Favourites dominate heats for Vicbred trotting series

Favourites dominated the opening round of heats for the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Super Series at the Maryborough Harness Racing Club yesterday (Dec. 19) for two- and three-year-old trotters.

The big guns of age group trotting stamped their authority for the G1 finals to be run on New Years Eve at Melton, beginning with multiple G1 winner, The Locomotive (Muscle Mass) in the opening heat of the 2YO colts and geldings’ series.

The blue-blooded square gaiter, out of the champion mare and producer La Coocaracha, made it four wins on end for trainer and co-owner Wayne Potter, but in doing so, was kept honest by second favourite, Watts Up Party Time (Majestic Son).

Josh Dickie was able to cross The Locomotive early with the Rickie Alchin trained runner full of running throughout, ultimately succumbing to the odds-on favourite who utilised the passing lane to score by a margin of 1.4m at the finish. The winning time for the 2190m journey was 2:43.0 with the last mile run in 1:59.8.

The second heat was far more convincing for the Jess Tubbs trained Hide And Seek (Im Stately) who despite being crossed for speed early, held far too many guns over his opposition at the business end of the race.

Greg Sugars elected to take a sit behind the Cameron Maggs trained and driven Ess Kay Hollywood (Creatine) early and remained there throughout the majority of the 2190m journey.

With some of the opposition struggling rounding the final bend, Sugars elected to present his charge early rather than waiting for the sprint lane and careered away to win the second heat by a margin of 11.1m. The winning time for Hide And Seek was 2:43.5 with the last mile run in 2:00.2.

The first heat of the 3YO colts and gelding’s series saw the Chris Lang trained and driven Courage Stride (Muscle Hill) start at the microscopic odds of $1.04 on closing.

Starting from the pole position behind the mobile barrier, Courage Stride secured an uncontested lead and won emphatically, being eased down at the line with 4.1m back to the Eddie Tappe trained and driven Im Bobby in second. The winning time for the Breeders Crown final placegetter was 2:42.5 with the last mile run un 1:59.4.

The second heat for the three-year-old males saw the Victoria Trotting Derby winner in Cravache D’or (Orlando Vici) taking on the champion juvenile Plymouth Chubb (Majestic Son).

When the latter galloped in the score up, the heat was virtually over before it started with Nathan Jack taking the Anton Golino trained favourite straight to the front for an uncontested lead.

Jack was able to walk the opposition through a sedate opening half before clicking things up with a 56.5 last half to win easily with a margin of 3m back to Acree Phoenix (Trixton) in second. Plymouth Chubb was excellent in making up ground to run third but will have his work cut out for him moving to the unruly position behind the mobile for the remainder of the series.

Gaelic Lad (Blitzemcalder) provided the first mild upset of the day when accounting for his opposition in the third and final heat for the three-year-old males.

The Terry Young trained runner used his gate speed to lead and dominate throughout, withstanding a late charge up the passing lane from My Jerry (Bacardi Lindy) and the fast-finishing Waikare Maxwell (Sebastian K).

The first of the 3YO fillies heats saw the Michelle Phillips trained and driven Kimora Saffi (Great Success) winning well after sitting parked outside Illawong Larajay for the majority of the 2190m journey.

It was one of the best performances in any of the heats and bodes well for the remainder of the series with the $2.40 favourite relaxing beautifully in the death, before running away to win by a margin of 2.2m from the Ron Comben trained Acool Investment (Father Patrick).

Revelstoke (Quaker Jet) notched a second win on the programme for the Yabby Dam Farms team of Anton Golino and Nathan Jack in the second heat.

In a bruising performance, the dual G3 winner was able to lead on her ear and dominate from the top, cruising away to win by the largest margin of the day, 13.2 meters removed from runner up Ebony’s Avenger (Kvintet Avenger).

The win sets up an intriguing contest as the fillies head to the rich G1 feature on New Years Eve with stablemate, Courmayeur (Village Mystic) equally impressive in the third and final heat for the 3YO fillies.

The daughter of Village Mystic brought up a winning treble for the Yabby Dam Farms operation, scoring easily in the fastest time of the day with the 2190m journey being run in a fast 2:41.8 with a 10.1m margin back to Aldebaran Misty (Skyvalley) in second with Just A Bit Touchy (Father Patrick) the same margin away in third.

The win of Courmayeur made it seven wins for the favoured runners from the first eight heats.

That tally extended to eight from nine when the David Miles trained Rockinwithattitude (Aldebaran Eagle) was able to blast out of the gate from barrier six and win the first heat for the 2YO trotting fillies by a margin of 2.6m.

Showing no ill effects from her torrid run in the Breeders Crown final a month earlier, the daughter of pacing bred trotter, Rockin Shiraz (Rock N Roll Heaven), blazed her final quarter in 27.5 leaving little chance for the opposition in the run home. It was the second fastest last 400m of the day with only Cravach Dor going faster in the 3YO colts and geldings heat (27.5).

In the final heat of the day, the Sam Barker trained Paris Jamilla (Majestic Son) provided the best value to punters when scoring at odds of $6 to win heat two of the 2YO trotting fillies series.

Starting from barrier seven, Bailey McDonough had the daughter of Majestic Son away fast from the widest on the gate and in front the first time past the winning post and it was there she remained throughout.

Paris Jamilla withstood a late charge from the Anthony Crossland trained and driven favourite, Salski (What The Hill), who rallied well from back in the field to take ground off the winner, missing by a margin of 2.4m.

The winning time of 2:45.5 was the slowest heat of the day.

The trotting heats of the Vicbred Super Series are set to continue at Tabcorp Park Melton on Thursday (Dec 22.) with the 4YO’s of each sex having their turn to qualify for the $100,000 respective finals to be held at the same venue on New Years Eve.

For complete Maryborough results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink