CYCLONE Kate hit Tamworth Paceway with a record-breaking Golden Guitar heat win yesterday before Keinbah mare Katy Perry replied in similar fashion, although not as quick, to set up one of the most anticipated and high- class Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Finals.
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Tamworth chairman Terry Browne was one of the super- impressed onlookers after just four of the seven heats after watching the two mare set the Paceway alight.
Cyclone Kate was the first to strike, the cantankerous Cobbity mare, trained and driven by John McCarthy, cruising to a 13m victory in her Pryde’s EasiFeed Biomare Cubes Golden Guitar Heat 2 (1980m), setting a new track record along the way.
The former Kiwi four-year-old, who was having just her second start in Australia, ran 2mins 25.2secs, a tenth of a second quicker than Strathlachlan Andy’s Golden Guitar Final record-breaking win last year.
He had run 2mins 25.3secs with a mile rate of 1:58.1 – Cyclone Kate went a tenth of a second quicker in clocking 2mins 25.2secs and a MR of 1:58 at her second start in Australia.
“She almost ran a track record at Bathurst too,” McCarthy told on-course interviewer Mark Lowe after the second of seven Golden Guitar heats.
She ran 1:54.1 in winning at Bathurst in her Aussie debut in what is now a 31-start career for nine wins.
McCarthy was making his debut at Tamworth Paceway as well.
“It’s a great way to start,” he said
“That’s real good – my first go here. It’s a nice little track.”
Two heats later and Lauren Panella and Katy Perry, who had won 11 races and just over $400,000 in prizemoney, overcame a tough early run to race away to an easy 12.5m win in the Pryde’s EasiFeed Stamina Golden Guitar Heat 4 (1980m) in 2mins 26secs, a mile rate of 158:8.
“She’s still big,” Panella said of a mare who was having her second run back from a spell.
“She done it the hard way. She’s tough and there is improvement there – she needed that blowout.”
Trainer Shane Tritton is expecting a keen battle on Friday night as he strains to add a second Golden Guitar to the trophy Mach Beauty won him four years ago.
“She and Cyclone Kate have matched motors with each other their whole careers,” he said.
“It’s going to be a good final. Both are going onto bigger and better things.”
The seven heat winners plus three fastest second-placed pacers qualify for Friday night’s $25,500 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final.
The first heat winner, Pepperall, ran a 2:00.1 mile rate to begin the day well and become one of two Golden Guitar heats winners for the Clifton-based sisters, Julie and Lola Weidemann.
Lola drove both Pepperall and heat six winner Major Deed.
Pepperall’s gutsy all-the-way win was followed by Cyclone Kate’s brilliantly easy win.
Luke and Belinda McCarthy, following on from their win in the first heat of the Nevele R Stud 3YO with Bettor Together, snared their own Golden Guitar finalist when Downunder Stride won the third Golden Guitar heat.
The four-year-old gelding won his sixth race in 20 outings with an impressive and strong 7m win from Love This Dragon.
“He’s a nice horse – he got around the track good,” Luke McCarthy said.
“He won real well last week and that gave us the confidence to come here.”
He was delighted to have two horses in two finals this Friday night and even more delighted to have driven Bill Lesslie’s up and coming pacing star, Zodiac Dream, to a win in the seventh and final heat.
It completed a great day for McCarthy who also won a heat of the Nevele R Stud Starmaker 3YO with Better Together while Tamworth trainer-driver Graham Moon won the second heat with green young pacer Zodiac Dream.
Tiz A Smokey was a shock Golden Guitar finalist, winning the fifth heat in a boilover, the 33-1 pop finishing over the top of his rivals after race favourites Murano and Another Broadway had set a suicidal pace up front.
Silverback (35-1) snuck home into second and might have secured a final berth for Tritton as well.
