Driven by Menangle ace Robbie Morris, the four-year-old gelding was a well-supported second favorite after his solid performance to finish third in his qualifying heat a week earlier and then secure a perfect gate one draw.
From the draw, Morris was able to give Grosso Naso a perfect run in transit as after moving into the lead early, he then opted to take cover on the jacket tails of noted leader Always Be Chaps.
Morris swung home, had a lap full of horse and sweated until a gap would open, and when that happened mid-run he was able to navigate a path to victory, scoring by half a length over race favorite Walter Warlock, who was brave in defeat after enduring a checkered run, while Major Reason in third also ran a fair race after facing the wind.
After the race, excited trainer Tony Missen said he was delighted with his horse’s performance.
“Going into the race I thought we had a realistic chance because of the good draw, and it all worked out perfectly with the ideal run that our guy enjoyed,” Missen said.
“His regular driver Blake Hughes chose to stay with Grace Panella’s mare Princess Mickayla, so we called on Robbie, knowing he has a knack for driving horses cold to the pins, which is exactly what we wanted.
“I wasn’t confident we could lead for the entire 2030 meter ride so sitting down was the best option and Robbie summed up the race perfectly and we got the luck we needed and the rest is history.”
Grosso Naso will contest a heat of the Christmas Gift at Menangle tomorrow (Saturday) before targeting the Tamworth Golden Guitar at the end of January, a race Missen and his ownership group have always been keen to win.
Tonight the Dubbo Harness Racing Club will hold its main meeting for the year, splitting a healthy $134,000 in prize money across the nine-race programme.
The main race is the $30,000 Red Ocher Listed Classic, which brings together a high-quality field of fillies and mares.
For full race entries, click here.
Through Michael Dumesnyfor HRNSW
#Grosso #Naso #delivers #career #highlight #Tony #Missen