Racing: Stalwart gains deserved victory

Prominent Christchurch owner Graham Beirne has been a huge supporter of 2-year-old racing in New Zealand over the past 20 years and gained a well-deserved victory with Five Star Anvil at Addington yesterday.

Five Star Anvil took full advantage of a handy front-row draw and the passing lane to outsprint rivals in the $300,000 New Zealand Yearling Sales Series Final.

The colt son of former North American star McArdle was punched straight to the front by Mark Jones before being eased to take a trail behind Anvils Best Ever.

Jones sat patiently before unleashing a blistering sprint in the home straight to win by three-quarters of a length over Smiling Shard with 2 lengths back to Courage To Rule.

The 1950m was cut out in a slick 2:25.1 (mile rate 1:59.7) with closing 800m and 400m sectionals of 57 seconds and 27.7s.

Five Star Anvil is trained at Helensville by Doug Gale and Wendy Williams. The combination of Gale and Beirne has tasted success at Addington in 2-year-old feature events with Anvil Gale (Sires Stakes Final) and Kate's First (Sires Stakes Fillies).

Five Star Anvil has brilliant gate speed and faultless manners key ingredients for upcoming features.

The victory was also a welcome return to winning a feature event for Gale, who has been quietly churning out the winners for a number of years, from his Helensville property.

MONKEY KING continued his stunning late season domination of the South Island open-class ranks with an easy victory in the $20,000 Lindauer Free-For-All.

The 6-year-old had no chance in his last start when starting off a tough handicap at Rangiora and appreciated the return to mobile racing.

Regular driver Ricky May had Monkey King forward and outside the leader from the start and the favourite asserted his authority in the home stretch scoring by a half-length over Kiwi Ingenuity. A further head away third was Rider On The Storm.

The 2600m was cut out in 3:15 (mile rate 2:00.7) with closing 800m and 400m sectionals of 56.5 seconds and 26.7s.

The unlucky runner was the fifth placed St Barts who sat three deep on the inner and was blocked for racing room the length of the home stretch.

In any other season Monkey King would be hailed as the superstar of Free-For-All racing, however Auckland Reactor rules.

FIRST SEASON racing manners cost hot favourite The Fiery Ginga the $60,000 (Group Two) NRM Sires Stakes Trotters Championship.

The Fiery Ginga threw victory away at the start of the 1950m mobile event, breaking and losing about 100m.

Trainer-driver Alan Clark had him back trotting and they caught the field with 1100m to go.

Clark sent the favourite forward three and four wide around the field - pushed out when improving by the eventual winner Continental Auto - as both runners reeled in the leaders.

Continental Auto strode to the front at the top of the home straight and had to dig deep to withstand the grinding challenge from The Fiery Ginga to win by a nose. A further three-quarters of a length away in third position was Jinja Girl.

While all honours were with the winner who trotted faultlessly throughout the race, nothing could be taken away from the performance of The Fiery Ginga.

If The Fiery Ginga had trotted throughout it is frightening to think how much he would have won by.

SUPERSTAR FILLY Lauraella should have been beaten in the $150,000 Nevele R Fillies Final but refused to accept defeat over the closing stages of the Group One feature.

The Geoff Small-trained Lauraella had everything against her before the 1950m feature was even run - starting from a horrible second row draw over a sprint distance - while her major rivals had better barrier draws.

Regular driver David Butcher produced a brilliant tactical drive, choosing to pull back at the start so they could stay out of the early speed war. Timing his move well, he pushed Lauraella forward three wide at the bell to sit outside the favourite Joyfuljoy, who was setting the pace.

Butcher refused to allow Joyfuljoy's stablemate Imagine Me to improve forward and cross him locking Imagine Me out three wide and applying plenty of pressure on the leader.

The blistering closing 800m and 400m sectionals of 56.2s and 28.2s, are testament to the fact that this race developed into a brutal stamina test.

In the home stretch Lauraella lengthened her stride and strode clear to win by a half-head over the fast-closing Beaudiene Bad Babe.

A further 1 lengths away in third position was Imagine Me.