Eureka winner headed for “famous” clash?

Young star Bay Of Biscay may have booked himself a ticket to take on Australasia’s champion pacer Leap To Fame after an historic harness racing win in the world’s richest race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka, at Menangle last night (Saturday).

Talks between trainers Emma Stewart, Clayton Tonkin and the owners in coming days will decide if the pair will clash for the first time in the $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 18.

“It makes sense as the next step, but, like everything with this horse, we’ll leave the decision to Emma and Clayton,” managing part-owner Tim Bunning said.

Bay Of Biscay became the first pacer to tackle the TAB Eureka twice, atoning for a luckless second to Don Hugo last year with a dominant front-running win last night/

It capped 12 months of meticulous planning and some major sacrifices from connections.

“We had a ticket into the Miracle Mile in March and turned it down. That was purely a decision by Emma and Clayton, who were only looking at one race … coming back to win the TAB Eureka,” part-owner Brett Coffey said.

Just two months ago, Stewart and Tonkin aborted a trip to Brisbane for the $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun because they couldn’t get a suitable flight and felt a gruelling road trip could hinder Bay of Biscay’s TAB Eureka campaign.

“We’ve basically kept him in cotton wool for a long time now with this race in mind, but he’s a big strong bull (stallion) and almost five now, the next step is into the big Grand Circuit races,” Bunning said.

“It’s obviously another big step up to take on one of the greatest (pacers) of all time in Leap To Fame, but we have to do it some time.”

A Victoria Cup start would almost certainly see a driver change with Bay Of Biscay’s regular driver Cam Hart also the resident reinsman for defending champion and two-time NZ Cup winner Swayzee.

Bay Of Biscay’s breeder and part-owner, Alan Galloway, the principal of Alabar Farms, is already looking beyond the stallion’s racing days.

“He’s super-hot property as a stallion now,” he said. “I’d whip him back home now and collect (semen) from him if I had my way, but I understand the others will want to race him on.

“We’d love to stand him at Alabar if the other owners agree and when it’s the right time.”

Galloway was like a proud father, having hunted down Bay Of Biscay’s mother, former star pacing mare Nike Franco, in the US after she retired from racing (with 32 wins and $913,870) and buying her to bring back to Australia and breed from.

Bay Of Biscay is her foal and only one to race. He sold for a then equal sale-topping $150,000 at the 2022 Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sale.

Stewart’s dominance across the first three runnings of the TAB Eureka has been remarkable.

She won the inaugural 2023 race with Encipher, finished second (Bay Of Biscay) and third (High Above) last year and then had a record four runners in last night’s race.

Along with Bay Of Biscay winning, Stewart had second (Fox Dan), fourth (Go Miki) and fifth (Miki To Success).

“We love this race. Winning the first one with Encipher was amazing, but coming back with this guy and going one better after his second last year, and the fact he’s such a special horse to us, tops everything,” she said.

“The crowd, the atmosphere … what an incredible night it is. And even better when you win it.”

by Adam Hamilton for Harness Racing Australia