Thriving since stable switch

LIFE in New South Wales certainly agrees with veteran pacer Springfield Affair.

Owned and trained in South Australia by Kevin Von Duve, Springfield Affair raced in moderate fashion with a pair of wins and four placings from 23 starts this season.

Sent across the border to Seaton Grima last month, Springfield Affair has thrived by competing around Club Menangle’s spacious 1400-metre circuit to remain unbeaten from three starts.

Scoring in 1:52.2 upon debut, the eight-year-old then became the all-time equal fastest SA-owned pacer when he stopped the clock in 1:49 on August 29.

Springfield Affair’s time matched the mark set by Artillery when he scored at Club Menangle in December 2022.

The son of Shadow Play then completed his hat-trick at Club Menangle last Saturday, this time in 1:49.9 over a mile.

“He is loving life over there,” Von Duve said. “He’s found a new lease on life and is just in a zone.

“I sent him to Menangle last year and he ran four seconds, but just couldn’t crack a win. I felt he was ready to head back to Menangle, so I called Seaton who was happy to take him on.

“Seaton is doing a marvelous job with him and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

With Grima in the cart, Springfield Affair was beaten for early speed from the pole, settling three-back along the pegs before being sent forward to find the front.

Striding clear during the latter stages, the gelding dashed to a five-metre win from Rocknroll Hammer.

A stablemate of the winner, South Seas Rock was eight metres away third.