Major showdown looming between elite 4YO crop

A mouth-watering clash looms in the Group 1 $130,000 Rock N Roll Heaven Vicbred Super Series harness racing final for four-year-old entires and geldings at Melton on New Year’s Eve.

Better Eclipse, Narutac Prince and Act Now underlined the quality of this year’s four-year-old crop by making the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final.

While they were taking on the best open-age talent Australia has to offer, waiting in the background was Major Moth (Art Major).

Having his first race start in a year in a support race on Inter Dominion night at Melton, Major Moth quietly took a back seat and saluted.

Two more starts down the track and the 2020 Breeders Crown two-year-old colts and geldings’ final winner is well and truly back in the spotlight and giving every indication he is ready to show he is the best of his age.

This was the message he sounded loud and clear in winning his VSS semi-final at Melton on Friday night (Dec. 23).

He led with Damian Wilson holding the reins and comfortably covered his rivals as Cardigan trainer Emma Stewart produced the first five placegetters in the race.

Narutac Prince filled second, while Idyllic was third.

Major Moth leads home the Emma Stewart-trained domination of the Rock N Roll Heaven Vicbred Super Series 4YO entires and geldings’ second semi, with the star pacer driven to another victory by regular reinsman Damian Wilson. pic.twitter.com/DoukEnhbA1

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) December 23, 2022

While Major Moth looms as the one to beat in the final, the Jess Tubbs-trained Better Eclipse lost no fans in the way he won his semi-final earlier in the night, finishing ahead of Ardens Ace and Jilliby Dynamite.

Although Better Eclipse had only a head to spare on the line, driver Greg Sugars was always confident.

“He was strong enough. I always thought he had the race in his keeping,” Sugars told TrotsVision.

“It’s in my character a little bit, the more I like the horse, the more I try to protect them.

“He was doing his best so there was no need to get animated.”

Sugars said having the Vicbred Super Series follow the Inter Dominion had not been the ideal campaign for Better Eclipse.

“He’s still slightly on the immature side and a better horse when he’s kept fresh,” he said.

“The back-up racing and week-to-week probably doesn’t suit him.

“To have four runs in a fortnight in the Inter Dominion and then back straight up for this season has been a bit of an ask, but at the moment he’s handling it well enough.

“We’re very happy with what he is doing.”

Tough Tilly is on target to secure a second Vicbred Super Series title.

She lived-up to her name with a tough effort to capture a Vincent VSS semi-final for four-year-old mares on Friday night.

Kate Gath parked Tough Tilly outside the leader – favourite Tay Tay – but she still proved too strong in the closing stages to score by 1.3m. Celestialfragrance was third.

“HOW TOUGH IS SHE? YEAH, SHE’S TOUGHER!”
Kate Gath and Tough Tilly get the better of Alex Ashwood and Tay Tay in a classic Vincent Vicbred Super Series semi-final for four-year-old mares. And that’s seven winners on the Melton card for trainer Emma Stewart! pic.twitter.com/FWAuyhl9uD

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) December 23, 2022

Tough Tilly won the VSS two-year-old fillies’ final, but did not contest the series last season.

Tough Tilly completed another massive night for champion trainer Emma Stewart.

She won seven of the 12 two, three and four-year-old VSS semi-finals, and qualified 27 horses for Group 1 deciders.

Dougs Babe rounded out a huge night at Tabcorp Park by saluting for her new connections in the second four-year-old mares’ semi-final.

She found the lead and was untroubled in beating home Kendys Butterfly and Ruby Wingate.

The Geoff Webster-trained Dougs Babe was previously raced by a Ballarat and District Trotting Club syndicate, but was sold in the past week and competed for Sonya Smith.

For complete race results, click here.

by David Brehaut for Harness Racing Victoria