Epic showdown

Superstar filly Ladies In Red will have to be even better than her driver David Moran thinks she is to return to winning form on Saturday night.

Barrier draws are vitally important in harness racing and they’ve landed against Ladies In Red when she meets NZ’s best three-year-old filly, Bettor Twist, for the first time in a semi-final of the Breeders Crown series at Melton.

The Nathan Purdon-trained Bettor Twist has gate five and driver Anthony Butt is sure to press for the lead, while Ladies In Red will come from the back row (gate nine).

“We’re up against it now,” Moran said. “There’s a big chance Bettor Twist will find the front and even if she doesn’t, Anthony (Butt) will control the tempo from outside the leader. I’d love to swap the draws.

“I think Bettor Twist is really, really good. I’ve beaten her the past two times with Beach Music, but for her to do the work she did last week in the heat and still almost beat us was an incredible run.”

Ladies In Red suffered just her second defeat in 14 starts when she charged home, but couldn’t catch leader and stablemate Joanna in a Crown heat last week.

“I’d discard the run. Things got tricky at the wrong time and I probably should’ve driven her more aggressively. I thought she went great, all things considered,” Moran said.

“In saying that, given the draws this week, she’ll need to do something really special to beat Bettor Twist.”

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Moran also thinks Beach Music could be vulnerable in her semi, despite drawing nicely in gate three.

“Joanna was brilliant last week, has clearly gone to a new level and I think she’ll probably have too much speed and cross us at the start,” he said. “It’s only 2240m, too, not the long trip like the Oaks, so Joanna’s going to be very hard to run down if she leads.”

Of Moran’s other drives on the stellar Breeders Crown semi-finals night, he thinks Beach Villa in race one and Major Roll in race eight are his best chances.

“Beach Villa’s got the draw and had no luck in his heat the other day,” he said. “He’ll either lead or trail Mahomes, who may have the speed to cross, and he’ll get his chance from there.

“Major Roll’s chances may hinge on whether he can get across Bettor Be The Bomb (gate two). If he leads, he’ll be very hard to beat over the sprint trip (1720m).”

Moran is also keen to see how emerging two-year-old filly Petillante goes in her Crown semi-final (race four) from a potentially tricky draw.

“She was good in her heat, but she’s got the two Kiwis and two main dangers (A Bettor You and Amore Vita) drawn inside her, so it won’t be easy this time,” he said.

Such is the depth of the meeting, champion mare Amazing Dream takes on a cameo role as favourite in the last of 11 races, the $30,000 Group 3 Breeders Crown Graduate Mares’ free-for-all (1720m).

It’s a tantalising entrée to Breeders Crown finals night, boasting eight Group 1 races, at Melton next Saturday.

To view the fields for Melton on Saturday night click here.

By Adam Hamilton