Eureka winner’s career could be over

Superstar mare and inaugural TAB Eureka winner (Captaintreacherous) is having emergency surgery today after breaking a pastern during her first-up win in the Group 2 Ladyship Cup at Melton last night.

Her harness racing career is almost certainly over and South Australian owner-breeder Tyson Linke is relying on the surgery to go well to have Encipher as a broodmare.

“As soon as I pulled-up in the back straight (after the win), I knew she’s broken down,” driver Kate Gath said.

“It’s devastating. She’s such a great mare and gave me so many fantastic moments. I just love her.”

Trainer Emma Stewart said Encipher was taken straight from Melton to the Ballarat veterinary clinic.

“It’s a broken pastern. They are operating this morning,” she said.

Encipher became Stewart’s first million dollar earner when she upstaged champion pacer Leap To Fame to win the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

Last night’s win was her first start this year and took her record to 18 wins, seven seconds and a third from just 30 starts. She’s banked $1,635,479.

Many hoped she would add an extra dimension to next Saturday night’s $450,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup given she’s already beaten the boys at the top level.

Leap To Fame confirmed he was the one to beat in the Hunter Cup when he cruised to his seventh successive win at Albion Park last night.

Prepost markets have the recent Brisbane Inter Dominion winner a $1.60 to add the Hunter Cup to his growing CV.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon hopes to have a second Hunter Cup runner with stablemate Tims A Trooper running a terrific second to Leap To Fame last night.

“They both went great. I’d love to run them both,” he said. “Tims A Trooper is right back to his best form.”

NSW-based Team McCarthy stablemates Spirit Of St Louis and Cantfindabettorman are Hunter Cup-bound after running second and third respectively when first-up from spells at Menangle last night.

Luke McCarthy will drive Cantfindabettorman, while Jack Callaghan will be aboard Spirit Of St Louis who will tackle his third consecutive Hunter Cup. He ran second in 2022.

Inter Dominion runner-up Better Eclipse broke through the $1 million stakemoney barrier when he narrowly beat buzz Kiwi raider Don’t Stop Dreaming in the $50,000 Casey Classic at Melton last night.

Both horses were first-up from breaks and impressed connections in slick closing times.

Don’t Stop Dreaming is the first pacer champion Kiwi horseman Mark Purdon has campaigned himself in Victoria since 2020.

“I was thrilled with his run and he’ll take a lot out of that,” Purdon said.

“He’s still a young horse and on the rise, but I think a lot of him and expected him to very competitive against the good ones over here.”

Champion trotter Just Believe is a commanding favourite to successfully defend his Great Southern Star crown next Saturday after cruising to his seventh successive win in the Group 2 Dullard Cup at Melton last night.

“You run out of things to say about him. He’s now won over a million dollars for us and that’s pretty incredible,” driver Greg Sugars said.

Just Believe is the first Australian-bred trotter to top $1million in earnings with last night’s win taking him to $1,011,673.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia