Aldebaran Zeus all set for pre-flight workout at Melton

The appearance of Aldebaran Zeus (Muscle Hill) will add another layer to an exciting period before Friday night’s (Jul. 28) race meeting at Victorian harness racing headquarters.

With TAB Eureka contender Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous) set for a 2pm hit-out at Melton Park, trainer Brent Lilley has confirmed his star squaregaiter will also do a solo piece of work around the same time.

Regular driver Chris Alford is booked to partner Aldebaran Zeus on Friday, ahead of the horse’s flight overseas on Tuesday, August 1.

“We’ll probably just work him over a mile-and-a-half or 2200m or something, and then just run a bit of a half and a quarter with him,” Lilley said.

Aldebaran Zeus has been invited to race in the $US1mil MGM Yonkers International Trot in New York on September 9 and will be based at the stables run by Richard “Nifty” Norman following his quarantine stay in Chicago.

Former Lilley employee Brad Chisholm now works for Norman and will take charge of the horse’s preparation until the master trainer arrives in the US during mid-August.

Greg Sugars is set to join Captain Ravishing in the quiet hit-out with a galloping pacemaker on Friday.

It will be the horse’s first racetrack appearance of his preparation and is a likely lead-in to a planned exhibition trial against TAB Eureka rival Catch A Wave at Geelong on August 4.

by Tim O’Connor, for Harness Racing Victoria