KEY POINTS:
Rival horsemen were left shaking their heads in disbelief after Hypnotize made it back-to-back wins in the $123,000 Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie yesterday.
Jamie Gillies, the rider of the pace-setting Fair King, thought he had stolen the Group One victory until Joanne Rathbone and Franconero closed quickly
after the final fence.
Just when it appeared Fair King and Franconero were set to fight out a titanic battle over the closing 200m, Hypnotize and Isaac Lupton unleashed a dazzling sprint finish from the middle of the field to clinch an unlikely victory.
At the end of a gruelling 6400m, it is not common to see any equine athlete sprinting with such speed but Hypnotize is no ordinary athlete.
Hypnotize scored by a neck over Franconero with a further two lengths away to Fair King (third).
The victory confirmed the top-class status of Hypnotize as one of the modern day jumping greats in New Zealand racing and the outstanding training ability of Ray Connors.
Hypnotize took an unusual racing programme leading into the feature event with Connors mixing flat and hurdle racing in an attempt to get the conditioning work into the 9-year-old and keep the hefty weight off his back.
There is no doubting the magical sprint finishing ability of Hypnotize, who has the ability to outstay and outsprint the opposition.
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Aggression was rewarded earlier in the day when Tom Hazlett combined with Montezuma to score a clearcut victory in the $123,000 Great Northern Hurdles. Hazlett punched the 6-year-old clear of the field with 800m remaining and maintained the pressure scoring by four lengths over the solid finishing The Shoe. A further 1 1/2 lengths away in third position was the favourite Mario.
The father and daughter training partnership of Peter and Casey Lock enjoyed their greatest and most pleasing victory. Montezuma paraded in outstanding physical condition for this event and underlined his fitness with an impressive last-start victory on the flat at Ellerslie.
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The Mark Walker juggernaut unleashed another potential early season 2-year-old star in Regal Flame, who scored an effortless seven length victory at Wanganui yesterday.
Regal Flame won with plenty in reserve in the hands of Opie Bosson over Sacramento with a further 2 1/4 lengths back to Enthusabelle (third).
The Not A Single Doubt colt will not be difficult to place for the leading trainer of 2-year-olds. Punters were on the mark, installing the colt a $1.40 favourite.
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Reputations meant nothing following the running of the $60,000 (listed) Wanganui Guineas when 50-1 chance Takeanotherchance caused a major boilover defeating Minstrel Court by three-quarters of a length.
The second favourite All In Brawl was a further 2 1/4 lengths away in third position. Completing further misery for punters was the performance of favourite Vincent Mangano, who finished in 10th position, just over five lengths behind the winner.
Takeanotherchance had two previous starts leading into the early season feature 3-year-old race.