The powerful Dave and Jean Fahey training partnership head into Thursday’s Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger final having trained an amazing 98 Group race winners.
Pic: Fair Pippa rolling to her NZ St Leger heat win (pic Dave Robbie)
The Fahey’s prospects off producing Group race winner number 99 soared when the husband and wife team qualified six finalists for the Group 2 St Leger decider.
It was Fair Pippa ($2.80 TAB Final field, option 910) who set the time standard in the first of the three 520m heats contested at Addington last Thursday. She completed her heat assignment in 30.45s after having an on the pace dual with her kennelmate Albie Punter. Fair Pippa eased clear during the run home to claim her heat win by a two length margin over another kennelmate, the Auckland Cup winner He’s All Power ($3.20), who extended strongly to relegate Albie Punter ($7.50) back to third by a length. All three kennelmates qualified for the $15,000 final.
Drawing out in trap seven, from where she ran third from in the recent NZ Oaks) hasn’t harmed Fair Pippa’s prospects according to Dave Fahey. “She hasn’t drawn too badly out there, although she must jump quickly. She has early pace, then tends to hold her place midrace, then finish strongly, therefore she will be hard to beat if she receives clear racing air,” he advised.
He’s All Power won the Auckland Cup from trap three which is a factor that isn’t lost on his co-trainer. “He ran on good in his heat and I thought it was an improved effort by him. His draw suits him as we saw in his Auckland Cup win.”
Fahey trained NZ St Leger qualifiers numbers four and five came from the second heat. Opawa Timo ($9) finished strongly from an early midfield position to close to within a half length of the pace making heat winner Cosmic Odette. In doing so he cut back his kennelmate Mazu ($12) to third by a length.
“Opawa Timo has been racing good lately. I feel his draw (eight) suits him. He is strong and he will keep on coming on during the run home. He has pulled up okay from Tuesday (NZRS Graduation heat third). Mazu is quite use to his draw (five), he never draws any good in finals, although he should hold a straight early line from there. He had an injury prior to his heat - he is all good now. I expect him to be an improver following his heat run”
The Fahey NZ St Leger representation was completed by Melan ($10) who secured the third heat race lead when rounding the first turn to lead for the remainder of the trip. He posted his first New Zealand win when completing his heat task in 30.74s. “I reckon he will better after his heat run after having a further look at the track. His form from the inside traps is good so hopefully he can get handy to the early pace from there (trap two),” suggested Fahey.
“We’re happy with all of our NZ St Leger runners – they are all set for Thursday,” advised Fahey who suggested that he marginally favoured He’s All Power and Fair Pippa from their team.
The recent John McInerney trained New Zealand Oaks winner Cosmic Odette ($7.50) ensured that she was going to return to contest this Group race final by flying away from the eight trap to undertake the pace-setting duties. She thrived in her role which saw her delivering her 30.54s heat victory. Amazingly she was offered at $81 on the TAB Futures market and that quote got even more juicier for her supporters after she was allocated the one trap to step away from on Thursday.
“She is going real good at the moment. She drew a tough heat and using her great box speed saw her getting through. She has to repeat that start on Thursday and yes if she does jump like that she can do it again. She was the quickest to the back mark in her heat (17.88s). She is a hundred percent going into the final,” confirmed Jonathon McInerney who also said he helped himself to a portion of her attractive Futures market offer. “After all she is a Group 1 winner,” he added.
Cosmic Odette (left) and Melan delivering their Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger heat wins – pics Dave Robbie
It is Craig Roberts who provides the balance of the final field. His promising chaser Ride Ain’t Over ($7) unwound strongly to claim his 1.25 length heat second behind Melan. In doing so he pushed back his kennelmate Howie Bale, who was making his New Zealand debut outing, to the first position on the reserves bench by a 1.5 length margin.
“I thought Ride Ain’t Over went a top race in his heat and I was rapt with the strong way he came home. He is very strong over the later stages in his races. I’m not too bothered about his draw (trap six) – I feel he’s better out there. He pulled up good from his heat and he has worked up good during the week. The key for him is how handy he can get himself early on. If he is (handy) going down the back (straight) then he will be definite chance,” said Roberts, who also suggested to keep his first reserve Howie Bale ($8) safe if he gains a race start here. “I thought his heat run was a big effort, especially after he was jammed up around the first turn. He would have benefited from that race.”
The NZ St Leger second reserve is the early pre-series favourite Tom Tee ($2.50) from the Ray Adcock kennels. He suffered from an impeded run into the first turn from where he pressed on over the later stages for his 4.75 length heat fourth behind Cosmic Odette. His time saw him returning the quickest fourth place heat time.
Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger finalists (from top left): He’s All Power; Albie Punter; Mazu; Opawa Timo; Ride Ain’t Over
By Peter Fenemor
