Rakero Blaze Returns To Winning Form

Pacing-bred squaregaiter Rakero Blaze (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) returned to winning form last Saturday when taking out the Listed Club Menangle Bay Johnny Trotters Handicap (2300m) at Menangle. 

The seven-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight stepped away well from behind the 10m tape and was sent straight to the front by driver Will Rixon. They were immediately challenged on the outside by Pesco Pollo (Love You), however, Rixon was unwilling to cede the lead and the pair entered a speed duel, opening up several lengths on their rivals.

After seeing off the challenge of Pesco Pollo, Rakero Blaze set the pace upfront before she was once again challenged by Pesco Pollo down the back straight. The pair once again opened up on the pack, but the effort told on Pesco Pollo who started to fade quickly down the home straight, but the Luke McCarthy-trained Rakero Blaze stuck on to win by 2.9m.

“The writing was on the wall last week when she ran a pretty big race (runner-up over 2300m),” Rixon said. “I was pretty confident she would go well tonight, I have driven her before and she stepped well.

“That was key, getting in front of Pesco Pollo early, it was all the difference. She was good enough to cop a bit of pressure and finish off.”

Rakero Blaze hails from a rich pacing pedigree, being a daughter of four-win mare Delizioso (NZ) (In The Pocket), a full-sister to four-time Group One winner Under Cover Lover (NZ) (In The Pocket), and half-sister to Front Cover Lover (NZ) (What’s Next), the dam of six-time Group One winner Bettor Cover Lover (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

Rakero Blaze was bred by Woodlands Stud and was offered through their 2020 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale at Karaka, where she was purchased by Dawe Contracting Ltd for $30,000.  

She has now won 17 and placed in 19 of her 70 career starts to date and has earned more than A$165,000 in prizemoney.