THREE contenders, three winners and finalist – Georges Plains trainer-driver Bernie Hewitt enjoyed a successful campaign at the Blayney Harness Racing Club’s first meeting of 2018.
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Each year Blayney stages two meetings – the second of which holds Carnival of Cups status – and Hewitt is amongst the trainers who offer the club good support.
He was rewarded on Sunday as he took out the Three Year Old Maiden Pace with Firey Jerula ($18.80), the Midwest Concrete Pace aboard Im With Lexy ($2.40 favourite) and a heat of the Peter Marshall Memorial via Brads Luck ($3.20).
The heat win with Brads Luck qualifies the four-year-old for this Sunday’s final at Blayney.
He won the 2,000 metres qualifier by a comfortable 13.7m, covering the final quarter of the last mile in a zippy 28.6 seconds.
It was a solid effort given he was first-up after a more than three-month spell, but Hewitt thinks Amanda Turnbull’s My Secret Beach will be the one to beat in the final.
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He won by an impressive 38.1m with a bold frontrunning display.
“He won pretty well, he’s always been a pretty nice horse. He only had the one trial under his belt, but he’d been working pretty strong at home,” Hewitt said.
“He’ll strip a lot fitter for next week as well, I think he’ll run a big race next week.
“But it will be a harder run and one of Amanda’s won very well. Her’s is only a C0 and it will draw better than my horse, draws will be important as to how the race will pan out and I think Amanda’s horse will be favourite.”
As well as being happy with Brads Luck’s first up effort, Hewitt was pleased with the run three-year-old Firey Jerula produced to notch up his maiden win.
The Always A Virgin x Waratah Walton gelding was severely checked, lost ground and charged three wide in the latter stages, but still won by 2.8m.
“I just wasn’t sure how he’d go at Blayney being a little track, and he ended up running into a bit of trouble on the first bend,” Hewitt said.
“It was interfered with pretty badly, so he actually did a pretty good job to win. He probably didn’t surprise me too much, it wasn’t that strong an opposition, but he still did a good job to win after getting knocked early.
“He nearly fell and came up in a full stretch gallop. He lost probably 20 metres, 30 metres and then had to get back into the race.”
Hewitt said he was not only impressed with Firey Jerula’s debut run but how calm and relaxed he was the entire day. He hopes it augurs well for the future.
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Hewitt is also excited about the Carnival of Cups meeting which offers good prize money and attracts quality fields.
“It will be a huge meeting on Sunday and it’s always really tough racing, it will be no different to a cup meeting in Bathurst. It’s basically the same horses,” he said.
“They come from everywhere, there’s also two heats of the Country Series and they also quality fields. There’s no doubt it will be a top class meet on a small track and it augurs well for exciting racing.”