ARARAT - The Michelle Wight trained and driven Idle Suntime overcame long odds and a protest to claim the Ararat Harness Racing Club's Clive Reid Memorial Ararat Trotters Cup at Russell T White Raceway on Saturday night.
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It was a full field of 11 starters that contested the $10,505 race and the result proved a blow out for punters with the rank outsider paying $73.70 for the win.
The favourite Quite a Moment was slow into stride but trotted smoothly at the start, Im Whitney led in the early stages from Button Brigade which failed in its attempts to drop in behind the race leader and in front of Idle Sunshine which took the advantage of the inside approaching the first corner.
Off the back straight in the first lap, it was Im Whitney from Quite a Moment second at two metres away and Idle sunshine a head away in third.
At the post with two laps to go Im Whitney held its lead, as El Paco made a move, striding up stylishly out three wide to place second. Idle Sunshine held third while Quite a Moment got some cover in fourth.
With 700 metres to go Paparaizzi Snapshot moved on its rivals and moved into third place. At the 500 metre mark El Paco put its nose in front as Paparazzi Snapshot gave up ground and Idle Sunshine held onto the prized position on the inside.
Im Whitney again shot clear but took the brunt of a wide turn on the final bend which gave the inside run to Wright's Idle Sunshine who drove through on the inside to not only get the lead, but draw away to finish 5.8 metres in front.
After the race it took 30 minutes of deliberations before race officials dismissed a protest lodged by second place getter Im Whitney.
Connections of the Chris Alford driven gelding alleged Idle Suntime was given an unfair advantage in the first 250 metres of the race.
Trainer/driver Michelle Wight said a video review of the race confirmed that wasn't the case.
"The second place getter felt that my horse was in the sprint lane at the start and gained an advantage by going up the sprint lane," she said.
"Video shows that my horse, from where he started went in a straight line so he didnt shift into the sprint lane and gain an advantage, he just held his line and went true and that showed on the tape."
Idle Suntime was first, followed by Im Whitney, Wildenstein, El Paco, Trappers Puzzle, Paparazzi Snapshot, Illawong Magic, Button Brigade, Waikare Patricia and Confused Superstar. It was quite a moment when the race favourite finished last.
Wight said she has endured both the highs and lows alongside Idle Sunshine having had him since he was a yearling.
"He is a frustrating trotter, he's not a superstar. He's got a lot of ability, but he doesn't always utilise it, he does things wrong, he blows the start and when he doesn't blow the start he'll be trotting along nicely and he'll trip and gallop. Sometimes it's like Russian roulette," she said.
The win is the six-year-old gelding's tenth victory from 67 outings.
"He carried on a little bit at the start, but came down trotting and once he got into his gear he was solid," Wright said.
The race is run in honour of Clive Reid (1925 - 2003). Reid raced, trained and drove horses competitively from 1941 until he was 74 years of age.