Racing: Devil Dodger leads in NZ trifecta

Devil Dodger beat his fellow Kiwis Smiling Shard and Courage To Rule in the Breeders Crown at Melton. Photo / Supplied

A rarely seen flash of tangerine reminded Breeders Crown at Melton, Victoria, punters just what a great trainer Brian Hughes is yesterday.

The South Auckland horseman evoked memories of a decade ago when he produced Devil Dodger to head home a Kiwi trifecta in the glamour race of yesterday's meeting, the 3-year-old male pace.

Expertly driven by Brent Mangos, Devil Dodger came with a run that mirrored his huge Harness Jewels second two months ago to grab Smiling Shard in the shadows of the post, with Courage To Rule third.

Those new to harness racing could have been forgiven for wondering just where the tangerine colours of Devil Dodger come from, as in New Zealand he races in the green and gold of the Brian Hughes-John Green partnership.

In Australia, training partnerships are not allowed so Devil Dodger was officially trained by Hughes alone, hence the return of the bright orange silks.

And they were colours which were once among the most feared in harness racing when Hughes trained superstars like Chokin in his early days, Chuin, Iman and Chaangerr, the latter going on to become the dam of Changeover.

To get to the winner's circle yesterday Hughes had to be every bit as good a trainer as he was in those glory days as Devil Dodger was surprisingly beaten on his semifinal 10 days ago.

"He was tucked up before that race because he didn't travel that well," said Mangos.

"But Bunty [Hughes] is a great trainer and he can turn then around.

"He has done a massive job with this horse because he has been up a long time and just kept getting better."

Devil Dodger has gone one better than his close relation Auckland Reactor in being able to win a group one race in Australia and has been a consistent improver through the 3-year-old ranks since Christmas.

He was aided yesterday by a searing last lap, set up by Smiling Shard, who came from last and paced his final mile in 1:54.6 to sap the sprint from most of his rivals.

That left the Kiwis to fight out the finish and Devil Dodger confirmed he is an open-class horse in the making by finding the line so bravely after being forced four wide.

While it represented an unofficial stable one-three result for Hughes and Green, who is listed in Australia as the trainer of Courage To Rule, it capped a great season for the partnership.

And it continued Mangos's superb Breeders Crown record, having trained and driven Molly Darling to win there as well as training Tuhimata Glass to win the juvenile trot last year.

The Kiwifecta wrapped a stunning day for New Zealand-trained horses, who took home four of the group one prizes.

The only real letdown was the punctured sulky tyre which stopped Our Major Mark from showing his best in the rich 2-year-old male pace.

The tyre was punctured by a rival clipping it early and soon deflated, eventually wrapping around the wheel inside the last 500m.

"By that stage it had got so bad I had no choice but to all but pull him up," said Our Major Mark's disappointed driver Mark Purdon.

"It is a real shame because he went into the race spot on."

KIWI MAGIC
* New Zealand horses win four Breeders Crown finals.
* Devil Dodger heads home a Kiwi trifecta in the day's glamour race.
* David Butcher reins two winners, De Lovely and Miami H.
* The only low point is a flat tyre for Our Major Mark in the day's richest race.