Our Uncle Sam retires after stellar career for Chris and Anthony Frisby

On Friday night Anthony Frisby, in the gig for father-trainer Chris, qualified both Happy Reg ($5.50) and Our Sunset Delight ($1.85 favourite) for the $110,000 Group 1 Gold Crown Final to be staged on March 25.

It is the biggest race on the Bathurst Harness Racing Club's annual calendar and should the Frisbys manage to win the two-year-old colts and geldings decider, it would rate as one of their major triumphs.

They've already had plenty of highlights together, most of them having come with Our Uncle Sam.

He was the gelding who thrilled when he placed second in the 2018 Inter Dominion Grand Final, but after 121 starts the Frisbys have made the tough decision to retire him.

"Our old legend, he'd been going real good but just having no luck. It was real hard decision what to do with him and we decided last Saturday night we'd retire him," Anthony Frisby said.

"He is just an absolute legend in our eyes. He ended up winning nearly $720,000 and you know Dad bought him for $3,500. He's been a big favourite of ours for sure."

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Our Uncle Sam's career record reads 24 wins, 18 seconds and nine third placings for $715,609 in prize money.

He was a two-time Group 1 winner, he took out the 2020 Shirley Turnbull Memorial, while his second placings include not only his iconic Inter Dominion effort, but great runs in the Hunter Cup, Shepparton Cup and Len Smith Mile.

It comes as no surprise Our Uncle Sam will remain with the Frisbys.

"Mum will put him in the show ring now so he'll have another stint there, he's not leaving us which is good," Anthony said.

"It was a really sad night when we decided to do it, he's a champion to us."

Six days after that tough decision it was smiles for the Frisbys as they won two of the seven 1,730 metres Gold Crown Heats.

The first of those wins came with Always B Miki x Grumpy Sally gelding Happy Reg.

For much of the trip Frisby sat in the trail on the back of $1.55 favourite Chillin.

With a lap to go Chillin still had the lead, but Cash And Bling (Doug Hewitt) had rolled up on his outside and stablemate Glenferrieman (Bernie Hewitt) was positioned one-out and one-back.

The Hewitt duo looked the main threats to the favourite, but when Chillin kicked at the 400m mark, it was Happy Reg who was able to go with him.

Anthony Frisby guided Happy Reg down the outside and with 150m to go he hit the lead. He went on to win by 13.3m in a 1:56.5 mile rate.

"I was probably surprised the way he did end up winning it, but I wasn't surprised that he won," Frisby said.

"He did come off the back really hard and normally when I pull the plugs he finds something extra again, but I didn't have to do that. I was happy I didn't have to give him a gut buster and he went across the line really well.

"The way he works at home, just every time he comes off the track I'm really happy with him and he just keeps getting better and better."

GOLD CROWN HEAT WINNERS: Happy Reg (Chris Frisby), Better Be The Best (Nathan Turnbull), Naturally Gifted (Wayne Dimech), Rocknroll Gig (Rodney Lakey), Tardelli (Rickie Alchin), Our Sunset Delight (Chris Frisby), Petracca (Emma Stewart).

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