EMILY: Heat Three ...

 

The field for Heat 3 of the Silk Road series was small, but decidedly classy. 

Six horses, including the winners of the first two heats, AROHA KENNY and SAMANTHA'S MOON, plus little EMILY, who had finished second on each occasion. However, the boilingly hot-pot was a newcomer to the series. One of the very best New Zealand three year-old fillies of last season; PRINCESS SADIE. Two starts back, in the NZ Oaks, she had gone down only to the Australian champ KEAYANG ZAHARA. 

Barring accidents, the rest of us would be battling for minor money!

Alas, there was an accident, but not to SADIE. And not on the track. The lovely AROHA KENNY had a paddock accident and had, along with its stablemate, to be scratched. The field was down to four!  Well, who says you can't have a grand race with four horses ...

Wendy, Sarah, Jen and I made our way to the Pacific Hotel, on the hill ... and sat down with a drink to await the race, broadcast on the banks of TV screens ...

Sadie was, of course, odds-on favourite. Samantha and Emily were equallish second -- at a distance. Each of them at a little worse than 4-1. 

Now, Samantha is a noted fast-beginner and front-runner. Would she do her thing again this week? Or would Sadie run them all ragged, in her first run for five months? 

Samantha set off at a great rate, gobbled up her handicap and made sure there was no hoof-dragging on her watch. Emily followed, just like last week ... Sadie sat in 4th until 500 metres from home, and then moved up...  

But, surprise, Emily moved too! As they came round the last bend, she hit the front. Samantha had had enough .. and Sadie? She put in a queer step or two....

We were all on our feet yelling ...!  Hurry up, finish line!!

But the young Hayden Douglas, in Sadie's sulky, knew what he was doing. Inexorably he nibbled away Emily's advantage, and two strides from the post - while Mark and Emily were throwing everything into the battle, - Sadie (with Hayden doing just enough) hit the front. Our girl was beaten by a neck.

The time for the race was impressive. 2400m from a standing start ... 2 min 02.8 mile rate ... I think that is just about Emily's fastest race to date ...

So her record now reads 70 starts, 6 wins, 11 seconds, 9 thirds...

So, on to the Final. Who is qualified? The HRNZ website doesn't seem to say ... I guess we will find out on Monday. 

Go, little girl!  (Er   ... little?)

Monday ... and here we are. All the old friends and rivals ...