Built For Glory Supremo in Supremacy

Bruce Stewart Contributor

He was built to be good. And Built For Glory (Bettor’s Delight) lived up to his harness racing pedigree when he took out the $60,000 Group Two Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final at Ascot Park today, by half a head from stablemate Double Jeopardy (Captaintreacherous).

The Telfer Pair head out to the track Bruce Stewart Photo

The result was great on a number of levels; it’s the second time Stonewall Stud and trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer have won the three year old feature as they took it away last year with Ohoka Connor. Added to that the Always ‘B’ Syndicate has a share in both horses and, Diane and Noel Cournane bred Built For Glory just up the road at Grove Bush.

Built For Glory is out of the Cournane’s fourteen win Art Major mare Fight For Glory.

The race proved very tactical and Built For Glory’s driver Tim Williams played the best hand. He stayed out of the early rush and chose to take the lead with two laps to run. Williams got his horse to lift at the 600 knowing it was going to be hard for the back runners to make ground. It proved to be the winning of the feature with the stablemates left to fight out the tight finish. The favourite Dreams Are Free, produced sensational splits but had too much ground to make up on the classy Stonewall pair.

Built For Glory (4) beating stablemate Double Jeopardy Bruce Stewart Photo

“We thought both would be improved on last weeks run. They both got into a good spot early and were able to capitalise on that. The small fields can be tricky races. We had a draw advantage over most of them, so the aim was to try and make use of that. Tim and Jonny (Cox) did that pretty well today. They’ve both been good horses from early on and we’ve had to wait for Built For Glory a bit but I think he’s got the makings of a fairly nice horse,” Steve said.

Early in the day Miki Bennett (Always B Miki) also trained by the Telfers was hung out to dry early, but despite being three wide for a lot of the trip he was too tough for twelve rivals, winning by half a length. The four year old looked to be a tricky drive for Williams. But there was no doubting his tenacity.

Miki Bennett winning connections Bruce Stewart Photo

He’s out of a half-sister to Surprise Package, was bred by Alabar Stud and is raced by Stonewall Stud.