Molly gets fifth win

Bruce Stewart Journalist

Going into yesterday’s Diamond Creek Farm/SBSR Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Mobile Pace, harness racing trainer Amanda Telfer wasn’t sure whether Molly Belwin (Art Major) was ready for the task.

“It was a little bit hard to tell because she’d only had that soft trial and there were only two runners,” Amanda who trains the filly with her brother Steve, said.

But she needn’t have worried.

“Sam (driver Sam Ottley) said she jogged that, so that was nice.”

Ottley eased Molly Belwin off the gate from her wide draw and stayed out the early charge which was led by Remission who quickly took up the role as pacemaker. Heading out of the last bend Ottley brought her filly four wide and she powered home to win by half a neck from stablemate Melody Banner.

Molly Belwin (7) getting up on the outside to win at Winton (Bruce Stewart Photo)

The winning time was 1-58.4.

Returning to the birdcage (Bruce Stewart Photo)

This was Molly Belwin’s first race since the middle of October.

“She’s had a little problem with her hind leg but she’s had a little break and she’s come back a lot better.” 

Molly Belwin with from left Katrina Price (SBSR), Emily Pursell (Diamond Creek Farm), John Stiven (SBSR), Amanda Telfer and Sam Ottley (Bruce Stewart Photo)

Molly Belwin is out of Molly Fever, a Rock N Roll Heaven daughter of Molly Darling who won  twenty four races and $575,150. She won two Group One races – The Caduceus Club Fillies Classic and Nevele R Fillies Series Final.

Molly Belwin was bred and is raced by Steve Plant and Stonewall Stud.

Amanda says both fillies will stay in the south and race at Invercargill Cup Day in the $30,000 Canada Stakes over 1700 metres.

Stablemate Spicey Crunch (Captain Crunch) which impressively won the Bayleys Real Estate Mobile Pace will also race on Cup Day in the McKnight and Brown Mobile Pace for two year old colts and geldings.

The win by Spicey Crunch was junior driver Carter Dalgety’s second on the day. He won earlier on the Brian Norman trained Superfast (Washington VC) owned by Keith and Tracey Norman. The Normans owned Cold Pursuit which won at Wingatui on Sunday. Superfast and Cold Pursuit are out of their mare Julia Jones.

Sam Ottley also drove a double, her other winner was Judaque for Gore trainer Shane Matheson.

In the hotly contested Junior Drivers Championship Sam Thornley who’s currently in Australia driving in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship, still leads with 60 wins with Dalgety closing in on 57 and Wilson House on 56.