Graeme Bate & Wheeler’s Dominate West End Anniversary Cup Heats & Final Field
Joint feature on last night's Angle Park program was the heats of the West End Anniversary Cup where Graeme Bate claimed his other three winners for the night winning three of the four heats conducted.
He claimed the first heat on the card with his exciting chaser Allen Hertz who after a very slow beginning from box 2 punched through on the first turn to claim the lead down the back from Koombooyana Girl and raced away for an impressive victory by 4½ lengths in a sizzling 29.58.
Koombooyana Girl for trainer Bozidar Stamenkovic did a super job to hang on for second after producing a blistering lead time of 4.37 to lead and qualify for next week's final. It was her first defeat in 9 starts in South Australia however she was gallant in defeat.
The second heat was taken out in easy fashion by Bate's star chaser Allen Harper in a solid 29.94 by 2 lengths from the Leanne Fagan trained High Crimes. Last year's Group 1 Top Gun winner started a short priced favourite but didn't have things all his own way early in the event as a slow beginning from box 2 and a check on the first turn had him racing mid field with High Crimes racing away with the early lead. Allen Harper however got motoring mid race and showed his class by racing past High Crimes turning for home to record a smart win.
It was the same story in heat 3 of the Anniversary Cup with David Bale for Bate making full use of his inside box draw to lead throughout and record a comfortable victory in a flying 29.53 to be the fastest qualifier for next week's final. He won by 3¼ lengths from Head Tuner for trainer Ossie Chegia who continued his impressive local form holding of the late challenge from Johnny Will.
The final heat was taken out by the Troy Murray trained Kalden Aurora who recaptured her best form to lead throughout from box 8 and record a 1¼ length victory over Victorian Allen Lawson for trainer Graeme Bate in a handy 29.82. She showed glimpses of form that won her the Adelaide Cup Consolation last October when she blitzed her rivals in 29.52 and a repeat of that effort puts her right in next weeks final with a big chance.
The box draw was conducted on course last night at Angle Park for the $36,000 Group 3 West End Anniversary Cup. Graeme Bate looks to have a mortgage on the final qualifying half the field however the box draw has made for a very interesting contest with plenty of speed out wide on the track and the favoured runners drawing inside. It will be race 6 on the program and is listed to jump at 8.28pm (SA time).
The West End Anniversary Cup Final field in Box Draw order is:
2012 Anniversary Cup Final
1. Head Tuner Ossie Chegia (SA)
2. Allen Hertz Graeme Bate (Vic)
3. Allen Lawson Graeme Bate (Vic)
4. Allen Harper Graeme Bate (Vic)
5. Kalden Aurora Troy Murray (SA)
6. Koombooyana Girl Bozidar Stamenkovic (SA)
7. High Crimes Leanne Fagan (SA)
8. David Bale Graeme Bate (Vic)
Reserves
9. Johnny Will (1st Res) Petar Jovanovic(SA)
10.Bad Boy Pedro (2nd Res) John McMillan (SA)