By David Nagel
Steady rain could not prevent a high-quality card of racing from taking place at Pakenham on Thursday night with some exciting talent emerging victorious on the eight-race program.
Two heats of the $75,000 Sportsbet Future Stars Series were won in impressive fashion, while local trainers Nick Harnett and Michael Huglin rounded out the card with a double.
The first of the $75,000 features saw the familiar colours of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace enter the winners’ enclosure after their three-year-old gelding Dodi made light work of a quality field.
The son of Dissident/Promenades was having his second race start after running an unlucky fourth at Pakenham on 12 January.
Dodi was bailed up at his maiden run but had no such excuses on Thursday night, jumping quickly and settling three-wide just off the speed.
Jockey Ethan Brown gave the reins a shake at the 200 and the pair raced clear for victory.
Brown was impressed with Dodi’s performance after winning easily.
“Yeah, he did, he’s taken a lot of improvement from his first-up run into today,” he said.
“He was three wide, and the fact he pulled clear late, after a run in transit like that, was very convincing.
“They went slow, we were able to build into it when we wanted, but it was a tough win and I don’t think that wet track worried him either.”
Brown said it was an easy decision to stick with Dodi after his first outing.
“He was obviously very unlucky, for a horse having his first start he was quite fresh and was able to take up a spot, travel, and if he had got clear early, I think he would have won,” he said.
“Coming here tonight, drawing that wider gate, it took luck out of the equation and it was a strong win in the end.”
The other stylish winner of the Future Stars series was Bel Air, who broke his long-overdue maiden status with a strong finish to race five on the program.
The three-year-old gelding out of Written Tycoon/Bel Selene, had been racing in better company, having contested a $175,000 race at Caulfield and $250,000 maiden on the Gold Coast during his first five starts.
Thursday night’s encounter was a also a high-class race, but the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained horse put his rivals to the sword late.
Ben Melham gave Bel Air a beautiful ride throughout and saved his energy for a finishing burst.
Bel Air fought off the Maher/Eustace-trained Gringotts in the straight, with the highly-fancied favourites battling it out to the winning post.
Bel Air proved too strong over the last 100 metres to record a well-deserved victory.
“It was obviously a good race; he’s a nice horse, he’s pretty stiff, he’s ran into some pretty handy horses,” Melham explained post-race.
“I feel he’s genuine, but more so now as a gelding, as a colt he probably wasn’t switching on enough.
“We tinkered with a bit of gear – blinkers on, blinkers off – and I think they’ve really found their niche with him now and he’s really starting to develop into a nice horse.
“He’s just learning, he’s progressing each start he’s had, obviously running in good company on the Gold Coast, albeit a maiden, and that trip away might have done him the world of good, just furnished him up a bit.”
Pakenham trainers finished off the night in style when Cable De Vega made it back-to-back victories on her home track with an effortless win in the $40,000 BenchMark-64 Fillies and Mares Handicap (1600m).
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse poked his nose out for the lead in the early stages of the race before easing out of the battle.
Stackhouse pulled three-wide on the turn before releasing the brakes on the four-year-old mare at the 200.
Cable De Vega bolted clear, winning by almost two lengths on the line to back up her most recent victory on 19 January.
“She’s in good form this mare and when they find form, they hold it…she was very bright this morning, like last time,” trainer Huglin said.
“Stacky gave her a good ride from the barrier, there was a bit more speed tonight than there was last week, but she pulled her way to the front and she was winning a long way out.’
Huglin was unsure weather his mare would handle the sticky track conditions on the night.
“She’s had one start for a second on it, but it’s always hard to say, especially at this time of year when it’s dry, and it rains the day of,” he said.
“She’s a 12 grand horse and she’s paying her way pretty easily now.
“She’s come back better from the freshen up, she got a bit of a bug, and she’s come back nice and bright since.”
Cabe De Vega has now had 12 starts for the Huglin stable and amassed more than $80,000 in prizemoney.
Racing returns to Pakenham on Thursday 9 February, where two more $75,000 heats of the Future Stars Series will be run.
