Driving Treble for Mark Reed at Northam
Blitzembye NZ winning for Mike and Mark Reed. Photo Credit- Photography by Jodie Hallows
Mark Reed drove a treble at Northam on Saturday night, also giving his dad Mike Reed a training double on the night with Our Shelley Beach NZ taking out the first on the card after leading all the way from barrier two. The three-year-old who has been in consistent form as late went one better on his last start to break a losing sequence of 15, winning by 6.8m in 1:59:1 over the 2190m.
Blitzembye NZ started short at $1.04, but favourite punters were right on the money with the three-year-old making it two in a row and four from five starts since making the move from New Zealand. Claiming the fourth on the card by an impressive 19.9m, Blitzembye NZ led all the way from barrier four, clocking a mile rate of 1:58:4 over the 2190m trip for Mike and Mark Reed.
The final leg of Reed’s treble came up in the sixth when he piloted the Debbie Padberg trained Dynamite Beach to victory in 2:03:0. After leading all the way from barrier one, the four-year-old and Reed managed to stave off the fast-finishing Cracka Tinny by a half-head, recording his fifth career win in 43 starts.
Sarah Suvaljko and Daniel Suvaljko teamed up in race two for the win with Moolah Magnet NZ after settling in the one-one over the 2190m. The three-year-old has been in form lately, with two wins and two seconds in his last four starts and brought up his second career victory on Saturday for the Suvaljko family in 2:02:8.
Mister Riggers NZ made it two in a row for Amanda Penno and Hayden Hancock after taking out the third on the card. Starting from barrier nine over the 2190m, Hancock made his move early in the piece to find the breeze, proving too good for his rivals when he went on to win by 3.4m in 2:03:0.
Overjoyed appreciated the drop in class after his last start in Group 1 company at Gloucester Park, with the flashy three-year-old settling towards the rear in race five, making his move around 600m from home, to win by 1.1m in 1:58:4 for trainer and driver Robbie Williams over the 2190m trip.
Suarez made it two in a row for Sonia Zucchiatti and Mitchell Miller after taking out race seven on the card in 2:00:9 over the 2150m. Starting off the 30m handicap in the standing start, the six-year-old-old got away safely and settled a little worse than mid field throughout. With a little under a lap to go, Miller put the gelding in to the race, going on to win by 10.1m.
The two-year-old fillies rounded out the meeting with Dame Valour kicking her maiden status at her first race start for trainer Ian Foley and driver Ryan Warwick. The $2.25 favourite started from barrier five in race eight, and after restraining from the mobile she settled towards the rear, but with a lap and a half to go, Warwick pulled off the pegs, working their way to the breeze, going on to win by 3.4m in 2:03:8.
Ashleigh Paikos