Ideal Scott scorches in Jewels workout
Star three-year-old pacer Ideal Scott has burned up Cambridge Raceway as he prepares for Saturday’s Harness Jewels. Racing editor Aidan Rodley reports.
Ideal Scott went quicker than track record splits as he blazed to a breathtaking win at yesterday’s Harness Jewels workouts at Cambridge.
The Brian Hughes and John Greentrained Gr I Northern Derby winner usurped the Cambridge 800m record split, set by Christian Cullen in the 1999 Cambridge Classic, and the 400m record split, set by Perfect Seelster in 2002.
He paced his last 800m in 54.4 seconds, faster than Christian Cullen’s 54.47, and his last 400 in 26.4, quicker than Perfect Seelster’s 26.5, on his way to a 3½-length free-for-all heat win over fellow Gr I winners Gold Ace and Mustang Mach.
Neither split is likely to be recognised as a track record as it was in a workout rather than a race, but the upshot remained that Ideal Scott stamped himself as the horse to beat in the Gr I $150,000 Rebo Restaurant Skycity Emerald 3yo Pace (1609m), the glamour event on Harness Jewels day at Cambridge, on Saturday.
“He went good. Now the job is to go good on Jewels day,” Hughes said afterwards.
“He’s done a great job all season. He’s the sort of horse that will be competitive in open company later on. The [Northern] Derby win was a great win and so was the Yearling Sales Final, but a Jewels win would be bloody great too.”
TAB harness racing bookmaker Stephen Richardson reacted to Idle Scott’s workout win by making him a $ 2.40 favourite for Saturday’s race, ahead of fellow star three-year-olds Smolda $ 3.50, Let’s Elope at $ 6.50, Texican at $7 and Fly Like An Eagle and Scandalman at $ 9.
Driver Todd Macfarlane was understandably upbeat after the heat.
“He certainly feels back to his best. It was a really pleasing run,” Macfarlane said.
Hughes was satisfied he had American Ideal gelding Ideal Scott right where he wanted him for the Cambridge feature and was delighted to have secured a favourable draw in barrier two.
“He’s got gate speed and he can go out and utilise that. But it’s a bloody good field and the one that gets the best run will probably get the money.
“You’ve got to be handy at Cambridge and while we’ve got the draw to be there, there will plenty coming from back in the field trying to get there and that will only create pressure.”
Ideal Scott, the runner-up in this year’s Gr I Victoria Derby after winning his heat and a heat winner of the New South Wales Derby, has won eight of his 17 starts overall.
Hughes and Green have already won a Harness Jewels race at Cambridge, with three-year-old pacing filly Safin in 2008, while they have produced Courage To Run and Devil Dodger for Jewels second placings.
The partnership will also produce Delightful Christian in the Gr I $150,000 Zone Bar Skycity Diamond 2yo Pace (1609m) on Saturday.
“She’s drawn five and she’s got gate speed as well,” Hughes said.
Gold Ace remained a $ 3.60 second favourite for Saturday’s Gr I $150,000 Mitre 10 Mega Cambridge Emerald 4yo Pace (1609m) despite the defeat, and Pukekohe trainer Steven Reid was unconcerned afterwards.
“I was happy. They’ve gone very slow early and that’s not his go,” Reid said.
“He got beaten in the mile [third in last month’s Gr I Noel Taylor Mile] at Alexandra Park when they went slow early as well.
“That workout will improve him heaps and there will be a lot more speed next week and that’s just what he needs. He’s a far better follower of speed.”
Gold Ace has drawn barrier two on the second line and follows out New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love, the $1.90 favourite, whom Reid expects to push forward early.
“Hopefully we get a reasonably good speed and we can roll forward and be right in the race,” Reid said.
Third in betting is Zenola Seelster at $ 6, ahead of Mustang Mach at $ 8, who ran an encouraging workout yesterday for driver Gareth Dixon, who has been looking after the Gr I New Zealand Messenger Championship winner for Australian trainer Dean Braun.
Reid also has Easy On The Eye in the Emerald 4yo Pace as a $ 31 outsider, though he could be one to watch judging by his workout win yesterday in a fast time.
“He’s not far off them but the draw [four on the second row] is going to make it hard for him. He felt good today.
“They went fairly hard today. He’s a rolling type of horse and he likes a trip like that.”
Behind Easy On The Eye, the Nicky Chilcott-trained Precious Mach made eye-catching ground along the passing lane, while Supreme Gem faded after making the pace.
Precious Mach is at $ 51 and the John Mcdermott-trained Supreme Gem at $101 to win the Gr I $150,000 RA & JV Yarndley Diamond 4yo Pace (1607m) in a market headed by Bettor Cover Lover at $1.20.
The Brent Mangos-trained Better Cover Lover could only finish ninth in Friday’s Gr I Queen Of The Pacific (2760m) at Melton, near Melbourne.