Fast finishing was the theme of racing at Lismore on Tuesday night, with both heat winners of the TAB Million Dollar Chase storming home to recorded impressive victories.
Infrared Star and Smooth Act became the latest heat winners after the Million Dollar Chase caravan rolled into town, and connections of both revealed that the race, and series, had not been in their long term plans.
“If he was going to be right, then yeah I was going to have a shot, but I don’t like planning because every time you plan something, something else goes wrong,” said Rob Cooke trainer of Smooth Act. “I just take it as it comes.
“He was very good tonight, and what he ran home in tonight was unbelievable. They just don’t do it.”
Smooth Act was last at the post the first time, but powered through the field to hit the lead swinging for home, running the last section in 14.49s, and clocking 29.77s.
Runner-up Sequana was very impressive. Jumping well, then crossed by Quara’s Flick early, she wanted to run wide out of the straight, and having only her fourth start, she showed she is still a bit green, but she charged to the lead up the back, only to be rounded up by Smooth Act turning for home, finishing 1¾ lengths away.
She will be much better for the run and a real threat in the final.
Third went to Quara’s Flick with Evelyn Harris’s Bad Neighbour finishing fourth to grab a spot in the final.
Like Smooth Act, Infrared Star proved too good for the leader in taking out his heat, and like Smooth Act, there wasn’t a steadfast plan to attack the Lismore heats.
“Oh no, not at all,” trainer Joanne Price’s partner Jason Aylward said. “He was not ready for a 700m this week so we thought we would put him in and have a go. We were probably more confident with the other one we had in tonight (Crazy Bella finished seventh the other heat).
“It wasn’t really a surprise the way he ran home. He can run a bit and he’s been winning his races over 700m.
“He’d been going well at Ipswich over the shorter trips and this track is like Ipswich, that’s why we thought we would drop him back and have a go.”
Infrared Star clocked a handy 29.92s and just managed to overhaul leader Maywyn Cash. Hunter Kingsbrae was third just ahead of leading Queensland sprinter Dam Slippery - the second of Brett Hazelgrove’s team to reach the final along with Quara’s Flick - that quartet all qualifying for the final, which will be run on Friday week.
The box draw for the final is: 1 Hunter Kingsbrae 2 Infrared Star 3 Maywyn Cash 4 Dam Slippery 5 Bad Neighbour 6 Sequana 7 Quara’s Flick 8 Smooth Act 9 Chairman Jack 10 Shakey Diesel.
