Racing: Rasmussen rules the night with dazzling five-from-five

Natalie Rasmussen. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Natalie Rasmussen has achieved some amazing things in her career but her performance at Addington last night would rate alongside any of them.

Not only did she and training partner Mark Purdon train the winners of all five races they had starters in at the premier meeting, Rasmussen drove all five.

Among them were the two highlights of the night in the $200,000 Sales Series Pace with The Devils Own and the $140,000 Nevele R Fillies Final with Spanish Armada. Rasmussen's unbeaten five is one of the more remarkable feats accomplished in New Zealand racing history.

While you need the horse flesh to pull something like that off, there was nothing simple about what Rasmussen achieved.

After winning the non-tote with first starter Duplicated she had to navigate the mental minefield that is Heaven Rocks in the free-for-all.

She turned a bad draw into good by going from the outside of the gate with Stars Align to the trail inside 800m while she then led, handed up and ignored the passing lane with Spanish Armada.

Then to complete her five-for-five she sat three back on the markers with The Devils Own, weaved her way through a tiny gap in the home straight and came home with her 100 per cent record.

The Devils Own's win was set up by the hot speed set by a very brave Alta Maestro, with the winner part-owned by galloping great Jim Gibbs.

Spanish Armada suggested she has the wood on stablemate Partyon at the moment, although Bonnie Joan was good enough deadheating for second to indicate next week's NZ Oaks could be a beauty. And while Heaven Rocks behaved himself in downing Franco Nelson, the All Stars are likely to leave him on the unruly for his Jewels bid on June 3.

Also heading to the Jewels, with the chance to become the first Australian-trained winner, will be One Muscle Hill, who made the most of northerner Paramount King's galloping to bolt home in the $70,000 Sales Series Trot.