Dwyer digging for more gold

WINNING form is good form and Queensland trainer Graham Dwyer continued his rich run in taking out the first heat for the Multiquip Golden Guitar Final on Sunday evening at the Tamworth Paceway.

Fresh from training a trifecta in the Pub Group Gold Nugget with Hy Voltage as the winner, this time around it was Surf Ace, who finished second to his stablemate in the Nugget race, claiming victory in  taking out the first heat and gaining entry into the Golden Guitar Final.

“The horse has pulled up super – very happy after that run,” said Dwyer, who was full of praise for his Queensland reinsman Brendan Barnes for guiding Surf Ace to success.

“Brendan is a good driver – he doesn’t need luck to go his way in a race – he makes his own luck and makes the most of it,” said Dwyer.

Barnes, who is Queensland’s leading reinsman made an immediate return trip home for driving engagements this week and will return to Tamworth on Friday for the $40,000 Final, which will make up part of the Tamworth Harness Racing Club Carnival of Cups night .

“Brendan will now retain the drive in the final,” said Dwyer.

Barnes made the most of the eight barrier in the first heat, slotting the Somebeachsomewhere-Henin Hardenne five-year-old gelding nicely into the one-by-one racing position.

My Ultimate Skeeta, from the Jarrod Alchin stables in Sydney and driven by leading NSW reinsman Cameron Hart, headed up the field.

“Brendan pulled Surf Ace out with about 500 metres to go up the back straight and the horse does not do a lot of work in his races, but he is a high-speed horse,” said Dwyer.

Starting at $3.20 Surf Ace had the $2 race favourite My Ultimate Skeeta covered on the final bend before coming away for an 11-metre win.

Tamworth local pacer Unsully, from the Tony Missen stables and driven by Bake Hughes, was a further 11 metres way third.

Surf Ace also produced a new track record in the win over the 1980 metre race distance with a mile rate of 1.55.8, which swiped point three-tenths of a second off the open record set by The Bus  back in 2019 of 1.56.1.

With the draw for the $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final to be released late on Tuesday afternoon Graham Dwyer is taking it all in his stride.

“I think the barrier draw will be unfavourable to us, but we will have to wait and see,” he said.

And as for the main dangers in the final, according to Dwyer?

“I thought all the winners went well – I think all the horses in the final are dangers,” he said.

“It is such an open race, but my horse showed he can do it and he did it well.

“We should have two in the consolation and I am still weighing up if I will put Hy Voltage into the Cup or not.

Dwyer intended enjoying some time out with his family this week, taking in the country music atmosphere away from his base of North Mclean.

Dwyer and his Kingslodge Training Stables finished fourth in the 2019 running of the Golden Guitar Final with Goalkicker, driven by Lola Weidemann, with I’m Norma Jean heading back to Queensland as the winner.

“I am hoping we can do better than that,” said Dwyer.

“But if not, it won’t worry me – we have already had a good carnival.

“Surf Ace was our best chance of getting into the final and now we are there.”

Bathurst-based trainer Bernie Hewitt will also be awaiting the draw for the Final with two runners after training and driving Chap Daddy (MR 1.56.6) for a win in the third heat and stablemate Promising finished second to Metallica Man in the second heat.

• JULIE MAUGHAN