Crook rides his luck in win

CONOR Crook made the most of drawing an odds-on favourite in the penultimate heat of the BOTRA Novice Driver Championship to win the race aboard Similan Beach and take a stranglehold on the series.

Crook went into the final two heats in Launceston on Friday night with a six-point lead over Allister Woods and needed to win the fifth heat to take an almost unbeatable lead into the final heat.

Similan Beach ($1.60 fav) began well from the inside barrier to hold the lead going into the first turn where Crook ensured a solid tempo and the three-year-old did the rest by forging clear at the business end of the race.

Similan Beach scored by almost 6m from Inner Light (Lee Simmonds) with Woods guiding Flying Wyngard into third place to earn nine points to be 13 points behind, with one heat remaining.

It was still mathematically possible for Woods to win but his charge in the final heat, Ektoras, could only manage eighth position.

However, Crook’s drive, Stylish Trend, finished just behind Ektoras.

Samantha Freeman went into the final round of heats 10 points behind but drove her way into second place courtesy of finishing fourth in heat five aboard Streetside Classic.

She closed with a win aboard the Tommy Jackson-trained Finn Mac Kee.

Finn Mac Kee’s win was courtesy of a classy drive from Freeman who had her charge settled on the back of the leader, Ima Ginger Rogers, which she trailed to the home turn where she eased Finn Mac Kee off the peg line to make his charge.

Finn Mac Kee unleashed a powerful sprint in the home straight to go on and score by 10.8m from Modern Chic (Wade Rattray) with Ima Ginger Rogers (Chris Aylett) hanging on for third just over a metre astern.