A new star emerges

The trots returned to its traditional Saturday night home of Tabcorp Park Melton for the first time since August 7 and fittingly a star emerged who looks set to shine on the big stage.

Honolua Bay was a dominant force in Saturday night’s Catanachs Jewellers 4YO & 5YO Championships, leading all the way to win the $75,000 Group 2 for driver David Moran and Emma Stewart.

The latter trained the first three home, with Out To Play and Our Millionaire trailing in the winner, who was making his debut for the stable and was first up since May, but the four-year-old was ready to roll from the outset.

“He was terrific tonight,” Moran told TrotsVision. “He was first up for a fair while and a couple of little issues, he was really good.”

Moran easily slid to the front from gate two and felt little pressure until Pacifico Dream stepped to his outside with a lap to go.

Honolua Bay responded, following a 27.6s second quarter with a 54.9s last half that would space his rivals and surprise his reinsman.

“I personally couldn’t believe when I came back and saw the semaphore board,” Moran said.

“I thought I was running a quarter in about 29.5 and I actually had a look around because I thought I’m sort of inviting something to come.

“So I was pretty surprised to see that (27.6s second) quarter come up, but he is a nice, big free-wheeling horse, so he does cover the ground good and probably surprises you the sectionals he does run.”

Out To Play closed well late, emerging from four back on the pegs at the top of the straight to reduce the final margin to just two metres, but all honours belonged to the winner, with another coveted trophy heading to Anne and Bill Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock.

And Moran told TrotsVision there was likely even bigger to come.

“I think so. I think his speed is probably his best attribute, and I think in those better races if you can sit him up he’s going to be dynamite,” he said.

“You can never get too carried away with horses on the way up, they’ve got to continually take that next step, which I think he will.”

By Michael Howard for HRV