By Geoff Newling
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GOLDPLAY and Bart Cockburn are destined for “bigger and better things” after they gave a virtuoso performance to win Friday night’s $20,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar (1980m) at Tamworth
Paceway.
Their 16m annihilation of their opponents was so easy, just about everyone forgot how quick a time the four-year-old former Kiwi mare recorded.
“It wasn’t just a race and mares’ record, it was also a track record,” acting Tamworth Harness Racing Club chairman Mark Lowe said after the presentation ceremony.
Goldplay beat Jasper Gold’s 2013 Golden Guitar mark by a tenth of a second.
She ran the Golden Guitar in 2min 25.6secs beating second-placed Set In Stone by 16m and lowering Jasper Gold’s previous race and track record mile rate from 1:58.40 to 1:58.30.
It had everyone enraptured, from veteran race caller Bob Poetschka to Harness Racing NSW board member Chris Edwards.
“It was a tip-top performance,” Poetschke said just after the daughter of Presidential Ball had swept to prominence.
“One of the easiest wins I’ve seen in the Golden Guitar for a long time.”
Cockburn was thrilled by her impressive display.
He knew she was good but didn’t think she’d win so easily.
“She’s got the makings of being a really nice horse,” he said.
“She can only get better and
better.”
He’s had her for three runs since owner Kevin Seymour brought her across from New Zealand.
She has now won four of her eight starts.
Lowe said the sensational time indicated she might have just as bright a future as the 2013 Golden Guitar winner, Mach Beauty.
Pryde’s Easifeed representative, Matt Pryde, congratulated both Bart Cockburn and his wonderful mare on their success as well as the THRC for such a good night.
Bart Cockburn was doubly grateful to Pryde’s.
“It’s a great product.
‘Pryde’s easiFeed is worth its weight in gold to us.”
HRNSW board member Chris edwards also praised the THRC for another successful Golden Guitar meeting and said the club is well on its way to having a new track.
HRNW has already purchased a block of land on the southern outskirts of the city and waiting for Tamworth Regional Council to rezone it before starting work on a new 1070m track.
“Congratulations to the THRC.
‘This weekend we have three Carnival of Country Cups, here, June and Goulburn and total prizemoney at the three is more than a quarter of million dollars.”
Mark Lowe hopes to be racing on the new 1070m track by the 2016 Golden Guitar.