Ultra consistent gelding General Truce ended the 2011 year on a high by breaking the Moonee Valley track record for 955 metres last night. The Essendon Mazda 55 second challenge is midway through its second season. Last season La Bella Roo won the 18 heat series with a time of 55.48 seconds for the 955 metre race. Prior to last night the fastest winner of the eight heats for this season was Weekend Special trained by Mark Kavanagh. Weekend Special had clocked in at 55.51 for the sprint earlier in December.
With the rail in the true position and the track upgraded to a good 3, last night’s race was always going to be one of the exciting heats of the series. The field included speedsters Weekend Special, ex Darwin speed machine The Soldier who had won at Flemington over 1000 metres by three lengths just a fortnight earlier, Slade Alive Syndicate’s sprinter Waltzes, and General Truce.
Waltzes was quick from the machine and Katelyn Mallyon settled him in front effortlessly. Meanwhile from the wide gate Ashley Thompson aboard General Truce was working rigorously in the early part of the race to settle just outside and behind the leader.
Rounding the turn General Truce moved up to Waltzes. Weekend Special had found some clear galloping room and chased. But General Truce refused to give in and held out Weekend Special by a head. Waltzes stayed on for third and The Soldier claimed fourth.
The time of 55:28 was a new course record. The trainer of the horse that runs the quickest time for the series will win a Mazda BT-50 from Essendon Mazda. There are still nine heats remaining in the series, but General Truce, trained by Ricky Maund has set the time to beat.
“It was a good win” reported Ashley Thompson after the race. “He did it tough at both ends and deserved the result”. It was Ashley’s fourth ride on the horse and his second victory. His other two rides included a second to Bel Sprinter and a third behind Curtana.
General Truce has been very competitive in most of his starts. He has only finished outside the top four twice in his last twenty starts. Both of those races were at Group 1 level. One of those was as a three year old in open company in the Oakleigh Plate when he clocked the fastest final 600 metres of the race. The other was in the Coolmore Stud Stakes. In that event he was crowded and checked. Luke Nolan aboard Curtana was suspended for the incident and it cost him the ride on Black Caviar the following week in the Patinack Classic.
General Truce has now won at all of Melbourne’s leading city venues and has pushed his career prize money beyond $440,000.
General Truce, by Independent Stallion’s Brief Truce, was bred at Lauriston. His dam, General Nediym mare, General Resolve has produced two other foals of racing age. Arctic Command (by Freeze) won the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate. Complete Control (by Rubiton) earned more than $130,000 before being retired to the breeding barn in 2011.
General Resolve’s fourth foal is a stunning, strong filly by Testa Rossa. She will be presented on day three, Wednesday 29 February as Lot 557 among Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm’s yearling draft at the Melbourne Inglis Premier Sale.
Click on the attached link to view her pedigree: Lot 557 Premier Yearling Sale 2012
