ABOUNDING OUSTS AVONE IN A LAST STRIDE THRILLER IN THE LISTED GOLD EDITION

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 16, 2023

Summer Carnival racing provided plenty of thrills at Eagle Farm on December 17 where six of the ten races were decided by a margin of less than a length ... and four of those by a margin of less than half a length.

The closest finish came in the Listed Goild Edition ... a real cracker of a race ... in which the Robert Heathcote trained Abounding and the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Avone fought their way to the line in a thrill a stride battle for supremacy, each horse and rider giving their all.

Abounding already had Listed form to recommend her chances going into the race. She was third up here, having won when resuming before finishing second to West Of Dalby in the Listed Mode Plate, both over the Gold Edition distance of 1200m. The $2.70 favouritism suggested she would be spot on for the day.

The lesser experience Avone had only had one start since resuming after a six month break away from racing and she won that well enough, but this Eagle Farm assignment represented not only a jump up in class, but a new distance test.

She had run over 1200m before, but was going from her first up run over 800m to 1400m second-up here ... the first time she would tackle the 1400m trip. With some question marks there, Avone was unwanted in the betting at $17.

In fairly heavy rain, but still on a good track, Abounding got away well, but when the speed went past her soon after the break, it was the blue silks of Avone leading that charge with Angela Jones clearly intent on setting the target up front on the Sears trained runner.

Avone took up her role well, maintaining a comfortable one length lead over the $8 chance Tiger Shark down the back stretch and throughout the sweep to the home turn.

At that stage Martin Harley had Abounding racing in fourth spot, some three lengths off the speed.

Turning for home, Tiger Shark began to really take the battle to Avone, moving up alongside the long-time leader, only for Avone to respond to that threat as Jones gave the filly more rein.

Tiger Shark would not go away though and these two runners joined issue in a tough, stride-for-stride battle which lasted almost the whole length of the straight with Avone finally getting the better of Tiger Shark inside the final 100m.

But, all the while, Harley had been hard at work on Abounding. Still two-and-half lengths behind the duelling leaders halfway up the straight, it seemed to take an eternity for abounding to start closing ground with any degree of menace, but that scenario changed inside the last 150m as Abounding ranged into serious contention.

With Avone still kicking on, it now became a case of whether the post would come soon enough for Avone to hold on, or whether Abounding would have enough time to cut back the deficit.

As it turned out, the answer to that came down to the very last stride ... Avone going to the line ... Abounding lunging with Harley pushing hard lying flat across Abounding’s neck.

It couldn’t have been any closer, but the photo showed that all of Harley’s urgings and Abounding’s response had carried the day by the narrowest of margins.

The first time Abounding was in front was on the line.
It was a superb effort by Abounding who has never finished out of the first four places in her ten career starts, which now includes three wins and four runner-up finishes with the Robert Heathcote stable keeping the chestnut daughter of Rich Enuff ticking over very nicely since her debut back in November 2022.

All credit to Avone too. She is clearly a runner on the rise with Team Sears likely to have something to look forward to with the Spirit Of Boom filly moving forward.

Credit must also go to the minor place-getters in the Gold Edition ... the Stuart Kendrick trained Show Me Mercy (the $5 second favourite), who was flying up so fast late under Michael Rodd to finish only 0,25 lengths back in third, after never really being sighted in the race early ... and the Natalie McCall trained Tiger Shark who was right in the thick of things for so long, only to be outgunned late and having to settle for fourth place.

More articles