Fresh legs see the old boy home in NZ FFA double up
Has there ever been a more dramatic script in harness racing than the 2023 $100,000 G1 NZ FFA?
The soapbox started some 30 hours before the 1980m dispatch point with the New Zealand Cup winner, Swayzee sensationally scratched on Thursday morning, soon followed by the Cran & Chrissie Dalgety trained Republican Party.
The eleven horse field then became an eight horse field with the scratching of Pembrook Playboy, leaving what many felt to be a procession for the Cup runner up in Akuta (Bettor’s Delight) who had drawn the plumb barrier of one behind the mobile.
The $1.25 fixed odds favourite took us through the predictable part of the story line, leading off the gate and looking like making every post a winner before giving everyone in attendance a mild dose of panic as he just about jumped out of his gear going past the winning post the first time.
The silky hands of world champion reinsman Mark Purdon ensured that the plot didn’t taking another twist, at least for another 1000m when despite facing pressure from Aardiesexpress (Always B Miki) at his wheel from the 400m, looked to have the G1 feature at his mercy.
That was until his brother in law, who had been smoking the pipe out the back and out of trouble for the majority of the race behind last year’s winner, Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight), loomed up and zoomed on by with fresh legs likely the deciding factor on the day.
All credit to the winner however, whom despite missing the Cup after a less than ideal preparation, was somehow the forgotten Open Class pacer of the spring despite being the winner of over $2million in stakes.
Sharp eyes would have noted the stipes report noting the horse had been treated for a respiratory infection since last racing and with his joints being treated, stripped a much happier and healthier animal for today’s assignment.
Greg O’Connor was joined shortly after they crossed the post by Self Assured’s right hand man and trusty strapper, James Stephens, who looked proud as punch of his good mate picking up the big fish on show day.
“He thoroughly deserved that after everything he has gone through the last couple of months and to come back and be able to do that after missing the Cup is pretty special,” said Stephens.
“Like you say, with Akuta in front it was always going to be hard with nobody pressuring him but you know he has that sheer speed and it was so exciting,” he said.
While Herlihy would have undeniably preferred to be entering the birdcage aboard his stable star Bolt For Brilliance an hour earlier, it was a fitting reward for the pair who have been piloted together a few times now without much success to speak of.
“I have to appreciate Jean and the team for putting me on him because I have had a lot of bad luck with him and hadn’t won a race aboard him today. He had gone some great races without having that luck to win,” said Herlihy.
“Like you say, leaving him out of the Cup was probably the winning of today’s race. Akuta got a hard run in the Cup, it reminds me of Luxury Liner and Tax Credit all those years ago,” said Herlihy in reference to being nosed out by the latter aboard Luxury Liner in the 1988 NZ FFA.
When asked if he still enjoyed winning Group Ones on what felt like a relatively cold winters day, “It’s better than second, Greg,” was his response.
Akuta held gallantly for second after backing up from a gruelling Cup Day run to finish a length from the winner, with the Kevin Chapman trained Beach Ball (Somebeachsomewhere) getting a second G1 placing in the space of three days after enjoying a nice sit in the one-one for the majority of the race and running on solidly for third.
The winning time was 2:23.1 with a last mile of 1:56.7 off the front further emphasising the run of Self Assured to come from last at the 800m mark to claim victory.
SELF ASSURED REPLAY
The Jean Feiss owned pacer has now won 30 of his 62 race day starts with eight of them coming at Group One level.
Harness fans can now breathe a sigh of relief until Grand Prix Day on the 10 of December culminates what has been an incredible season of racing in the shaky isles.
