The wheels on The Bus were certainly rotating at a rapid pace when the four-year-old horse won the 2019 running of the Pub Group Gold Nugget at the Tamworth harness meeting on Wednesday night.
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In taking out the $10,000 feature, The Bus shaved 1.3 seconds off the track record held by Real Social of 1min 57.1sec for 1980 metres.
The Bus set the new record with a mile rate of 1.56.1.
“It was a super run – awesome effort by the horse,” said The Bus’ reinsman, Guy Chapple.
“He is a serious race horse, this horse – tonight he just went unbelievable,” added the Maitland-based reinsman on returning to scale.
“He would race again tomorrow as he has got a big ticker and he will be here on Sunday for the Golden Guitar heats.”
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Chapple has a grand association with the Tamworth Paceway, and looks forward to returning to the the club’s January racing carnival each year.
“I think that is the third time I have won a Nugget race,” he said. “Tamworth has been the best place for me – I have won three Tamworth City Cups, two Golden Guitar finals and now three Gold Nugget races.
“I won a couple of Sires Stakes races here as well.”
From barrier rise, the Gold Nugget feature race developed into a speed battle, with The Bus from the three barrier, Royal Gamble from the one barrier and Lexy Can Wait from the six barrier all vying for the lead.
“The horse went super,” Chapple said. “I knew the speed would be on and it was our plan to be where we were. It played into our hands – that was a freakish run by the horse, though.”
Lexy Can Wait (Tom Ison) took the lead, with Royal Gamble (Jack Callaghan) racing in on the leaders’ back, while The Bus was poised racing out in the breeze.
At the 600m mark The Bus kicked clear, with local pacer Hedges Avenue from the Ernie Mabbott stables giving chase, and was soon joined by Royal Gamble as the field raced down the home straight on the final occasion.
“He just kept giving,” Chapple said, when he asked The Bus to put a little more effort into his run. “He is just a strong horse.”
The race was contested with quarters of 28.8sec, 30.7sec, 29.6sec and 29.4sec.
“He was travelling massive within himself,” Chapple said. “I knew they were running in the race and when I was coming back to scale it was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe it when they said the race time and [it was] a new track record.”
The Bus went on for a 1.8m win over Royal Gamble (Jack Callaghan), with Hedges Avenue (Mitch Faulkner) 6.2m away in third place.
“He is getting better and better,” Chapple said of The Bus, who has had 35 starts for nine wins and 12 placings.
“I reckon he could have done another lap – he just felt so strong.
“We will be back on Sunday,” Chapple added. “We have drawn the seven barrier which is the only drawback, so it will have to be another big run again and hopefully we qualify for the final.”
On Wednesday night, The Bus was supported by his New Zealand owners Grant and Kathy Hatton, who had travelled from Christchurch to see the run, and, of course, take in some country music before they head home.
