Stockton sets his sights on sweet Melton success

The interstate raiders have already had major harness racing success here in Victoria this year and border-hopping horseman Jake Stockton will be hoping for an epic upset with his mare My Sweet Sabrina (Always B Miki) in Saturday night’s $75,000 Alabar Bloodstock Ladyship Cup at Melton.

Kanena Provlima snatched Saturday night’s Ballarat Pacing Cup for KerryAnn Morris and her fellow NSW trainer is using the Ladyship as a first-up assignment for his five-year-old, who has 10 wins from 27 career starts.

Stockton believes his girl is still a work in progress.

“We probably need a run,” he said. “We are pretty close to the mark. A bit of race fitness would be nice.”

The 39-year-old trainer is excited to target a few events back in his home state after Saturday night’s race.

“Our main aim is the four and five-year-old championships at Wagga on our home track at the end of March,” he said.

“If she can level up to the better mares, then we will look to the mare’s carnival. We can look at races in Menangle and that going forward.”

The daughter of Always B Miki has drawn 11 on Saturday night, and while not ideal, Stockton is hoping the wide-open spaces of Melton Entertainment Park will suit his mare.

“I do think she is a better horse on a 1000m track. The time she runs at Wagga is just phenomenal. I don’t think Wagga is any quicker than Melton,” he said.

“We know she can go 51 or even better if she must, when she gets everything right.

“11 is tricky, how often do you see an outside of the back row win over a mile at Melton? Not very often.

“If we get a bit of speed and get a good run through, we have to start somewhere.”

The Emma Stewart-trained inaugural TAB Eureka winner Encipher (gate three) and Jess Tubbs-prepared Rakero Rebel (two) are both first-up since November and shape as the horses to beat in the 1720m sprint.

The Ladyship Cup is one of the big features on Saturday night at Melton, with the Allied Express Casey Classic, Betavet V L Dullard Trotters Cup and VHRC Caduceus 3YO Classic among the other races on the card.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria