by Adam Hamilton

Shock and a tinge of sadness swept through Menangle when Keayang Zahara’s unbeaten streak came to an end last night (May 10).

The brilliant young trotting mare had won her first 15 starts and is widely regarded as one of the best young trotters that we have seen Down Under.

But she found one better for the first time last night.

And it was another lightly raced and gifted mare, Susan Is Her Name, who delivered the knockout blow.

They smashed the clock, too. They raced the mile in 1:51.7, just 0.2 seconds outside Maori Time’s Australasian record.

The Emma Stewart-trained Susan Is Her Name stalked Keayang Zahara, who led, then came off her back at the top of the straight and gunned her down to win by almost four meters.

Susan Is Her Name, who has battled injury setbacks through her career, has always looked a bit special and that was her 11th win from just 17 starts, including all four this campaign.

While most at Menangle were shocked, not so Susan Is Her Name’s driver, Mark Pitt.

“I came here full of confidence, so did the team,” he said. “We’ve got a huge opinion of this mare and felt if we could lead or get the sit on Keayang Zahara, she would need to be at the top of her game to beat us.

“She’s only lightly-raced this mare, but she’s got so much speed… she’s electric.”

Excitingly, the glamour pair look headed for a rematch at the Brisbane Inter Dominion in July.

There was a U.S. flavor to the race with the U.S.-bred Aldebaran Acrux finishing third, albeit almost 20 meters from second place.

On the same card, champion driver Luke McCarthy snared a Group 1 double with his own mare Eye Keep Smiling in the $200,000 Queen Elizabeth II Mile and pick-up drive Gatesys Gem in the $75,000 Group 1 NSW Trotters’ Oaks.

McCarthy was moved to declare Eye Keep Smiling, one of the best mares he has driven, after she did a power of work and dug deep to win in a scorching 1:49.3 mile.

It was her 23rd win from just 34 starts and stamped her as the benchmark mare in Australia.

“God, she went good,” McCarthy said. “She was entitled to get beaten given the run she had, but there wasn’t anything I could do from that wide draw.

“The was awesome. She’s one of the best mares I’ve driven and I’ve been lucky enough to drive some champion mares over the years. She just kept giving when I needed her to, and has gotten better each season.”

Eye Keep Smiling will chase more Group 1 glory when she forms part of a strong McCarthy team bound for the rich Brisbane winter racing at Albion Park.

Eye Keep Smiling’s main target will be a defense of the crown she won in the Group 1 Golden Girl last year.

The margin wasn’t great for McCarthy aboard Gatesys Gem, either.

McCarthy gave her a gun behind the leader and scooted clear with a huge lead on the home bend, but another Victorian, Tracy The Jet, emerged from the pack and stormed home to just miss.

“She gave me a scare, but I was trying to give my filly as easy a time as possible after she got the big break on them,” McCarthy said. “She lifted again late when I asked her and won it more easily than it might have looked.”

Earlier in the night, top driver Kate Gath won the annual Tanyia Harris OAM Lady Drivers’ Invitational race in runaway style.

Gath, who boasts almost 2,200 wins and 59 at Group 1 level, used gate 1 to park Franco Tyson behind the leader and favorite, Sweetheart Bart, and quickly dashed past him halfway down the straight to score by 6.6 meters in a slick 1:50.6 mile.

BIG NIGHT FOR GRANT DIXON

Champion Queensland trainer Grant Dixon had a “double” win last night.

Just hours before winning the Group 1 NSW Oaks himself, Dixon and wife Trista learned they would be getting New Zealand’s best filly Captains Mistress to train for the winter carnival.

Captains Mistress had just brilliantly won the Group 1 New Zealand Sires’ Stake final at Alexandra Park in Auckland.

Then, Cool And Classy, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, did her share of work and did a terrific job to rundown leader and favorite Soho Americano in the $200,000 Group 1 NSW Oaks.

TURN IT UP STILL MAKING NOISE AT 10

One of the most remarkable wins of the weekend came from evergreen Queensland veteran Turn It Up the free-for-all (1,660 meters) at Albion Park last night.

Six years ago, the gelding was one of Australasia’s most exciting pacers when trained in New Zealand by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.

Niggling injuries interfered and eventually saw him sent and sold to Queenslanders Shane Graham and Vicki Rasmussen.

Turn It Up, now 10, posted his 37th win — and his 25th at Albion Park — when he dashed home to win.

Incredibly, his 1:51.6 mile rate was a career best.

Turn It Up’s win edged him even closer to the magical million in earnings at $958,945.

SUGARS MEMORIAL SET FOR MONDAY

Champion Aussie horseman Greg Sugars will be farewelled with a Memorial Service at the Melton track tomorrow (May 12).

Sugars, who won over 4,200 races and 71 at Group 1 level, also drove a winner in the U.S.

It was back on Aug. 25, 2003 with Takemyhearttonight for trainer Joe Anderson at the now defunct Maywood Park.

The harness racing industry has been in mourning since Sugars, 40, died in his sleep on April 25.