SHANE Tritton always acknowledges Tamworth’s Golden Guitar is “where it all started” for the Keinbah trainer and he hopes to add another feature race to his blossoming trophy list tonight when Katy Perry starts in the $25,500 2016 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final.
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The four-year-old mare, who has won just over $400,000 in prizemoney already , starts from the outside of the front row with regular driver Lauren Panella in the gig.
Katy Perry has won two from two in her return to racing from a spell as she strives for a 13th win in 29 starts.
She is the best performed mare to have run in the Golden Guitar although the likes of Pragmatic (1986) and her daughter Sissies Double (2003) did reach some lofty heights after dominant wins, even they had not won much prizemoney at that time in their pacing careers.
Tritton was delighted with his mare’s heat win last Sunday, the daughter of Bettor’s Delight cruising to a 12.5m win in the quick 2mins 26secs.
Her mile rate of 1:58.6 was second best on a day where the John McCarthy-trained-and- driven Cyclone Kate set a new track record, running 2mins 25.2secs and a mile rate of 1:58.
Geoff Harding’s 2015 Golden Guitar winner Strathlachlan Andy had set that track and race record (MR 1:58.1), winning last year’s Golden Guitar by an imperious 16.1m.
Winning the 2013 Golden Guitar with Mach Beauty, also a four-year-old , kick-started both the gelding’s career and Tritton’s.
They have both gone on to win a number of Group races.
Tritton is now one of the leading trainers in NSW.
“It all started here,” Tritton said.
“Mach Beauty winning here and then going on from there. I’m real happy to be back.”
Real happy to be back with such a fine pacer too.
She, and favourite Cyclone Kate, are destined for loftier races and results,Tritton predicted.
Panella believes the mare can only be better for tonight’s final after Sunday’s testing but impressive win.
“She’s still a bit big – she did it hard today,” she said after the heat win.
“I definitely see some improvement in her for the final.”