Zambora Brockie ($3.20) rewrote the record book on Saturday night by posting a race record time of 29.58 in scoring a terrific win in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic at Wentworth Park.
Trainer Anthony Azzopardi had a night to remember, taking out four of the 11 races with Zambora Brockie, Myrniong Plow, Kevin In Bangkok and Uno Suzie.
Azzopardi had been concerned about Zambora Brockie getting across from box eight but he need not have worried as the son of Nitro Burst and Flying Liddy exploded from the boxes to lead all the way.
Black Bear Lee chased him throughout before finishing a gallant second, beaten nearly five lengths, while Victoria's Blazin' Bomber came from last at the first turn for a distant third. Equal race favourite Kihael Kaluna never recovered from a poor start in box three and finished eighth.
Until Saturday the fastest time recorded in the Vic Peters had been Belfast Johnny's 29.63 in 2013 but on a track hardly deemed to be fast Zambora Brockie clearly eclipsed those figures.
Azzopardi indicated that Zambora Brockie would now be aimed for the Melbourne Cup heats at Sandown Park later this month.
Remarkably, Zambora Brockie cost his owner, Charlie Azzopardi - no relation to the trainer - virtually nothing.
"The owners of Zambora Brockie's mother Flying Liddy wanted to breed a litter of pups from her so I suggested they mate her with Nitro Burst, who had won the 2008 Vic Peters Classic and who was at stud," Azzopardi said.
"Nitro Burst was with a great friend of mine, Wayne Vassallo, so the mating was arranged and I agreed to raise Flying Liddy's litter in return for some pups.
"I reared 'two for two' that is for each two puppies I reared for Flying Liddy's owners I was to receive two youngsters, and one of them turned out to be Zambora Brockie."
Nitro Burst defeated Jason Mackay's Snozz in the 2008 Vic Peters and has been an under-rated sire, but Zambora Brockie's dam Flying Liddy won only three from 53 starts.
Black Bear Lee's game second gave trainer Ruth Matic her sixth runner's-up cheque in a Group 1 race.
Matic won the Group 1 1983 National Derby with World Park Ned but has since strung together an exasperating run of seconds in Group 1s, with Tap Dance and Mountain Of Love in National Sprint Championships, Hurricane Luke in a Hobart Thousand, Kedo's Millie in a Golden Easter Egg, Persian Belle in an Association Cup, and now with Black Bear Lee.
In other results, Chica Destacada thwarted trainer Anthony Azzopardi's bid to win five races on Saturday night by leading throughout to score her 17th Wentworth Park win in Saturday night's Free For All.
Chica Destacada prevailed in an early tussle for the lead with Knight Sprite and after being challenged by Goldengrove Lad on the home turn, surged away to comfortably hold out My Boy Snoop.
The winner's time of 29.88 brought a sigh of relief from trainer Doreen Drynan, who had been concerned about Chica Destacada in the run up to Saturday night's race.
"I had trialled her at Wenty last Tuesday and she clocked 30.30, the slowest time she has ever run at the track," Drynan said.
"There was nothing wrong with Chica so I was just hoping the track was slow and she went like her old self tonight.
"Once she led I knew she would probably win because she is nearly impossible to run down once she reaches the lead."
Wentworth Park fans' other great favourite Bessy Boo bungled the start completely before making up ground to finish fourth to Chica Destacada.
"While he recently won twice from outside boxes at Wentworth Park Bessy Boo is much better off drawn close to the rails but he keeps drawing out wide," Bessy Boo's trainer Christine Proctor said.
La Grand Logie's all-the-way win in a fifth grade event on Saturday night will see the dog set for the Group 3 Christmas Gift heats at Wentworth Park on December 5.
"That win will be a great confidence booster for La Grand Logie, who has been out of sorts at Wentworth Park lately,'' trainer Jeff Eaton said.
FOOTNOTE: It wasn't all bad news for Black Bear Lee's connections as part-owner Jason Lymbery announced that his former champion bitch Double Twist had whelped a litter of seven puppies on Saturday morning. And the sire? The mighty Fernando Bale!
See you next week!
