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Ever since his top squaregaiter Rules Dont Apply lost all winning hope by galloping in the Vicbred Super Series 3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings Final last December, a return to the New Year’s Eve spotlight has been firmly on the Eppalock horseman’s radar.
The son of Muscle Hill broke shortly before the last lap, but got back down and made up many lengths to place sixth, beaten less than 30m by winner Is That A Bid.
While it was an enormous performance in defeat, it has been hard for Crossland to shake the thoughts of what might have been.
But fast forward to 2021 and the 44-year-old trainer-driver has another chance at VSS Group 1 glory.
Rules Dont Apply is now Crossland’s only horse in work and will start as one of the key fancies in next week’s VSS 4YO Trotting Entires and Geldings Final.
A dominant, front-running success in Tuesday night’s heat at Melton was the perfect tune-up for the final, where he will meet the other qualifier winner in Powderkeg.
Lisa Miles has really found the key to Powderkeg of late and he opened the second favourite behind Cover Of Darkness (Emma Stewart) for the $100,000 elite-level feature, which is one of 12 on the blockbuster New Year’s Eve card. Rules Dont Apply was on the third line of betting on Friday morning.
All three horses have drawn on the back row.
Two VSS heats for the four-year-old trotting mares were contested at Melton on Tuesday night, and it was Anton Golino-trained Im Ready Jet and Craig Demmler’s Ofortuna that prevailed.
Im Ready Jet (Jack Laugher) looked under siege from key rivals Queen Of Crime (Matthew Craven/Glen Craven) and Illawong Stardust (Tony Peacock/Brian Gath) at the turn, but responded out in front to hold them at bay, while Ofortuna (Jodi Quinlan) was collared by star mare Pink Galahs (Matthew Craven/Glen Craven) in the sprint to the line, but fought back in the shadows of the post to score by a nose over her multiple Group 1-winning rival.
Im Ready Jet (gate four) is a warm $1.80 favourite for the final with the TAB, while Illawong Stardust (gate one) and Pink Galahs (gate seven) opened at $4.20 and $4.40 respectively.
