A ‘very interesting’ Shepparton Trotters Cup

Master trotting mentor Chris Lang believes the harness racing barrier draw in Friday night’s Saddleworld Shepparton Trotters Cup has unveiled a race of several chances.

Lang will harness up three of the nine runners in Courage Stride, Bullion Harry and the $2.60 favorite Ollivici, who have drawn barriers five, six and seven respectively.

“Let’s just say the draw has made for a very interesting race,” Lang said.

Lang acknowledged the task confronting Ollivici (Orlando Vici) from his outside front row alley.

“What to do from out there, if you burn your chips early you could become a sitting duck and if you go back then you are giving some nice trotters a start,” he said.

Ollivici is coming off an impressive first-up win in the Maoris Idol Free Trotters For All a fortnight ago when he led all the way in a mile rate of 1:57.

“He has got exceptional gate speed and it was his race last time, but it will be a lot harder for him on Friday night,” he said.

Lang wouldn’t dismiss the chances of either Bullion Harry or Courage Stride.

“Bullion Harry has a few issues, but he is over them now and he is going the best he’s ever gone. He’s going to be hard to beat if you go on his win in the John Slack Trotters Cup where he sat in the death, which they don’t often do now,” he said.

“Courage Stride will be in the finish if he has one run at them and he is only a four-year-old who is on the way up.”

One of the highlights of the night will be the appearance of a budding star, the Mark and Nathan-Purdon trained filly High Energy in the $12,000 Shepparton Trotters Oaks.

Lang is mused that his two fillies Glamour Stride and Satin Stride are locking horns with High Energy whose connections have opted to head to Shepparton rather than contest the more lucrative $30,000 The Holmfield at Melton the following night.

“If High Energy had drawn the front row in The Holmfield she would be about $1.30, but the fact she will run at Shepparton has made it a difficult affair for all of us,” he said.

A plethora of picket fence form lines come together in The Abrahams 2YO Trotters Classic.

Violet Stanford, a promising daughter of Volstead, is unbeaten in two starts as are Nordic Reign and Kyvalley Michael.

The Alison Alford filly Link In Bio has saluted at her past two starts after finishing runner-up on debut at Bendigo.

For complete race entries, click here.

by John Dunne for Harness Racing Victoria