Havtimemajor NZ after winning the 2026 Protostar
POWER couple Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen experienced the roller coaster of emotions that only racing can deliver at Albion Park last night.
But the high outweighed the lows when their brilliant juvenile Havtimemajor scored a sparkling win in Australasia’s richest two-year-old race, the $500,000 Group 1 Protostar.
Having just his second start, the still raw and green gelding stormed home to snatch victory despite being wayward at full tilt in the home straight.
To give Emma Stewart’s star trio – Comeandsee, Cardigan Jem and Kahula – a start and beating when they had the huge benefit of racing on the pegs, while Havtimemajor came wide, was massive.
Havtimemajor snatched victory by a head in a scorching 1min51.7sec mile rate for 1660m.
For good measure, Turpin and McMullen’s other runner, Aardies A Star, grabbed the eye with a big finishing sixth out wide from a mile back.
It was a golden race for the stable which came on a night of surprises and frustrations.
Stable stars Gus and The Janitor were both major talking points.
Gus, who was $1.30 favourite for the $500,000 Inter Dominion final before last night, was a well beaten fourth as a $1.18 favourite in his heat.
His remains favourite for the final, but the absolute stranglehold on it has eased considerably.
Then The Janitor, long time second favourite for the $1 million Inter Dominion pacing final, only finished sixth in his second heat and didn’t qualify for the final.
Nobody saw that coming for a pacer who ran such a slashing second to Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile four months ago.
Draws went against him in both heats, but The Janitor was well below his best, especially last night.
The final is a poorer race for not having The Janitor in it.
But Havtimemajor gave the stable plenty to celebrate.
“It’s been a rough night, but to come out with this race with a horse having only his second start is pretty amazing,” McMullen said.
“I’m super proud of Chantal and the whole team. It’s a huge effort.
“We liked him a lot at home, so I really brushed him up a half (800m) here a few weeks ago in the hope somebody saw him and wanted him for their slot. I’m glad they did.”
That was Leap To Fame’s owners Kevin and Kay Seymour, who snapped up the gelding for their Protostar slot.
It was their second win in the race, but in a different way.
They owned inaugural winner Fate Awaits, who raced in the Ladbrokes slot that year.
McMullen said he hadn’t looked beyond the Protostar.
“He was always going to the paddock after it,” he said. “I guess we will look at the Derbys next year. I think he’ll make a really nice horse.”
Given Havtimemajor is a Kiwi-bred, another option could be a trip to Christchurch in November if the stable takes Gus and/or The Janitor for NZ Cup Week.
Emma Stewart had to be content with second (Cardigan Jem), third (Kahula) and fourth (Comeandsee).
Comeandsee was crunched into $2.70 favourite, led and had every chance, while Cardigan Jem had his chance from behind the leader.
The diminutive Kahula stormed home late along the pegs from three back to just miss.
“She wasn’t as good tonight. She didn’t feel as good,” driver Mark Pitt said of Comeandsee.
Stewart and partner Clayton Tonkin have now had a win and two seconds in the three runnings of the Protostar.
PHOTO: Toby Coutts
