FIFTY metres out from the finish line in the Honouree Stakes Final on Wednesday night at the Bathurst Paceway, driver John O’Shea had a broad smile plastered across his face.
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It was at that point he knew victory aboard A Life Under Fire ($3.70) was his in the 2,260 metres decider.
Staged each year as part of the Bathurst Harness Racing Club’s Gold Crown Carnival, the Honouree Stakes series has been dominated by local drivers in recent years.
O’Shea’s victory with the Lester Hewitt, Dunkeld trained four-year-old extended that streak to eight in a row, Dale Spencer the last visiting reinsman to find success in 2009.
A barrier 13 draw did pose some questions for O’Shea, but a slow tempo early in the decider played into his hands.
It allowed him to come from the rear into the death seat on a three wide move without expending too much of A Life Under Fire’s energy. From there he went on with the job.
“He went good, he had a really good trip. That 46.4 [seconds] lead time really helped,” O’Shea said.
“He’s a tough sort of horse who has a good record. He was a bit stiff last week … but everything worked out well tonight.”
The feature meeting of the Gold Crown Carnival is on Saturday night with Barry Lew’s Karloo Damajor to race in the $13,780 Mayor’s Cup.
