A bumper night of pacing and trotting features at Melton’s Tabocorp Park last Friday included a sensational performance by Inter Dominion champion Mr Feelgood in the $20 000 SEW-Eurodrive New Years Sprint.
A seven-year-old son of Grinfromeatoear, Mr Feelgood ($6) crossed the line first in the 1720m mobile start sprint, just a half-head in front of the $2.10 favourite Sammy Maguire, with Make Waves ($13.30) nearly two and a half metres back from the winner for third.
Trained by Tim Butt and ridden by Butt’s brother Anthony, Mr Feelgood impressed punters and spectators by triumphing over his awkward outside back-row draw of 11, running without cover over the last 800m, snatching the lead from Sammy Maguire on the straight to win with a blistering mile rate of 1:55.8.
It was the American-bred pacer’s first victory since he took out the Inter Dominion last March and he more than made up for his lacklustre seventh placing last start in the SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup last month.
Mr Feelgood’s next major focus is on the BIG6 Hunter Cup, but he should be on the track again this Saturday night in the Bendigo Cup, with the Ballarat Cup also in his sights.
2010 SEW-Eurodrive New Year Sprint Results:
Placing |
Horse |
Prizemoney |
Row & Barrier |
Trainer |
Driver |
Margin (m) |
| 1 |
MR FEELGOOD (USA) |
$13 500 | Sr4 | T G Butt | A M Butt | - |
| 2 |
SAMMY MAGUIRE (NZ) |
$3 000 | Fr2 | G A Lang | G A Lang | HFHD |
| 3 |
MAKE WAVES |
$2 000 | Fr6 | R F Cook | C A Alford | 2.40 |
| 4 |
BORIS BADENOV |
$1 000 | Fr3 | S M Hunter | M Doltoff | 3.90 |
| 5 |
LUV THA ACES LOMBO |
$500 | Sr2 | J D Justice | J D Justice | 4.10 |
| 6 |
COASTAL (NZ) |
- | Fr1 | L J Justice | L J Justice | 4.50 |
| 7 |
KARLSRUHE |
- | Sr3 | D Aiken | J N Quinlan | 6.90 |
| 8 |
ALBERT JACCKA |
- | Fr4 | T J Bolitho | K E Manning | 7.30 |
| 9 |
VERANJEE |
- | Fr5 | A J Fullwood | G R Sugars | 8.90 |
| 10 |
MISTER SWINGER |
- | Fr7 | G F Webster | G F Webster | 9.80 |
| 11 |
MEGASAM (NZ) |
- | Sr1 | G F Douglas | D K Douglas | 12.50 |
