Lightly raced three-year-old gelding Meet The Chief defied a tough run for most of the raced to score a narrow but impressive win in The Adam Brooks Group Pace over 1700 metres on the synthetic at Tapeta Park Spreyton today.
It was only the second harness arcing meting on the synthetic thoroughbred track for the season yet drivers were ready to drive tactical races.
Meet The Chief, trained and driven by Rohan Hillier, made a move three-wide about 900 metres from home but it was a tactical move and one that paid dividends.
The Ben Yole-trained Kinda Taz (Mark Yole) led and set a slid tempo but when the second-favourite Franco Tarquin (Tim Maine) was sent scurrying around the field to face the breeze inside the halfway mark, Hillier responded by letting Meet The Chief stroll around the field but he was left three-wide for the remainder of the race.
However, it made no difference to the eventual outcome with Met The Chief digging deep over the final 200 metres to score by a metre from Franco Tarquin with Kinda Taz 3-1/2 metres away third and well in advance of Takeaway Koala.
Meet The Chief (Artesian-Irish Grace was bred by Eric Fleming and Todd Struthers.
The gelding, that I a full brother to Fleming’s former star hiver Me Timbers, won two trials last season but connections decided to give him more time to mature.
Listen to what trainer-driver Rohan Hillier had to say about Meet The Chief’s first win – click here.