VicBred finals excitement for Gr 1 debutants

Anticipating a Group One appearance inevitably gets the heart racing for trainer, driver and owner – but for a small group of young Victorian harness racing professionals, the butterflies will be just a little more evident in tomorrow night’s (Sept 14) VicBred Super Series finals night at Melton.

Charlton reinsman Luke Dunne, Kialla trainer-driver Tasmyn Potter and Junortoun reinswoman Katrina Cain are all having their first starts in a Group One feature.

And while the powerful Ballarat-based Emma Stewart – Clayton Tonkin team can be again expected to dominate proceedings on VicBred finals night, nothing beats the excitement of getting to the grid for a Group One opportunity.

“It was a little bit unexpected – going into the series you don’t know, and you just hope,” said Dunne, who will drive Foxy Two Gloves in the Vincent VicBred 3yo Fillies Super Series final.

“She had done most of her racing in Mildura and they had a fair bit of an opinion of her, but her racing manners hadn’t done her much good and she was fairly green,” he said.

“She’s a bit of a hardheaded horse to try to teach but Gaddo (Charlton trainer Mick Gadsden) has done a good job with her to prepare her for this, and her semi-final run last week shows she earned her spot and won’t disgrace herself.

“She was definitely in the toughest semi and held fifth fairly easily. She made up a little bit of ground on the leaders in the last 100 and they don’t get home much better than 53 and a bit. It showed she can sit on a good tempo and from the draw she will get a nice rails sit again but hopefully we might just be three-back this time.”

Also lining up in the 3yo final for her first Group One drive is Katrina Cain, who will handle Marlo Mareau for her dad, Peter Salathiel.

Another making her Gr 1 debut, and in only her second season of training and driving, is northern Victorian horsewoman Tasmyn Potter, who has qualified Miss Francene for the Back Of The Neck 4yo Trotting Mares final.

The 22-year-old has trained four winners in her career (two with Miss Francene), and is enjoying a good season in the sulky, with 20 wins.

“At the moment, it’s just pretty exciting – but I think the nerves will hit on Saturday!” Potter said.

“It’s a bit surreal at the moment.  It’s what you aim for, of course, but I never really thought I would have a runner in a group one so early. I’ll take it, though!” she said.

“She seems well. A few of those mares go really nicely and I think my girl’s probably not quite up to them – but she always tries her heart out and I’m sure she’ll run another honest race.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink