A YEAR ago, Hexham trainer Gayle Masterson was thinking how good it would be to make the Golden Easter Egg (520 metres) final with Knight Sprite when he won the race after the $250,000-to-the-winner feature.
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Now she knows.
Knight Sprite was second to Moreira in his semi-final at Wentworth Park on Saturday night to qualify for the group 1 final this Saturday.
“It’s really exciting,” Masterson said. “To think 12 months ago he won his first race at Wentworth Park in the race after the Easter Egg. His time last year would have beaten the third placegetter, so I was thinking how good would it be to be in the Easter Egg next year, and here he is.”
Knight Sprite, a two-time group 2 winner, drew poorly in box five for the final.
However, Masterson was not bothered about the draw and said Knight Sprite seemed to have pulled up well from the run.
Knight Sprite has won once and finished second another time in five starts from box five.
“He won’t mind it,” Masterson said of the draw.
“He’s won out of every box, so I’m not stressed about the box.”
Knight Sprite jumped well from box seven to lead in a 5.47-second first section in his semi. He led by as much as four lengths but was beaten a neck on the line by Jason Thompson’s Moreira in 29.93.
The Hunter’s other hope in the semi-finals, Richmond Vale trainer Jason Mackay’s Duna Runa, was seventh in her qualifier.
The Golden Easter Egg draw is: 1. Moreira, 2. Brad Hill Billy, 3. Rare Pearl, 4. Dawkins Bale, 5. Knight Sprite, 6. Asa Killa Queen, 7. Blue Revolver, 8. Mitcharlie Mia.
