood, Pembrook Benny and Baileys Dream.
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Leilani Lombo earned comparisons with some of Peter Manning’s best juvenile fillies when she demolished her rivals in last night’s female edition of the $20,000 Sapling Stakes at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
The daughter of Million To One announced herself as the likely next star to come from the legendary Great Western yard that has already produced the likes of Sheza Mona, Ananz and Pelicanrama.
Manning said it was too early to start making comparisons with those stars of yesteryear, but he couldn’t have asked any more of the half-sister to seven-time winner Hirli Birli Lombo in her only two starts to date.
“By this time Ananz had won about nine races so she’s got a bit to go (to match Ananz), but I think she’s proved she’s the best around at the moment,” said Manning, who also won the 2001 Sapling Stakes with Lynsey Lombo.
Leilani Lombo followed her 12-metre debut win with last night’s 7.3m stroll in the park.
Given time to settle from her back-row draw by star reinswoman Kerryn Manning, who was shooting for a fourth Sapling Stakes success, Leilani Lombo wasn’t put into the race until a lap from home.
From there she sat outside leader and heavily-supported stablemate Lady Erica Lombo ($2.80) in a 58.3-second final 800m, but was still able to career away from her rivals in the straight for a 1:58.3 mile rate success.
Leading home the chasing division was debutante Rhodium Castle ($26), a half-sister to former star youngsters Blatant Lie and Keppel Bay, who finished hard along the sprint lane to pip Giggling Girl ($11) for second placing.
Lady Erica Lombo dropped out in the straight to finish eighth, beaten 17 metres. Manning’s three other runners – Chi Serasera Lombo, Queena Hearts Lombo and Mica Pink – finished fourth, fifth and last respectively.
Manning was so happy with the performance of Leilani Lombo that he may head to Sydney to contest next Sunday’s New South Wales version of the Sapling Stakes.
“She did come from last and had to sit outside the leader for the last lap, so she did it pretty tough,” Manning said.
“We might go up to Sydney for the Sapling Stakes. That’s open to colts and geldings as well, but I’m quite sure she’s up to most of the colts and geldings.”
