THERE was a point last season where Chris Frisby was almost “embarrassed” to tell someone he was considering to nominate Our Uncle Sam for this year’s Inter Dominion Pacing Championship.
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The Bathurst trainer is certainly glad he followed through with that decision.
Our Uncle Sam gave Frisby his first appearance in the upcoming Group 1 finale event thanks to a runner-up finish in the third round of heats on Saturday at Cranbourne.
Our Uncle Sam ($28) needed a top three finish to even be a chance of making the field for the $500,000 final to be held the following weekend.
Thanks to a patient sprint lane drive from Frisby’s son Anthony the Sportswriter gelding finished within a neck of Victoria Cup champion Tiger Tara ($1.20 favourite).
The result put Our Uncle Sam 10th in the final standings, thrusting him up the rankings inside the top 12 needed to qualify for next Saturday’s main event at Melton.
The winning trainer said he already feels like a winner simply by reaching the deciding race.
“It’s dead set unbelievable. I couldn’t be happier,” he said.
“You couldn’t have asked for anything more from him. He was doing his best work on the line as well.
“I wasn’t sure whether he’d got himself too far back and whether he’d be able to match them in the sprint because he’s up there in good company now.
“I thought I’d won the race, that’s how happy I was. We’re going to what we call the Melbourne Cup of trotting next week and it’s a big deal to have a horse going to those sorts of races.”
Our Uncle Sam was given the perfect opportunity to stay within striking distance after drawing gate one for the heat.
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Cant Refuse held out Audi Hare in the early dice for the lead and Anthony Frisby stayed glued to the leader’s tail.
Tiger Tara made the early move to take the death seat away from Audi Hare before improving to the lead, sending Our Uncle Sam to the three back position.
San Carlo put in the early work, as the field made their way past the winning post for the first time, to lead the outside line ahead of My Alpha Rock.
Steve Turnbull’s hope Conviction, driven by daughter Amanda, sat behind Frisby.
There were no more mid race moves as the field stayed set until the final turn.
It was there where Cant Refuse started to lose touch slightly with Tiger Tara, which left Frisby in danger of giving up too much ground to the leader.
The sprint lane allowed Our Uncle Sam to offer up a challenge to Tiger Tara while San Carlo also looked a threat down the outside.
Frisby’s runner continued to eat away at the margin – finishing an excellent staying performance in style over the 2555-metre distance – but Tiger Tara cruised home to win by a neck.
Watching the continual improvement of his horse has been a joyous experience for Chris Frisby.
“You half think they might be good enough to make that next jump,” he said.
“When I was racing him in Queensland asked me what I was going to be doing next year I said “Mate, it’s probably a bit embarrassing but I’m going to nominate him for the Inter Dominion, even though I might be wasting my time’.
“I knew he only had to improve that little bit when he came back home and that’s what he did.”
San Carlo ($8.20) was third ahead of Cant Refuse ($11.60). Conviction ($55.90) ran a brave fifth at big odds.
Other Bathurst-trained hopes in the pacing series didn’t disgrace themselves across the three heats.
Joes Star Of Mia (equal 15th, Steve Turnbull), Conviction (equal 17th) and Ellmers Image (equal 17th, Amanda Turnbull) weren’t far away from the final.
Our Uncle Sam may look for a similar run in the final after drawing gate 10 in Monday morning’s barrier draw.
Im Pats Delight (gate three), Spankem (five), Tiger Tara (seven) and Cruz Bromac (nine) shape up as the leading hope.
Meanwhile Frisby’s already-exceptional Saturday got even better when his rising three-year-old Uncle Jord blew the flew out of the water in the Evolution Series Final at Menangle.
The $2.80 favourite finished more than 10 metres clear of his nearest rival.
It was the winning time that caused Frisby to get excited: A mile rate of 1:51.1.
When you’re putting yourself within a second of Vincent’s Australasian three-year-old record then you know you’ve got a smart horse on your hands.
The result will undoubtedly put Uncle Jord towards the forefront of discussions for leading Bathurst Gold Chalice contenders.
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
