SA Trots - Bay Jim Major victorious in the 3yo Colts & Geldings Southern Cross Final

A trio of owners celebrated a Southern Cross victory with their first venture into harness racing.

Michael Ceravolo of Two Wells, Greg Moore and his partner Daniella Madalinski from Freeling, purchased Bay Jim Major as a yearling and have enjoyed a brilliant run capped on Saturday by a win in the Listed 2024 Alabar Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings Southern Cross (2230m).

Backed from $6 into $3.90, Bay Jim Major came wide over the last lap to win an action-packed final for trainer Les Harding and driver Danielle Hill.

The gelding proved too strong for Hezrockinroyalty ($5) winning by a metre with the $1.50 favourite No Notthebuttons, nine metres away third.

The tempo was electric early with the jostle for positions.

David Smith on Tonkawaikon ($26) began best from barrier two and was able to hold out Hezrockinroyalty early with Buzz Bomb ($101) also coming out well from gate five with Gaita Pullicino, driving No Notthebuttons, from barrier six caught five wide.

Eventually Ryan Hryhorec was able to work to the front on Hezrockinroyalty and No Notthebuttons finally found the spot outside the leader, but they had recorded a very quick lead time off 44.2 seconds, only 0.1 seconds slower than former star Guaranteed had recorded when he set the 2230m track record of 1:54.4 back in 2015.

The leaders were able to back off the speed with a 61.1 second first half of the last 1600 metres.

Danielle Hill, on Bay Jim Major, had managed to get the gelding away from the inside of the second row and was in a trailing position three back in the running line.

She came three wide with a lap to go to put pressure on the leaders down the back and they sprinted with a 28.3 second third quarter but having avoided the early burn, Bay Jim Major kept coming to score a brilliant win.

The owners have a strong involvement in greyhound racing but decided four years ago to have a ‘something different’ for an interest and attended the SA Standardbred Yearling Sale.

Ceravolo said the trio had no idea about which yearling they would buy but because Moore knew Kapunda breeder Stephen Norman they had a look at his yearlings and settled on a colt by Major Secret out of Jimbaran Bay which they purchased for $8000.

“Lane Johnson broke him in and then we had the job of finding a trainer,” Ceravolo said.

“I’m glad I listened to my Dad. He knew Les (Harding) and suggested him as did one of our employees.”

Ironically, Les’ son David actually drove Major Secret to victory in is first race start at Globe Derby Park while another son Matthew won the 2006 SA BOTRA Pace on Jimbaran Bay.

Harding, who won a 2011 Southern Cross 2YO with Fistfullofdollars, said Bay Jim Major was likely going to have a short break.

For Danielle Hill, Bay Jim Major was the second leg of a winning treble.

She partnered Honeybun ($2.50 into $1.24 fav) in the Ladbrokes 4YO & Over Mares Southern Cross Final (2230m) for co-trainers Jill Neilson and Katie Wilson who supplied the quinella with Big Back Betty ($7) finishing second beaten 8-1/2 metres.

Hill took out the Listed 2024 Alabar Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies Southern Cross Final (2230m) on Elusive ($1.75 fav) which proved exactly that for trainer Michael Norman giving him an initial success in the feature series.

Elusive raced away to win by 35-1/2 metres from Wings On The Line ($8) with Lil Miss Crocker ($151), a head away third.

The winner was bred and is owned by the Buckland Park Homestead managed by David Battye who has an incredible record in Southern Cross finals breeding and owning winners such as Treachery, Tuppence, Cobber, Elegant and Sequence in recent years.

An old training technique used by the legendary Alby Holberton helped Zenario win the 2024 Listed Cobbitty Equine Farm 2YO Pacing Colts & Geldings Southern Cross Final (1800m).

A smart drive by Michael Smith saw Zenario ($4.20) score a four-metre win from Splash Of Paynt ($2.60) with Art Regal ($71), 15 metres away third,

The winner is trained in Victoria by brothers Shaun and Jason McNaulty.

Shaun McNaulty said he had gone home to the family’s large farm at Kooreh in Victoria’s Wimmera area for cropping and missed the win.

“After last week’s heat I Ieft her with Lance Holberton but he said she was not eating property,” McNaulty said.

“He said Alby used to put a mirror in the stable and it is enough to fool the horses that they think another might be going to eat their food, and it worked.

“He is a promising young horse and I’m sure he can improve to run in the better three-year-old races next year.”

McNaulty had a good training grounding working for champion mentor Mark Purdon for three years and actually bought 2017 SA Cup winner Smolda to Adelaide for the trainer.

Zenario was the second Southern Cross victory for Smith who landed Bubbles And Cheese back in 2018.

The 2024 Listed Cobbitty Equine Farm 2YO Pacing Fillies (1800m) saw another outstanding win by Brighton ($1.05 fav), bred and owned for former HRSA chairman and Chief Executive Mark Carey, trained by Emma Stewart, and driven by Gaita Pullicino.

Brighton led throughout and recorded a brilliant 1:54.9 beating Machete Roulette ($19) by 20-1/2 metres.

Machete Roulette is trained and was driven by Dale Afford who had a better result in the 2024 Listed Aldebaran Park 3YO Trotters Southern Cross Final (2230m) with the filly Adel Can Succeed.

After leading early, Afford took the gamble and allowed Bishop George ($1.60 fav) to trot to the front.

It proved a winning move as Adel Can Succeed ($2.50) sprinted strongly and ran the favourite down to win by a half neck.

Afford said the filly was now likely to take on the colts and geldings in the Listed $12,500 South Australian Trotters Derby (2230m) at Globe Derby Park next Saturday.

Trainers Jill Neilson and Katie Wilson landed a Southern Cross double with Reoffender taking out the Listed 2024 Aldebaran Park 2YO Trotters Final (1800m).

While Danielle Hill drove Honeybun to victory earlier in the program, her brother Wayne, was in the sulky of Reoffender ($1.33 fav).

Hill was able to give the gelding an easy run before sprinting home to win by a neck from Feel The Moment ($2.90) driven by Danielle Hill.

It was the third race in a row where Reoffender was able to catch Feel The Moment and scored a narrow win.

Roseworthy husband and wife Toby and Lisa Ryan combined to win the 4YO & Over Entires & Geldings Southern Cross Final (2230m) with tough pacer Aintsobad.

Bred and owned in Mount Gambier by Andrew Clarke, Aintsobad ($2.10) sat parked but was too strong drawing away to win by five metres from the fast-finishing Clarenden Express ($19) with Urabadboy ($101), also owned, trained and driven by Clarke, two metres away third.

  Story Graham Fischer

Photo Walter Bulyga