Ideology finds the line in the Final
Promising three-year-old Ideology was good enough to beat the older horses in Saturday’s $15,000 Kevin & Kay Seymour Trotters Mobile Final (2230m) at Globe Derby Park earning a chance for bigger interstate riches.
An odds-on $1.85 favourite, Ideology, trained and driven by Ryan Hryhorec, had a tough early run before scoring by two metres from Ima Destroyer ($31) with Star Of Patrick ($5.50), a stablemate of the winner, four metres away third.
Hryhorec said he was “95 percent” certain to now give the three-year-old a shot at the Vicbred Super Series.
Heats, worth $10,000, will be run at Melton on Friday, September 4 with the $100,000 final at the same track on Saturday, September 12.
“If he stays here, he will have to run against the older horses, so why not give him a chance to go against the best in the Vicbred.
“There are also Silver and Bronze Consolations for the horses not in the final so there are races for him during the series.
“Mentally, he is still not there yet, but I’m sure a trip away and racing against tough opposition will help him mature.
“We would like to try and pick up his Vicbred Breeders bonus and as a 60-rater already, it will be tough to win in Victoria. This series should give him a chance.”
Hryhorec said he would send Ideology across to friends Andy Gath or Peter Thompson and would try to secure Kate Gath to drive him.
At Globe Derby on Saturday, coming from gate five, the three-year-old was trapped wide early in the battle for positions and looked like settling at the tail of the field so Hryhorec decided to come wide and was able to find the front.
It proved a decisive winning move as Hryhorec backed off the tempo dramatically and recorded pedestrian 32.5 and 32.6 second first quarters of the last 1600 metres before coming home with a 59.7 second last half.
“He did it tough early over the first 400 metres,” Hryhorec said.
“I really had to back off the speed to get his breath back and he was great through the line.
“He is an exciting three-year-old and is still very green – he still doesn’t really know what he is doing.”
Ideology is owned by the Port Pirie-based Five40 Racing Syndicate, managed by Chris Harvey, who made the trip to watch the Seymour Final.
“It is exciting to seeing him going so well since we bred Ideology in partnership with Ryan and his family,” Harvey said.
“We purchased the mare from Duncan McPherson, in foal to Aldebaran Eagle, and Ideology is the result.
“She then produced a filly by Skyvalley who is already coming along nicely.
“Unfortunately, the mare has passed away after being bitten by a snake.”
Harvey and Hryhorec also combined in the 2026 Australian Drivers Championship October 3 @ Globe Pace (1800m) to win with Harro Hill.
Harvey part-owns Harro Hill with the trainer’s wife Kerri Stauwer and her son Ollie Stauwer-Smith.
Hryhorec took the drive on the five-year-old mare coming from barrier four.
Harro Hill ($9) went forward early to take the lead from stablemate Miss Out ($2.80 fav) and once in front, Hryhorec rated her perfectly.
The mare sprinted strongly up the home straight to score by 1-1/2 metres from Miss Out which finished quickly with Zany Girl ($5.50), seven metres away third.
Port Pirie trainer-driver Dale Afford landed Sal Wester a victor in the final event, the Hahn Super Dry Pace (1800m) for two-year-olds.
Sal Wester was Afford’s only runner at the meeting and he had to wait until 10.32pm to take part.
He had the filly at Gawler on the previous Monday, and she found the lead in her race before it was abandoned after a serious fall in which veteran driver David Smith suffered a fractured pelvis.
Afford took a short time before taking Sal Wester to the front on Saturday.
The filly, a $2.90 chance, scored by four metres from South-East pacer Wishful Desire ($5 into $2.70 fav) with Sienna Bella ($11) a metre away third.
The second placegetter, having her first start, galloped early for a short time and did a huge job to finish second.
- Photo Walter Bulyga