It was an ultimate night for Anthony Frisby, in the Town & Country Rural Supplies Pace (1,730 metres), as he drove Alpha Styx to victory for father Chris.
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The Bathurst driver steered New Zealand gelding Alpha Styx ($4.60) to a comfortable 7.4 metre win over Left Tennant ($5.50), at the Bathurst Paceway on Friday.
Alpha Styx’s victory was the four-year-old’s sixth career win from 21 starts, one that Frisby was pleased w+ith.
“The race panned out beautifully, the way he didn’t have to do any work,” he said.
“They went stinking hell. It worked to his favour really well and we won it fair and square, by a few metres.
“We gave him a bit of a freshen up for a fortnight and he went again, probably at his best.”
Alpha Styx started the race from the second row, from gate two.
“He drew the back row and I was pretty happy when he drew. He was on the running line,” Frisby said.
“It all played into his favour and he was pretty good.”
In regards to what is next for Apha Styx, Frisby said he can not comment.
“We’ll just play it by ear,” he said.
“We didn’t have any plans. We were just trying to win a couple of races with him and see how he goes.”
When the race started, Mahkooloo Lasarus ($10.10) took an early lead ahead of race favourite Lockton Luck ($4).
While the finish was comfortable for Alpha Styx, the bay gelding sat fifth with 1,200 metres to go.
He made a pulsating run to take the lead with 400 metres left and had a big lead, heading into the final straight.
Five-year-old New Zealand bay gelding, Wee Jimmy ($10.20), finished third.
Emma Turnbull drove Panther Star ($9.40) to fourth place, while Mitch Turnbull was in the gig for fifth placed Brenroy Jakajo ($87).
Jason Turnbull drove Miles Above ($50.30), for Wendy Turnbull, to fifth place, just over ten metres ahead of Mahkooloo Lasarus.
Race favourite Lockton Luck finished in ninth.
The win for Alpha Styx was the gelding’s first win since December 16, 2016, at Bathurst.
He now has five wins at the Bathurst track, with the sole other coming at Dubbo.
A career earnings of $23,035 is not bad for the horse, who’s sire is Christian Cullen and dam is Walk This Way.
The victory for Alpha Styx saw the gelding manage his best ever winning mile rate, at 1:54.2.
The mile rate is still two seconds slower than when Alpha Styx finished fourth at Menangle, at 1:52.2.
The result was Frisby’s best during the meeting, from his three over drives.