Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Bonny mare Cyclone Charlotte broke through for an overdue victory when Aiden De Campo drove a superb race to land her a brilliant winner of the $27,000 Swandoo Harness Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Steno was all the rage after scoring dashing victories at her previous six races and was the $1.55 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of nine, with Cyclone Charlotte the $4.20 second fancy from barrier No. 6.
Most pundits predicted that Steno would charge straight to the front, but De Campo had different ideas and he told Cyclone Charlotte’s trainer Ray Williams that his mare had the necessary gate speed to cross to the front in the 2130m event.
And that’s what transpired, with De Campo sending Cyclone Charlotte straight to the front and leading for the first 400m with a scorching lead time of 34.8sec. Steno challenged hard for the lead after 100m but did not get to the front until 300m later.
Steno then slackened the pace with opening quarters of the final mile in 31.4sec. and 30.1sec. before the final 400m sections were run in 28.6sec. and 28sec.
Cyclone Charlotte burst to the front 120m from the post and went on to win by a length from $9.50 chance Acharne Girl, with Mighthavtime ($16) finishing powerfully from seventh at the bell to be an eye-catching third. Steno wilted to finish fifth.
“We were hoping to lead but I wasn’t sure she could cross Queeninthecorner (barrier one),” said Williams. “However, Aiden assured me that Cyclone Charlotte would lead, and she did. And once in front we had the option of staying there or sitting behind Steno.
“Cyclone Charlotte is a lovely horse. Nothing worries her; her work has been fantastic, and she pulled up with a low heart rate of 83. I’ll back off her in the coming week before next Friday night’s Empress Stakes.”
The win ended a six-month drought and a losing sequence of twelve for the New Zealand-bred Cyclone Charlotte, who has earned $178,744 from ten wins and 16 placings from 32 starts.