La Moth chalks up her best win yet
If moths are attracted to light, ex-New Zealand mare La Moth enjoys the winning post.
La Moth made it seven wins and three seconds from just 10 Australian starts at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
In probably her best win, the six-year-old mare did it tough before drawing clear for a three-metre win in the Table Of Knowledge Pacing For Pink Pace (1800m).
Coming from gate five, reinsman Wayne Hill elected to sit three wide early before trying to move forward and take the spot outside the leader. But Clarenden Tribute, which was there, started to race keenly and it took some effort before La Moth got to her preferred spot in a quick quarter of 29 seconds.
After an easier 31.4 second quarter, the tempo of the race lifted with 58.8 second last 800 metres.
La Moth, backed from $2 into $1.70, drew clear to win from Sky Fawkes ($13) with Vatican Green ($23), 5-1/2 metres away third.
Winning reinsman Wayne Hill was full of praise for La Moth which was purchased from New Zealand by Aaron Bain Racing in partnership with Summit Bloodstock.
“After the hard work early, I thought it would be a good effort just to run a place,” Hill said.
“She loves to win and when the challenges came she found more stamina and ended up winning very well.”
For trainer Peter Bain he has prepared nine winners from his 12 runners this season.
On Friday, Bain, and his mum Val, travelled to Mildura to win with Hilltop Blossom whose dam, Hilltop Rose was a family favourite.
Then La Moth scored for him on Saturday.
On Sunday, his first starter Aloha Princess won easily at the Globe Derby Park twilight meeting.
On a night when South Australian harness racing raised funds and awareness for the McGrath Foundation through a ‘Pacing For Pink’ promotion, it was perhaps fitting that seven of the nine winners on Saturday were driven by female reinspersons.
Samantha Hill led the way with a treble while Danielle Hill and Bernadette Page had doubles.
Hill opened the night with a tough win on Laylas Princess for Glode Derby Park trainer Clinton Fuller in the Pacing For Pink SAS Female Drivers Mares Pace.
Laylas Princess ($3.10) did it tough sitting parked before drawing clear for a five-metre win from Lochinvar Jewells ($2 fav) with Cyclone Brenda ($41), two metres away third.
The five-year-old mare has proved a great $8000 yearling purchase by the trainer’s father Allan having now won 11 races and picked up $63,621 in stakes.
She won the Southern Cross Two-Year-Old Fillies final in 2022 and looked to have an exciting future.
Trainer Clinton Fuller said it was great to now having Laylas Princess racing in the best form of her career.
“Unfortunately, she got crook and as a three-year-old we were wondering if she would ever fulfill her potential,” Fuller said.
“As she has got older, and with racing, she is now proving she is one of the best mares in the state.”
Driver Samantha Hill, who has driven Laylas Princess in most of her starts, has been amazed by the mare’s transformation.
“As a young horse she had great speed,” Hill said.
“As she has got older her stamina has improved, and she was really strong tonight.
“Her last two runs have been outstanding.”
Hill, who is building her training profile, came away with a training-driving double.
One of the most improved pacers in SA, Alive And Free won his third straight race taking out the 1800-Got-Junk? Pacing For Pink Pace (2230m).
Sitting three back in the running line, Alive And Free ($2.20 fav) came with a powerful run over the final 600 metres to win by one metre from Star Man ($2.90) with Better Be Lively ($41), five metres away third.
Hill followed up in the next race, the Crestline Meats Pacing For Pink Trotters Handicap (2230m) with the talented Twixten.
Sitting second, Hill timed Twixten’s ($8.50) run perfectly to run down the leader Illawong Moonbeam ($11) to score by two metres with Our Spitfire ($13), 3-1/2 metres away third.
Bernadette Page’s double took her to join Corey Johnson on 21 winners at the head of the SA Concession Drivers premiership.
Page’s first winner was Resurrect for Globe Derby Park trainer Lance Holberton and owner-breeders Paul and Judy Nobes.
She managed to slot Resurrect ($9) into a one-out, one-back position early before cutting the reins at the 600-metre mark and he raced away to win the Ladbrokes Same-Race Multi Pace (1800m) by 8-1/2 metres from Give Us A Wink ($9.50) with Lochinvar Ruler ($7) a short half head away third.
The winner is out of the former quality mare Perfectly Written, raced and trained in the same interests, and also the dam of the winner Perfectly Gamble, a pacer with promise.
Holberton said Resurrect could continue to improve as he believed the stock of the sire Lazarus, needed time to mature and got better with age.
Page brought up the double on Whata Optimist ($2.30 fav) in the Hilltop Fresh Flowers Pacing For Pink Pace (1800m).
The seven-year-old is trained by Ray Holberton and won by 3-1/2 metres from the fast-finishing Major Mad ($5) with Rocking With Charm ($2.50), 2-1/2 metres away third.
Danielle Hill’s first winner was on The Irishman ($3.60) for trainer Reece Moore, in the Kevin & Kay Seymour Pace Final (1800m).
It was brilliant drive by SA’s premier reinsperson who sat back on the inside early and looked to have little chance.
But she persevered for the inside and The Irishman sprinted powerfully up the sprint lane to grab a half neck win from Barney Fella ($9) with White Star Village ($3.20 fav), a stablemate of the winner, 3-1/2 metres away third.
Hill’s double came up on the best squaregaiter in South Australia, Doff Your Cap which was backed from $1.65 into $1.10 favourite in the Ladbrokes Fast Payments Trotters Mobile (2230m).
Trained by Ryan Hryhorec, Doff Your Hat sprinted for 500 metres to win by 10 metres from stablemate Phoebe Onyx ($10) with Xebec ($51), a half-metre away third.
- Graham Fischer
- Walter Bulyga