Page 20 The Moorabool News – 8 February, 2022
Sport
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King becomes a great with second Hunter Cup Michael Howard (HRV)
Ballan Golf Club
Results - Week ending Saturday 5 February Wednesday – Stableford Winner - Peter Clifford (18) 42 points. R/up - Barry Sims (12) 40. Magpie - 14th Chris Tudor. NTPs - 12th Peter Clifford, 15th Barry Sims. Saturday – Stroke – Monthly Medal A GRADE Winner of Medal - Andrew Moore 67-12-55. R/up - Jason Bonar 72-12-60. B GRADE Winner - Ian Bragge 78-17-61 on c/b R/up - Peter Clifford 76-15-61. NTPs -12th Bob Arklay, 15th Hugh Miller. Magpies - 1st Andrew Moore, 14th Don Wickson. Balls 5, Cut-off 63 Andrew Moore, Jason Bonar, Ian Bragge, Peter Clifford, Aggy Germon.
Ballan Brumbies Basketball After the summer break, Ballan Brumbies returned to the hardwood last week. The Under 16 Boys Red team were without their regular coach Riley Dart due to illness, though the boys gave fill in coach Jarrod Prosser a stirring performance, dominating from the outset on their way to a convincing win over Phoenix Breakers. Ballan fielded a physically bigger and stronger side than Phoenix and looked to dominate the boards, whilst doing their best to mitigate Phoenix’s speed advantage. Encouragingly, Ballan’s first two possessions saw offensive rebounds to Johl Porter and Albie Eskdale, the former scoring the games opening basket. Brumbies owned the defensive boards, as well. Their superior size forcing Phoenix into tough shots and the resulting rebounds seeing Porter, Finn Solterbeck and debutant James Pace get out into the open court. When forced into half court situations, Ballan moved the ball well on offense - Ciaran Boland in particular slicing up the Phoenix defense with some incisive passes - opening up driving lanes for Solterbeck and jump shooting opportunities for Owen Woodward. Defensively, Boland and Solterbeck successfully stifled Phoenix’s prime movers in Barry Lockett and Paul Tan Sim, to the point where Ballan held Phoenix scoreless for the opening 18 minutes of the contest. A dominant performance to open the year from the boys, who saw Porter score a career high 20 points, Pace contributing 13, as the Brumbies ran out comfortable 46-10 winners. RESULTS: U10 Boys Ballan 4 lost Phoenix Falcons 18 U12 Boys Ballan Red - Bye Ballan White 19 lost Excies Acmy 35 U12 Girls Balan 6 lost Saints Dream 12 U14 Boys Ballan Red - Bye Ballan White 41 def Drummo Dragons White 15 U14 Girls Ballan - Bye U16 Boys Ballan Red 46 def Phoenix Breakers 10 Ballan White 14 lost Wildcats White 50 Ballan Blue 34 def Phoenix Kings 17 Ballan A 25 lost Sovereign Knights 32 U16 Girls Ballan 28 def Drummo Dragons 25 U19 Boys Ballan Red 48 def Drummo Dragons 45 U19 Girls Ballan 37 def Phoenix Rubys 20
King Of Swing ensconced himself in racing royalty with a dominant performance in the Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, becoming the first horse to win two Miracle Miles and two Hunter Cups. Held at Tabcorp Park Melton last Saturday night, Belinda McCarthy and Luke McCarthy’s brilliant entire was an unstoppable force in the $500,000 Grand Circuit classic, leading from gate one and blowing his rivals away in a stunning 25.9sec final quarter. It’s a victory that elevated him into rare air, increasing his career winnings to $2.78 million to leapfrog Christen Me into seventh on the all-time richest Australasian-bred pacers. “I’ve been so lucky throughout my career to drive a lot of great horses,” Luke McCarthy said. “This is one of my favourite horses of all time – he’s big, he’s strong, he’s good gaited. He’s just done such an amazing job. “It’s a massive thrill. I love driving at Melton, it’s one of my favourite tracks and to be able to win Victoria Cups and Hunter Cups, it’s a massive thrill.” King Of Swing was in a class of his own tonight, improving his extraordinary front-running record by having a vicelike grip on the race from the outset. McCarthy felt no pressure early, with stablemate Spirit Of St Louis able to drift forward into the running line and then hand over the breeze to Lochinvar Art amid a modest 85.3sec lead time. Neither McCarthy or Lochinvar Art’s reinsman, David Moran, were in any rush to quicken with major threats on their back, and with no three-wide line emerging until late they were able to pace even quarters until the last-gasp sprint to the line.
Hunter Cup Winner: King of Swing. Trainer: Belinda McCarthy. Driver: Luke McCarthy. Photo Stuart McCormick “I was really worried about Amazing Dream on my back and obviously I tried to take it as easily as I possibly could and with Arty only being thirdup we knew he probably wasn’t ready to go to war with (King Of Swing),” McCarthy said. He would wait until straightening for the last time before releasing the King and the champ did the rest, careering away in a 25.9sec last quarter with only Spirit Of St Louis able to keep pace. The latter ran into second to continue his brilliant summer, while Amazing Dream claimed third ahead of fastfinishing Mach Dan. “What a great horse, such a beautiful athlete,” McCarthy said. “When I asked him to go at the top of the straight he just put three lengths on them.” A thrilled trainer Belinda McCarthy said another Grand Circuit triumph for
the Breckon Farms-bred entire, who’s by Rocknroll Hanover, was just reward as they advanced towards a stud career. “It’s amazing, knowing that he’s retiring at the end of the year and going to stud, you just want things to happen and he deserved it tonight,” she said. “He’s just one of the most beautiful horses I’ve been associated with, I’m very proud of him.” With the victory, King Of Swing became just the sixth horse to win two Hunter Cups, joining Pure Steel (three), Sheffield Globe, Minuteman, Monara and Blossom Lady. Of those, only Pure Steel also won a Miracle Mile - in 1978. And, as stated, only six horses now head King Of Swing on the Australasian-bred pacing stakewinners list, those being Blacks A Fake, Im The Mightyquinn, Lazarus, Smoken Up, Monkey King and Lennytheshark.
Fourth time triumph Michael Howard (HRV) Andy and Kate Gath combined for a stunning fourth What The Hill Great Southern Star triumph, with Majestuoso leading all-the-way in the final to cap a drama-filled Friday night at Tabcorp Park Melton. The Gaths' hold on the richest Australian trotting trophy tightened with Majestuoso adding to Tornado Valley’s two back-to-back wins, making it three in succession for owner Norm Jenkin, while the trainer-driver combo also scored in 2017 with Glenferrie Typhoon. “It’s such a great race and to be able to win it four times is such a great thrill," Andy Gath said. "To be able to win it for Norm, too, he’s been such a great supporter of mine for such a long time. It’s a great feeling.” And it was hard earned, with the Great Southern Star’s one-night heats-intofinal format creating plenty of drama along the way. Kate Gath had some nervous moments when Majestuoso was buried three back on the pegs in her heat, but she was able to find enough clear air late to run into fourth. While only the first three home were guarateed to advance, fortunately for Gath the second heat was by far the quickest. Seven of the 10 qualifiers advanced from it into the final, with only Rules Dont Apply, Tornado Valley and Wobelee emerging from the first heat. The next hurdle was the live barrier draw, where horses were randomly
Great Southern Star Final Winner: Majestuoso. Trainer: Andy Gath. Driver: Kate Gath. Photo Stuart McCormick plucked before their connections chose the best gate. Wobelee’s owner Colin Murphy was fortunate to draw first and happily claimed gate one, with Majestuoso claiming four while his major rival, Im Ready Jet, was stranded in gate 10 after being out of the draw due to galloping in her heat. It would prove decisive in the final, with Majestuoso crossing quickly to the lead and Wobelee taking his back, and they would prove the dominant runners with Temporale (breeze) and Tornado Valley (one-one) unable to threaten in the running line. Come the final 200 metres, Majestuoso and Wobelee cleared out, with the former holding on to win by a head.
Im Ready Jet was stunning in running into third from four back in the running line to pip Powderkeg for the placing. Anton Golino’s mare got home in a 55.98-second last half, almost a second quicker than the winner despite covering an extra 13 metres. However, the biggest smiles were, of course, reserved for the winner. “You always need a bit of luck somewhere and finding the front after drawing four made all the difference,” Kate Gath told TrotsVision. “It was a thrill to get another one. “He’s definitely (a horse) who has taken a little while. Patience and persistence, it can pay off and it’s turned him into the horse that he is. All credit to the team at home.”