Changing of the guard in trotting gait

Even betting races and new narratives are becoming the norm in the trotting gait, a trend that looks set to continue with this Saturday night’s headline racing at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Analysts will have to delve deep into their form to unpick the TAB Derby Royale Trotters Free For All and Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Metropolitan Trot Final, two Group races that represent the new breed of depth in Victorian trotting.

Leading trainers Andy Gath and Anton Golino are among those to see the squaregaiter door now ajar and believe it may be some time before we again see a force as dominant as Tornado Valley.

“It’s natural progression. The horses don’t last forever,” Golino said. “There’s a changing of the guard.”

The Yabby Dam Farms co-trainer announced in February the end of Dance Craze’s stunning race track career, which produced $551,780 in stakes and 24 wins.

It come as this generation’s leading trotter, Gath’s Tornado Valley, advanced deep into the twilight of his 106-start career, with the champ now having a spell before a final push towards becoming the ninth Australasian millionaire.

For long that pair have held the spotlight with the likes of McLovin, Red Hot Tooth, Wobelee, Big Jack Hammer, Savannah Jay Jay and intermittently Sparkling Success, with the latter two among those lining up in Saturday’s ninth race.

“It’s heavily draw dependent,” he said. “If Tornado Valley draws good he can win, same goes for Sparkling Success, McLovin, Red Hot Tooth, Pink Galahs.

“Some are getting on and there are good ones coming through. No doubt the best in Australasia is Sundees Son, but apart from him it’s pretty even.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Golino.

“The breed has gotten so much better over the last eight years, everything has evened out,” he said. “When in the past you’ve had standout freaks, now their tends to be more of them so they don’t stand out. The breed is more consistent.”

That depth is on display across the card Saturday night, including the night’s second race, the Gordon Rothacker Medal Tickets Now On Sale Trot at 5.32pm, when Gath’s pair Justamollyarcher (gate four) and Swiss Miss (gate nine) chase two on the trot and are shortest in the market.

“(Justamollyarcher) has probably been a surprise packet,” Gath said. “He didn’t cost a lot of money, but has already done an OK job.

“For an eight-year-old he’s improved and got gate speed that will take him a long way. I still think there are a few metro wins in him if he stays healthy.

“(Swiss Miss) is very fast. She was good first up. She probably needs things to go her way, but she’s got a good turn of foot and nine’s a good draw for her.”

The squaregaiters then return for race seven, the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Metropolitan Trot Final, with Golino and co-trainer Jack MacKinnon’s hope Imsettogo to start off the inside of the back row.

Marked a $9 chance, having tired when first up in the heat and just squeaked into the final, Golino said she’s well placed in gate eight providing there’s a glimmer of luck in running.

“She seems good. She had a tough run first up, it didn’t pan out like we hoped it would but that’s racing. She’s pulled up good,” he said.

“She’s in good shape. She’ll appreciate the draw. She will not have to spend petrol early and with a bit of luck be thereabouts.”

Some fortune in the running could also open the doors for Gath’s Monaro Maro in the ninth race, the TAB Derby Royale Trotters Free For All.

The five-year-old mare’s drawn directly inside returning Savannah Jay Jay, with Sparkling Success the sole back row runner and polemarker Powderkeg also well in an even market.

“She’s gotten better and better with age and has won good races from the death,” Gath said. “I’m pretty sure every time she’s found the front she’s won. She’s a possible chance.

“She’s bridged the gap and in another six months could be better again. There is probably a big win in her, but probably against the mares.”

It’s clear opportunity knocks for many on Saturday night and that may well be the case for some time, with plenty of stable stars just ticking back into work before eying the likes of the 2021 Inter Dominion, which kicks off on November 27 at Menangle, and then Victoria’s rich Aurora Australia series, headlined by the Great Southern Star.

Gath said eight-year-old McLovin had “more juice in the tank than Tornado Valley, but he’s likely a further three months off”, while it’s Majestuoso who “I think is probably my strongest”.

“Majestuoso’s the one, he can run times other trotters can’t run,” Gath said, but he’s likely at least eight weeks away from racing after overcoming a foot ailment.

Otherwise he’s optimistic Globetrekker, a winner of his only start, “can do a good job once he gets back to the race track”.

Golino’s stable stars are Im Ready Jet and Always Ready, who are both six to eight weeks from trials having “just started back training”.

“Both are genuine top level,” he said. “Im Ready Jet I think is one of the best horses I’ve had. She’s got a couple of tricks, but when she’s good, she’s awesome. And I was really happy with the way Always Ready finished the year off with his second to Majestic Man in Sydney.”

And there’s plenty of others waiting in the wings.

“You just don’t know and suddenly one can emerge and just get better with age,” Gath said. “Look at Teetreetommy, he’s seven years old and has emerged as a good horse.”

By Michael Howard for HRV