$1.26 favourites are few and far between these days, and even rarer is seeing such a short-price commodity getting rolled.
That’s precisely what happened at Wagga’s Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Friday, with the Kerry Weir-trained Cracker Dance breaking the hearts of favourite punters in the 1600m Maiden Plate.
The Tim Donnelly-trained Australian Harbour – fresh off a very good second placing over 1400m during the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup carnival – had Danny Beasley in the saddle, and punters came for the former English galloper, which was crunched in from $1.85 to $1.26.
Beasley settled mid-field, but when push came to shove, the pair couldn’t run down Cracker Dance, who was given a dream ride by Jess Taylor.
The Tumut galloper jumped to the lead from gate three before Taylor opted to settle into second position behind early leader Ready For Impact (Kayla Nisbet, $16) from the Theresa Bateup yard.
Taylor then took Cracker Dance ($16) to the front, and the pair held on by 0.9 of a length from Australian Harbour ($1.26), while 2.46 lengths back in third was the Shilleagh MeyerVale-trained Tiger Leny (Brad Vale, $101).
Cracker Dance – a four-year-old grey mare by Crackerjack King out of Releve – had previously raced for Mick Price and Michael Kent, starting four times south of the border without placing.
Cracker Dance was only recently purchased by Brian and Louise Smith of Wagga’s Southwest Stockfeeds, which meant it was a popular result.
“We’ve only had her four weeks; the owner is Brian Smith, who owns Southwest Stockfeeds, and he’s actually at the trots, and he’s driving one in the first,” Weir laughed.
“We didn’t know what to expect. When she came to us, we were told she was very one-paced, so I just said to Jess, ‘Let her roll, and if she is there at the corner, get going’.”
Weir thought his mare might have tired in the event, but Cracker Dance kicked on nicely at the end of the eight furlongs.
“I said to my wife Michelle (Weir), ‘She might knock up the last 50m’, but she kicked and dug in; we’re happy,” Weir said.
“She’s a lovely little mare, and I can’t see why she can’t win a few more.
“(It was a) big drop back in grade; she’d run two fourths down in the provincials in Victoria, so we didn’t do a lot with her and just kept her fresh and happy.”
Weir, who enjoyed a good run of form late last year and earlier this year with Crocodile Cod and Laurel Hill, is starting to welcome a few back to the stable as he prepares for a busy winter of Southern Districts racing.
“It’s been very quiet, and we’re just starting to wind back up again,” Weir said.
While punters were left to rue a big loss with Australian Harbour, Tim Donnelly and Danny Beasley delivered a good win later on in the program, with Bongo Rythym winning the 1000m Maiden Handicap.
Starting $1.95 favourite, the two-year-old really caught the eye when getting home hard and fast for a good win over the five furlongs.
For results from Wagga, click here.
