Team McCarthy ready to fire

With all their star performers primed and ready to go, Team McCarthy will have one of their quietest days of the year at harness racing’s Menangle track on Tuesday with just one starter.

Yet premier reinsman Luke McCarthy will be kept busy with three all-too-rare ‘outside’ stable drives at the No 1 track when he keeps his hand in driving horses for trainers Kevin Pizzuto, Troy Williams and Kerry Towers.

Unbeaten colt Euro Beat will probably be the shortest priced favourite of the day though when McCarthy takes that drive for his wife Belinda.

Two wins from his only two starts sees Euro Beat listed as a $1.45 favourite in Race 6 and after showing good gate speed at his first start, the son of Rock N Roll Heaven should be able to work forward and score an all-the-way win.

You can’t blame other trainers for grabbing McCarthy when they have the chance, and he will drive $101 outsider Celtic Cash for Troy Williams in Race 2.

Pizzuto has also booked McCarthy for former Victorian Delightful Jazz, listed as a $3.25 favourite in Race 4.

He will also partner the well-performed Will I Am ($4) for Kerry Towers in Race 5.

McCarthy has declared their stable stars King Of Swing, Alta Orlando, Spirit Of St Louis and Expensive Ego are ‘spot-on’ as they prepare to chase the first round of heats of the Inter Dominion at Menangle this weekend.

While dual Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing only finished fourth to his three stablemates in a trial last Wednesday, McCarthy says he could not be happier with him.

“We freshened him up after the Victoria Cup and I’ve been really happy with his work,” said Luke.

“Our four Inter Dom hopes are all great horses, they’re all fit, healthy and as well as can be.

“King Of Swing has tightened right up and we checked his weight and he was 523 kilos this morning and weighed 520 kilos when he won the Miracle Mile.

“That’s perfect as we’d like to have that little bit extra on him going into the series.

“He eats up so well and is just a true professional, this horse.

“We won’t need to give him any fast work now . . . that will all take place at the races.

“We’re excited that this series is back to its old format and it’s a race we’d certainly love to win for the first time.”

To view the fields for Menangle on Tuesday click here.

To view the fields for Menangle on Saturday click here.

By Michael Court for HRNSW