The Golden Guitar Final will see the upper echelon of pacers contest the prestigious race on Thursday evening at the Tamworth Paceway.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first running of the time-honoured race was back in 1984, growing to a Listed Classic race offering $25,000 in prize money, until this year which will be its first running as a Group 2 $50,000 Final.
Bathurst pacer Ziggy Rocks has made his way into the final after taking out the Multiquip Hatchery Golden Guitar Heat 3.
Read Also:
Trained and driven by Mat Rue at Bathurst, Ziggy Rocks was in control out in the lead.
Mid race pressure from The Choreographer (Matthew Harding) did not waiver Ziggy Rocks who raced away from the field at the 400-metre mark before being challenged by Amanda Turnbull with Loyola Trios down the home straight.
"I heard a horse coming and then I heard Amanda yelling and I thought that's the last person I want to hear, but we held on," Rue said.
"You appreciate beating Amanda sometimes, because when it is only you and her, nine times out of 10, she will get you."
After setting the race tempo out in the lead, Ziggy Rocks had a winning margin of a neck over Loyola Trios and Condafew (Lola Weideman) 11 metres away third.
Mat Rue is no stranger to Tamworth and has an impeccable strike rate when he does compete here.
"It's been about 12 years I reckon since I was last here - I must have been young - but I haven't been here without driving a winner," he said.
"I won the Tamworth City Cup one year.
"In high pressure races like this, often the horses who don't do much work early end up winning it.
"It will be a tough field and I think Obi One will still be the one to beat, but he (Ziggy Rocks) continues to surprise me every time he goes around."
Ziggy Rocks, a four-year-old Pet Rock-Inaugural Ball gelding has won five races and nine placings from 23 races starts for his owner - Tabcorp Park Menangle Club Director Daniel Cordina.
"He (Ziggy Rocks) has been a surprise package horse - about 12 months ago he was a mediocre horse and we gave him a spell and not in my wildest dreams did I think he would come back this strong. He is not a top horse but he is a handy horse," added Rue.
"He was really ramped up for the heat race and it was a nice run. It will top him up a bit more so it will be more about recovery than anything before the big race."
Five heats of the Multiquip Golden Guitar were held last Sunday with four horses representing the Hunter Valley in Battle Chimes (barrier 1) from the Cameron Davies stables, Roll With Lachlan for the Geoff Harding stables (barrier 3), Wet My Whistle for the Clayton Harmey stables (barrier 4) and Ashark (barrier 7) from the Melanie Elder stables making the final.
The 2020 running will see the first time a brother and sister will be contesting the race with Melanie Elder as trainer and younger brother Brad as driver.
Sydney based trainer Blake Fitzpatrick has two confirmed runners with Leonidas (barrier 11) and He Bettor Step Aside (barrier 9) while Deeorse has drawn the first emergency in barrier 2.
Lone Queensland runner is Majordoit for the Tim Gillespie stables who has the 10 barrier.
Gillespie won the 2004 running of the Golden Guitar back in 2004 with Fire Ant when the prizemoney of offer was $8,000.
The Western Districts will see two runners from the Amanda Turnbull stables in Obi One (barrier 5) and Loyola Trios (barrier 8) and Ziggy Rocks with Mat Rue from the six barrier.
First race on the nine-event program at Tamworth will be at 5.33pm with the Group 2 $50,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final set to go at 8.06pm.
