Big brother prevails

By Tim O’Connor

Master trainer Andy Gath says he might have learnt more out of defeat than he would have with victory following superstar pacer Catch A Wave’s shock loss in last Saturday night’s Garrard’s Preux Chevalier Free For All at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Yambukian emerged from his stablemate and little half-brother’s shadow to produce a huge boilover when he grabbed the Chariots of Fire and Miracle Mile champ in the shadows of the post to win in a photo finish.

The result perplexed many including Gath, who admitted he may have had Catch A Wave a little underdone heading into his first-up assignment.

“Obviously we still expected that he’d be able to get the job done. He still finished off in 26.5,” Gath said.

“Whether he star-gazed a little bit, I think it’s more that he just ran out of condition.

“The signs after the race – he’s blowing really hard – are that he needed that hit-out pretty bad.

“We always like to win, but going forward we know where we’re at and we know what we have to do to get him better.

“It wasn’t disgraceful, but it was sort of below where we thought he would be.”

Catch A Wave quickly assumed the front-runner’s role from barrier three and controlled the tempo at the head of the field, but was surprisingly out-dashed in the straight as Yambukian got up to win on his inside.

Winning driver James Herbertson was as surprised as most that Yambukian had been able to run down his more high-profile stablemate.

“I didn’t even think I did win and those horses, they shouldn’t get beat,” Herbertson said.

“Young Jordan Leedham has been driving the horse, but unfortunately he’s on the sidelines at the moment.

“I’ve driven for Andy here and there over the years, but (this is) definitely the first winner for him.

“I don’t know whether I’m excited or not – I’m a little bit still in shock.

“He’s just an absolute machine of a horse and unfortunately tonight he just switched off late. Credit to his older brother, he was still powering through the line.”

Yambukian, who like Catch A Wave is out of top broodmare Coppagoodone, has now won 12 of 34 career starts for earnings up over $160,000.

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While Kate Gath was beaten in the Preux Chevalier, she still managed a good night at Victorian harness racing headquarters.

Gath was in the sulky for Encipher’s victory in the Catanach Jewellers Jane Ellen and Aldebaran Jensen’s triumph in the Australasian Premier Trotting Sale Final for three-year-old colts and geldings.

Aldebaran Jensen is trained by Elizabeth Heath and managed to hold off Avenel Eagle and Darcys Fireball to win the $50,000 feature.

It was the first leg of a winning double for owners-breeders Aldebaran Lodge, who later scored in the APTS three-year-old fillies’ showdown with the Chris Svanosio trained-and-driven Aldebaran Miley.