Bargain buy Art Frenzy emerged as a major contender for next month’s Harry Holgate Memorial final with a brilliant all-the-way win in his heat at Mowbray on Friday night.
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Driver Mark Yole had an armchair ride as the odds-on favourite strolled home by 11m for his third victory in only eight starts.
Junior driver Hannah Van Dongen bought Art Frenzy in Victoria for only $600 after finding the then unraced two-year-old on-line.
The gelding is trained by her father Craig at Carrick and was driven by premiership-leader Mark Yole.
Hannah would one day like to drive the gelding herself but at this stage he is considered too head-strong.
“But he did look a bit more relaxed tonight,” Craig Van Dongen said.
“He goes good in front and he also went good at Carrick the other day after doing a bit of work.
“The horse that beat him in that race (Believe In Forever) won again tonight.”
Van Dongen is naturally hoping that Art Frenzy draws a good barrier in the $12,000 final on February 10 when his rivals will include fellow heat winners Chilla Breeze and Volkova Leis.
Chilla Breeze was impressive at his second start for new trainer Troy Hillier and the Shelley Barnes-trained Volkova Leis ran the quickest time.
TODD RATTRAY-trained and driven mare Harshali broke a 17-month drought when she came from near-last to win the McKillop Insurance Pace.
The half-sister to superstar Ignatius won three races as a two and three-year-old but had gone 18 starts without success.
She ended her run of outs in impressive style, three wide for the last lap before scoring by a head.
BELIEVE IN FOREVER made it five wins from seven starts for trainer-driver Rohan Hadley when he won the Impress Print Stakes in similar fashion.
After settling second-last, Believe In Forever got a three wide trail into race behind Couta Rocks and Miracle Marcus and proved too strong in the run home.
Previously trained in Victoria, Believe In Forever had won only one race when he joined the Hadley stable last May.
He hasn’t finished further back than second in Tasmania and has earned more than $32,000.
Hadley had an early training double on the board when the highly-promising Secluded Beach put up a tough performance in the Crown Lager Stakes.
Buster William, an odds-on favourite on the tote, led from the pole and had an easier run than Secluded Beach who had to work early to find the death.
However it made no difference, as Secluded Beach overpowered his rival to score by 2m in 1:58.5.
Hadley later made it a driving treble on Volkova Leis, his 20th win for the season.