Blood-work approval before Banta eyes off another Group 1

Harness racing trainer Mick Stanley will likely make a decision sometime tomorrow on whether or not his dual Group 1-winning colt Bar Room Banta takes his place in the 2021 Breeders Crown Series.

The son of A Rocknroll Dance backed up his win in last year’s Group 1 New South Wales Breeders Challenge 2YO Colts and Geldings Final with victory in Saturday evening’s three-year-old division decider at Menangle, and is now back home at Stanley’s Burrumbeet stables after a long float ride home on Monday.

While speaking on Trots Talk on Wednesday, the trainer-driver remained unsure if Bar Room Banta would line up in Friday night’s Crown heats in Bendigo.

“We’ve had some blood work done and then obviously he has to tick a few boxes for us to still get there on Friday night,” he said.

“Obviously a tough run at Menangle in that Group 1, then a truck ride home on the Hume Highway Monday and then backing up for another three-start series is awfully taxing on a young horse.

“He’s got to tick a few boxes before we actually make it there Friday night, but early signs are that he’s eaten up well and he seems really bright, so we will give him every chance to get there and make the call Thursday afternoon.”

Spare a thought for Stanley, who has had to witness both of Bar Room Banta’s Group 1 wins on television. He was forced to shift the horse into Craig Cross’ care for his two-year-old raid in NSW last September and October, and while the colt raced in his name for the latest cross-border campaign, the 41-year-old horseman was unable to drive him during the four-start trip.

“Last year with COVID, we had to send him and Soho Almasi off really early. New South Wales wouldn’t allow them to be in our name as trainer. And they ended up spending a couple of months in New South Wales, so they were trained elsewhere for a period of time last year,” he said.

“But this year, albeit I wasn’t allowed to go myself, he only headed up just before the semi-finals and only spent two weeks in New South Wales. So, it does feel a lot more like my win this time around even though we weren’t able to get trackside.”

If he gets the green light to race on Friday, Bar Room Banta will contest a heat alongside stablemate Drain The Swamp, while the supremely-talented Rock N Roll Doo, who won at Bendigo on October 26 after a down-the-track finish in the Victoria Derby, makes up Stanley’s team in the three-year-old boys’ division of the Crown.

He also has Let It Linga in a heat for the three-year-old fillies, where she will clash with Emma Stewart’s star Tough Tilly.

Jason Bonnington and Kirsten Graham will be trackside on Friday night alongside caller Lachlan McIntosh to bring you all of the action on TrotsVision.

LISTEN TO STANLEY ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF TROTS TALK BELOW: