Racing: Allegro's short reign as top of trots

MELBOURNE - Allegro Agitato's reign at the head of Australasian trotting could be the shortest ever.

The New Zealand mare ascended to the vacant throne at Moonee Valley in Melbourne on Saturday night when she thrashed Australia's best trotters in the A$100,000 ($107,000) Australian Trotting Grand Prix, leading throughout for the most dominant win of the open class trotting season.

With the trotting ranks still suffering the hangover of Lyell Creek's retirement and lacking a genuine superstar it was a victory which thrust her past Pompallier in the race to be the top of the trots.

But her manners will cost her the chance of keeping the title.

After next week's National Trot at Alexandra Park the open class trotting scene reverts to standing start races, most importantly for the Interdominions in Victoria, and that is when Allegro Agitato's rein will end.

Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson has resigned himself to never being able to get the glamour mare away from standing starts so has already abandoned any plans for that carnival for races like the Rowe Cup.

Which means Allegro Agitato is going to have almost no chance of winning the Trotter of the Year, a title for which Pompallier would be the early favourite even after his defeat at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

"We have basically given up on the standing starts," admitted driver Ricky May after Saturday night's all-the-way win.

That resignation comes after Allegro Agitato completely missed the start of the Dominion Handicap last month, a race she blew at the start of last season, while she also galloped from the stand in last season's Rowe Cup.

"She just never seems like going away from a stand and I think she is actually getting worse at them. In fact, she almost galloped in the score-up tonight," added May.

Once she did get under way Allegro Agitato was able to work to the lead soon after the start and dawdle around before changing gears at the top of the straight and racing away from Sammy Do Good and Sumthingaboutmaori.

That pair, along with A Touch Of Flair, look the only Australian trotters capable of matching the Kiwi challenge for the Interdominions, although outside Allegro Agitato and Pompallier our stars lack shine as well.

"I don't think there is much between them," said May.

"When I came over here I thought our trotters were better than theirs, like they usually are.

"But the Aussie trotters are better than I thought and only this mare or Pompallier would be clearly better than them."

Saturday night's win continued a dream summer for May, who had already won major group one features with Mainland Banner in the New Zealand Cup and Allegro Agitato in the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All.

It was also Williamson's first group one open class win in Australia, continuing his remarkable rise through the trainer's ranks.

Five years ago he was a little known boutique trainer, now he sits alongside Tim Butt as our premier trainer of squaregaiters.

It wasn't all smiles for Williamson though as the stable's second stringer Jasmyn's Gift again failed to show her best in Saturday night's race.

"She hasn't really caught on to the whole travelling thing yet and will take a bit longer to settle in over here," said Williamson.

For that reason Jasmyn's Gift will stay in Victoria under the care of former Kiwi trainer Ross Payne to acclimatise further before the Interdominions.

She is likely to be joined by as many as 10 other New Zealand trotters for what will be the biggest contingent of local trotters to head to Australia for a major carnival.

COSTLY MANNERS

* Allegro Agitato thrashes Australia's best trotters in the A$100,000 Grand Prix at Moonee Valley.

* The win suggests she is the best trotter in Australasia.

* But her lack of standing start manners mean she will miss the Interdominions which start at Ballarat next month.

* New Zealand will have record numbers at that carnival.