Storms Collide gives Stewart and Pitt a clean sweep in NSW Derby heats.

Storms Collide (The Storm Inside) gave driver Mark Pitt and harness racing trainer Emma Stewart all three heats of the New South Wales Derby when he took out the Cordina Food Co Heat.

In similar fashion to the previous two heat winners Storms Collide drove to the front with stablemate favourite Go Miki electing to take a trail.

STORMS COLLIDE MAR 1 REPLAY HEAT 3 NSW DERBY

 Glamour Queensland colt Fate Awaits was a bit wide early but driver Grant Dixon allowed him to race up outside the leader before Xpress Party whizzed around the field to give Fate Awaits a trail.

However it was a muddling run race and with the first quarter of only 32.5 seconds it was obvious that it would be a sprint home. Go Miki eased off the rails turning for home and looked likely to take the race as Fate Awaits was struggling to gather them in out wide. But Storms Collide refused to give in and in a desperate finish edged out Go Miki and Fate Awaits. Pitt’s tactics of a slow sectional cost him a $100 fine.

Mark Pitt said

“It’s an elite crop this year and I think it will be dependent on the barrier draw. Storms Collide is a very tough to get by. Once they got close to him he put his head down and dug in deep. He’s a pretty hard horse to get by.”

“They all went well and it’s going to be a tough choice for my selection on who I’ll driver in the Final. But I’ve got a soft spot for The Highland Reel I have been with him right through his career and he’s the one I am leaning towards. But I’ll be talking with the Stewart Tonkin team. At this stage all going well I’ll stick with The Highlight Reel.”

There were some excuses for Fate Awaits as he was not suited by the slow mid race pace and if he draws on the inside he could take beating. However at this stage it’s hard not to go past the Emma Stewart as she will have six of the ten runners in next week’s $200,000 Final.

The final field for the NSW Derby is Always Hot, The Highlight Reel, Mac Bon, Jungle Dragon, Silver Pistol, I Am The Storm, Path To Greatness, Storms Collide, Go Miki, and Fate Awaits. The two emergencies are Forty Love (EM 1) and Captain Moore (EM 2).

For complete race results, click here.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink