Pop The Cork sets the pace in Vince Curry Memorial semi-final
REG KAY looks to have another star on his hands after Pop The Cork scored an emphatic victory in a semi-final of the Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden series at Ipswich.
Stepping swiftly from box seven in the first qualifier on Saturday night, the regally-bred son of Brett Lee and Ima Geisha Girl crossed to the rails in the run to the first turn and booted clear. There was no stopping the black flash once he was out in front, scoring by 16.5 lengths in a blistering 30.16.
The ultra-impressive time, just 0.16 outside Queen Lauryn's track record, broke the class record time over 520 metres, which Pop The Cork set the week prior when running 30.34 in his heat.
He will start as a dominant favourite in next Saturday's $40,000-to-the-winner final after drawing identically in the decider. Incidentally, he has had three starts and drawn box seven on each occasion.
Our Beach Girl and Wildash Warrior filled the placings, but neither was a match for the winner. Our Beach Girl did enough to qualify for the final.
Mathew Reid will have two runners in the final with Norm The Storm and Okavango set to represent their Old Bonalbo mentor.
Norm The Storm took out the second semi-final from box four, defeating odds-on favourite Heidi Benz by one length in a handy 30.54.
Reid's other finalist, Okavango, ran second in the third semi behind Dianna Buxton's Got A Brother. Taking full advantage of box one, Got A Brother, a red brindle son of Collision and Splitting Hairs, never put a paw wrong, bounding straight to the front and extending his lead throughout the event, crossing the line eight lengths in front in 30.50.
The final semi-final went to leading trainer Tony Brett and his impeccably-bred bitch Crazy Sexy. After running second at her first start last week, the daughter of El Grand Señor and Fancy Jaffa was too classy for her opposition on Saturday night, finding the lead and kicking clear to break her maiden in 30.62.
The black speedster is certainly bred to run, being a half-sister to former boom pups Zulu Zeus and Zulu Zircon.
The final of the Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden series will be held at Ipswich next Saturday night.
The box draw is as follows:
Box One: Crazy Sexy – Tony Brett
Box Two: Our Beach Girl – Michael Geraghty
Box Three: Heidi Benz – Geoffrey Uhrhane
Box Four: Unaffordable – Adam Hines
Box Five: Got A Brother – Dianna Buxton
Box Six: Okavango – Mathew Reid
Box Seven: Pop The Cork – Reg Kay
Box Eight: Norm The Storm – Mathew Reid
won’t lead on sectional times so is no certainty, harder to cross a quality field from box 7, can win but don’t take silly odds
After Four Corners the dog should be scratched as Mr Kay was filmed at the trial track
won’t lead on sectional times so is no certainty, harder to cross a quality field from box 7, can win but don’t take silly odds
After Four Corners the dog should be scratched as Mr Kay was filmed at the trial track