On Sunday the Clinton Welsh-trained and driven Red Samurai claimed a black type victory at Cranbourne when the seven-year-old trotter took out the $20, 000 Group 3 Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup (2575m).
Red Samurai ($17.90) beat home Ronerail ($4.90) by 3.4m with Armed Guard ($5.60) just over 1.5m back in third.
Acacia Ridge, who started the race as the warm $2.70 favourite, started well but had a disappointing finish coming in last. The Gary Hoban-trained gelding will be stood down for two weeks following a vets’ examination after the race.
In the final lap as they turned out of the straight Red Samurai sat dead last with 800m left to travel. Dream A Moment was the leader at the bell a head in front of Acacia Ridge.
On the back straight with 400m to go the field bunched closer together ready for the final sprint.
Dream A Moment and Acacia Ridge still held the lead, but Ronerail came from the back of the pack to race out three wide and move up quickly towards the front.
Into the final straight Ronerail loomed up and got their head in front of Acacia Ridge, but Red Samurai, who until the final 200m was sitting at the tail end of the field, began to accelerate chasing the lead.
Red Samurai came from dead last to claim victory in a thrilling final few meters
Acacia Ridge faded in the closing stages and broke half way up the straight, as Red Samurai came from last to claim victory ahead of Ronerail with Armed Guard holding on for third.
A son of boom sire Sundon, Red Samurai has now claimed victory in 18 of his 85 career starts for prizemoney of over $122, 000.
2010 Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup Results:
Place |
Horse |
Prizemoney |
Row & Br. |
Trainer |
Driver |
Margin (m) |
| 1 |
RED SAMURAI |
$13, 500 | Fr4 | C L Welsh | C L Welsh | - |
| 2 |
RONERAIL |
$3, 000 | Fr1 | M A Hughes | J N Quinlan | 3.40 |
| 3 |
ARMED GUARD (NZ) |
$2, 000 | Fr1 | R A Shinn | C N Shinn | 5.00 |
| 4 |
DREAM A MOMENT (NZ) |
$1, 000 | Fr3 | K E Manning | K E Manning | 8.60 |
| 5 |
EARL OF MOT (NZ) |
$500 | Fr5 | L J Justice | L J Justice | 9.60 |
| 6 |
PEPPERELL DANCER |
- | Fr2 | D J Woolcock | R A Payne | 10.50 |
| 7 |
CONQUER ALL (NZ) |
- | Fr6 | C A Alford | C A Alford | 12.40 |
| 8 |
ACACIA RIDGE |
- | Fr1 | G D Hoban | G D Hoban | 20.30 |