The first steps may well decide who makes the glorious final salute in Saturday night’s rich Australian Pacing Gold final for three-year-old colts and geldings, a harness racing showdown more than 12 months in the making.
Tasty Delight, Act Now, Soho Bollinger and Captain Crusader have drawn gates one to four for the $350,000 Group 1 at Tabcorp Park Melton and all have designs on using their early tactical speed to slot in up front.
New South Wales entrant Tasty Delight carries race favourtism into the national final, which was delayed 12 months owing to COVID-19 restrictions, and his reinsman Blake Fitzpatrick was talking tough this week.
āItās the million-dollar question,ā Fitzpatrick told SEN Track’s TrotsLife, having been asked who will lead. ā(Tasty Delightās) a horse whoās developing gate speed. Iāve driven his last two starts and heās left the gate really quickly. My opinion, from barrier one, Iād think heāll be able to hold.
āHeās a very good horse, very strong, heāll definitely be holding the lead and take a lot of running down.ā
His primary threat appears to be the Emma Stewrat-trained Act Now on his outside, who will be steered by Jodi Quinlan.
Stewart told SEN Track her three-year-old ānever has any luck, gets driven pretty hardā and āthis week thatās probably going to be the way againā.
Michael Stanley, trainer-driver of fast-starting Soho Bollinger, will start directly on Act Nowās outside and is in no doubt who will win the early battle.
āTasty Delight is no chance of holding the front,ā he told Burning Questions. āI think the horses out wider have superior gate speed.
āAct Now, Soho Bollinger, Captain Crusader ā their first 50 metres off the mobile is electric. I donāt think Tasty Delight is any chance of holding up. I canāt see Act Now with his blistering speed not getting across.
āFor my bloke, Iāll have to come out and see if I can get a really good spot.ā
The early burn will have huge ramifications not just for those involved but for those trailing, including reinsman Josh Aiken, whoās hope Narutac Prince got a start after WA horse Pinny Tiger scratched due to the connectionsā concern about the COVID-19 outbreak.
Narutac Prince starts in gate eight, directly behind Tasty Delight and could get an armchair ride to the sprint lane if the favourite holds sway early.
āIām hoping that Tasty Delight can hold up, but it wonāt be without some attackers,ā Aiken told Burning Questions.
āIf Act Now had have drawn four or five I would have said he would have crossed him easily, but itās just so much harder when a horse is drawn directly beside you to cross them, they just get that competitive nature.ā
The APG Final for three-year-old fillies is causing less consternation, with Stewart’s Tough Tilly dominating markets.
She looks well placed to lead, control proceedings and continue her fairy-tale career for part-owners EB Research Partnership Australia, which raises funds to tackle debilitating skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa.
Saturday night also features the Gold Bullion finals for two-year-olds, part of four Group 1s that be streamed live and free via extended wall-to-wall coverage on Trots Vision at thetrots.com.au.
A reminder, Tabcorp Park Melton will be closed Saturday night to all except participants and essential staff following the State Governmentās seven-day statewide lockdown to counteract the outbreak of COVID-19.
The measures, in place at all Victorian harness racing meetings until restrictions are eased, also require attendees to register via QR codes and wear masks.
By Michael Howard for HRV