Last Friday night Tabcorp Park, Melton hosted an elite range of feature harness events, the most anticipated of which was the $30 000 Group 3 SEW-Eurodrive Popular Alm Free-For-All (2240m) where eight-year-old Bold Cruiser claimed an upset victory.
The Glenn Douglas-trained Bold Cruiser ($6.50) defeated the odds-on favourite and current Inter Dominion champion Mr Feelgood ($3) on protest. The Live Or Die gelding officially finished just a head behind Mr Feelgood but stewards determined that when Mr Feelgood moved into Express Post Lane, locking wheels with Bold Cruiser in the last stages of the 2240m event, that it deprived Bold Cruiser of winning the race.
Tanabi Bromac ($7) finished third 3.8m back while Maffioso, second favourite at $3.10, had a devastating race coming in last after struggling with his wide barrier.
Bold Cruiser is now exempt from ballot for next week’s prestigious $400 000 Group 1 SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup and boasts a career record of 23 wins from 136 race starts for over $500 000 in prizemoney earned.
2009 SEW-Eurodrive Popular Alm Free For All Results:
Placing |
Past The Post |
Horse |
Prizemoney |
Row & Br. |
Trainer |
Driver |
Margin (m) |
| 1 | 2 |
BOLD CRUISER (NZ) |
$20 250 | Sr1 | G F Douglas | D K Douglas | HD |
| 2 | 1 |
MR FEELGOOD (USA) |
$4 500 | Fr1 | T G Butt | A M Butt | - |
| 3 | - |
TANABI BROMAC |
$3 000 | Fr2 | K P Cotchin | G Lang | 3.80 |
| 4 | - |
CINCINNATI KID (NZ) |
$1 5000 | Sr4 | M Peace | M Peace | 10.50 |
| 5 | - |
TI VOGLIOBENE |
$750 | Sr3 | G R Norman | G R Sugars | 14.10 |
| 6 | - |
OHOKA UTAH (NZ) |
- | Fr5 | L J Justice | L J Justice | 14.10 |
| 7 | - |
MASTER OF DISGUISE |
- | Sr2 | D M Lewis | C G Lewis | 15.50 |
| 8 | - |
ALBERT JACCKA |
- | Fr6 | T J Bolitho | B R Gath | 17.10 |
| 9 | - |
MISTER GRIZZLY |
- | Fr4 | A P Gath | G F Webster | 18.70 |
| 10 | - |
IN MONACO (NZ) |
- | Fr3 | C L Wootton | C T Demmler | 21.60 |
| 11 | - |
MAFFIOSO |
- | Fr7 | P W Tonkin | J N Quinlan | 23.10 |