Mixed Results In Silver Collar Heats

THE 779m heats of the prestigious $100,000 Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar couldn't have thrown up a more contrasting pair of results.

First up was the warm Silver Collar series favourite Dyna Weslyn for Craig Roberts.

The $1.30 hot-pot never gave her army of supporters any cause for concern as she freewheeled through her assignment when delivering her effortless 46.36s gallop.

"That's what I wanted to see her do and I'm confident she'll take improvement from that race," confirmed Roberts.

The second heat saw the complete opposite scenario unfolding. Dashing home late was the $76.90 rank outsider Bigtime Chloe and the Mark Goodier trained stayer rocked followers with her more ‘sedate' 47.04s heat win.

"I'm speechless as I never considered Chloe as a winning chance. I had hoped that she'd qualify by finishing into third or fourth," suggested Goodier.

Victorian conditioner Gerry O'Keefe mentored the 2016 Australian National Distance winner Ring The Bell to the first of his two Silver Collar victories in 2017.

O'Keefe will return to the Manukau Stadium on Sunday with his pair of stayers Vandagambo and Billy's Bake after they occupied the heat second placings after displaying differing racing tactics.

Vandagambo settled back during the initial rush for positions. He then steadily improved his field position to stylishly chase home Dyna Weslyn finishing four lengths astern for owner James Van de Maat.

In the other heat it was Billy's Bake who undertook the pace making duties, however he wasn't able to withstand the strong finish that Bigtime Chloe threw at him when being claimed by a half-length margin. "That was what I wanted to see the boys doing – I'm very satisfied with their races," advised O'Keefe.

Canterbury breeder and trainer Gary Cleeve has always had a couple of his handy home bred stayers in his kennels and he will front up again next Sunday with Classy Witch and Know Anxiety after they finished third and fourth Dyna's Weslyn's heat.

Shooters Hill bounded home late for his second heat third placing for his young local trainer Sam Lozell. It was a desperate late lunge from another of the favoured contenders Rippin' Sam that saw him claiming his final field position by being the next to finish for his trainer Angela Turnwald.

He had suffered from an impeded racing passage and it was a heady effort by him to scrape into the decider. He's a likely improver for next week after his track debut outing. It was also a game effort by his kennelmate Ebby Ripper after she was also hindered during the early stages. She is the first reserve for the final.

It was like watching stock car racing when the field for the feature Auckland Derby charged into the first turn. The field tangled with all runners receiving checks to various degrees. Punching clear from the melee was Tianyu for local conditioner Glennis Farrell.

Once he claimed the race lead he was never going to be hauled back as he galloped clear for his 31.15s feature win. The moderate 527m time was more of a reflection of the first turn incident.

A recent arrival from across the Tasman from New South Wales was Emgrand Park.

He caught the eye with his bold New Zealand debut 457m effort last Monday when he was sighted finishing strongly for Turnwald. He finished likewise on Sunday when arriving home 2.75 lengths behind the pacemaker.

The winners litter and kennelmate Gao Gao pressed on stoutly for his third placing half a length further back.