NEIL Godbolt seems to have a recurring romantic dream.
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The Port Macquarie trainer celebrated another win in Sunday’s $22,000 Hygain Romantic Dream 2YO Plate (1000m) when race favourite Taken On Chance skipped clear.
The two-year-old daughter of Hinchinbrook gave a couple of swishes of her tail as she finished strongly to beat Paul Perry’s Gone West by a half length.
Ben Smith’s Eldorado Dreaming was a nose away third and Neil Godbolt’s other runner, Star Of Theharbour, was a close fourth.
Star Of Theharbour actually loomed as a likely winner in the straight when he turned into the straight four abreast with Taken On Chance, Alotafox and Annarose.
However Star Of Theharbour died on his run while his stablemate finished strongly to notch Godbolt’s “fourth or fifth” Romantic Dream 2YO.
He won last year’s edition with Harnova, and laughed about his dominance in the juvenile sprint – although it might not have happened.
“I wasn’t going to start her,” he admitted.
“She hadn’t shown me anything and then trialled a long last over home.”
However he decided to start her after she pulled up well from the trial, instead of putting her out.
That he even has her is a quirk of racing.
“She was going to the Inglis Classic sale and had to be scoped,” he said.
“They had her scoped but she failed it.”
The breeders then gave her to Godbolt to do with what he wanted.
His decision to race her has borne fruit after a less than positive start.
Star Of Theharbour also ran a nice race, he said.
Godbolt had $20 on the horse at $60 because e knew the horse was a much better chance than that.
The horse raced well before knocking up.
The Romantic Dream 2YO Plate was run out of the new 1000m chute.
The 59.85secs winning time will stand as a track record for the new 1000m trip.
In race one, Royal Villa beat home Not A Princess and Matchfox in the Hygain Recuperate Maiden Handicap (1200m).
Royal Villa paid $16.60 for the win.
Race two, the Hygain Racetorque Maiden Plate (1400m), was won by Zaze, with Valree and Just Bute finishing second and third.
Zaze paid $2.20 for the win.
Victory Red claimed race four, the Hygain Tracktorque BM 65 Handicap, over Evangelist and Unique Show.
Victory Red paid $17.90 for the win.
The other winners on the day were Fickle Folly (race five), Epic Event (race six) and Ledekcy (race seven).
Tamworth Jockey Club general manager Kay Jeffrey said: “Luckily the track played well.”
