The betting public didn't give Vincennes and driver Jody Jamieson much of a shot in Saturday $400,000 Pryde’s Easifeed Great Southern Star in Australia, but those who did back him were handsomely rewarded.
After finishing fourth in the first heat of the Great Southern Star. Jamieson guided Vincennes to a runner-up finish behind favoured Stent and driver Colin De Filippi in the lucrative Grade 1 final.
Widely considered to be Australasia’s best trotter at the moment, Stent was sent out odds-on in the $300,000 Final and didn’t disappoint, going one better than his second-place finish in last year’s Great Southern Star with a stunning 6.3-metre victory over Vincennes in the 1720-metre feature.
The six-year-old gelding was made to work for the front mid-race after being initially crossed by Flying Isa from gate six, but trainer/driver De Filippi grew in confidence once at the head of affairs.
“I got away with a pretty good middle half. The further it went the more confident I got,” he said.
To watch the replay of the Great Southern Star Final, click here.
Keystone Del, last year’s Great Southern Star champion, loomed up approaching the home corner and looked a serious threat but Stent was able to shake him off and then hold off all the later comers for a 6.3-metre triumph in a 1:57.1 mile rate.
“He’s a lovely trotter. A lovely gaited horse. He got a wee bit keen in the preliminary, that’d be the only thing he did wrong,” De Filippi said.
“It was our night tonight....I’d like to think this trotter will end up going down in history among the best of them.”
Flying Isa and driver Luke McCarthy finished behind Vincennes in third.
The winner sprinted through his last half in 56.5 secs with splits of :29.1 and :27.4.
Sheemon and Dexter Dunn upset Keystone Del in the first of the series’ heats, at a mile rate of 1:57.2, sitting on the back of Keystone Del before peeling to the outside and overhauling him in the stretch.
The second of the heats saw raging-hot favourite Stent take the cash in 1:58.2, taking control of the race at the top of the straight and careering to an easy win.
So slowly they went in the second heat that only the top three horses over the line qualified for the final, meaning horses 1-7 in the first heat finished quicker and moved through to the big dance.
Keystone Del was second in the first heat, just ahead of Brunelleschi, who ran a mighty race from barrier seven, while Vincennes, Flying Isa, Steal A Sixpence and Cold Sister all qualified.
Kyvalley Blur rattled home in the second heat to qualify for the final, with South Australian Neville Vaughan enjoying a cheap run on the pegs and finishing on well for third.
The was a distinct International flavour to the Great Southern Star card. Denmark's Knud and Michelle Mønster each scored wins. Knud captured the $20,500 Invitational International Drivers Free-For-All Trot with Irish Whisper NZ, while his daughter Michelle won the $14,000 racing under saddle (monte) feature with Si Capisco.
(with files from Harness Racing Australia)