New Kid on the block ready for finals night

Aetos Dynamis (Skyvalley) will be the least experienced runner in the harness racing field when he strives for Group 1 honours on Saturday night.

The squaregaiter has only raced three times in the lead-up to the Hygain Breeders Crown final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, with the son of Skyvalley a narrow winner at Kilmore on October 12 before back-to-back fourth placings at Maryborough.

The most recent of those was in a heat of the Breeders Crown series behind $1.14 favourite The Locomotive and trainer Trish McVeigh holds an element of confidence heading into the final with James Herbertson to partner the horse from gate two.

“He’s good and I’m really happy with him,” McVeigh said.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better draw actually, it gives James some options as to whether he wants to get to the fence or look for cover.

“It puts us right where we want to be.”

McVeigh will leave race tactics up to Herbertson, who is the state’s leading driver this year with 233 winners.

“I don’t usually give James too many instructions, we usually just have a look at the field together and go through some options. He will definitely have permission to come out of the gate and try and get across,” she said.

“He will know how the horse feels and I’d be happy with that.”

McVeigh believes her gelding has shown in the past that he has good gate speed.

“He had a bit of gate speed at his first start at Kilmore, when Greg (Sugars) drove him, and he came out equal to the leader…,” she said.

“In his second start at Maryborough, James (Herbertson) just let him come out and it was his first drive on him in a race. I think he will potentially cross the one (At The Distance).”

The winner of the second heat, Queensland raider Not As Promised, is the current $1.80 favourite for the race from gate four, while The Locomotive, last year’s Victorian 2YO Trotting Colt/Gelding of the Year, makes up the second line of betting at $3.20. Aetos Dynamis is one of the rank outsiders in the market at $151.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria