Southern Oaks and Supremacy starting to take shape

Excitement around Southern harness racing’s premier meeting Diamonds Day is starting to build with the last heats of both the Southern Supremacy and the Oaks due to be run over the next few weeks.

After experiencing a few jitters with heats being cancelled, both three year old features look to be shaping up to be two outstanding races, particularly the Supremacy.

The Wyndham meeting will host heats of both series on Thursday while the last qualifiers for the Supremacy and Oaks will be run a week later at Winton.

In the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes, Captain Tom (Captaintreacherous), Dalton Shard (Always B Miki) and Borrisokane (Sportswriter) are already qualified having run in two heats. Horses that need one more start and are likely to start in a heat are; With Style (Bettor’s Delight), The Beauden Blues (Betterthancheddar), Ohoka Connor (Sunshine Beach), Coney Island Lou (Sweet Lou), Rakamurph (Captaintreacherous), Da Vinci (Art Major) and Rakadan (He’s Watching). 

Unqualified horses likely to start in both Supremacy heats are Tuapeka Lou (Sweet Lou), Wag Star (Sweet Lou), Repetitive (Art Major) and Cormac Leo (Sweet Lou).

Horses that have points but are spelling and won’t be lining up are Incredible Miki (Always B Miki) and Tabasco (Bettor’s Delight).

Ashburton trainer Brent White is unsure whether impressive Winton winner Bluto (Sweet Lou) will contest the series, preferring to wait to see how the horse pulls up after his run on Thursday.

In the Nevele/R Macca Lodge Southern Oaks, already qualified having run in two heats are; Sweet Diamond (Sweet Lou), Betta Watch Out (He’s Watching), What A Minx (Art Major) and Beach Day (Sunshine Beach). 

Treacherous Gall (Captaintreacherous), Carrera Sunset (Downbytheseaside), Sister Cherie (Bettor’s Delight) and Black Pearl (Bettor’s Delight) all have points but need one more start. 

Southern Harness is hopeful other fillies will attempt to qualify in the two remaining heats.

The $45,000 Group Two finals for both series will be held on Diamonds Day at the Invercargill HRC meeting on the 23rd of April. 

Meanwhile International Bloodstock agent John Curtin will speak at the Makarewa Country Club on the Friday prior to Diamonds Day.

John who has brokered hundreds of horse transactions including Lazarus, has recently returned from an extensive tour of America and he’ll talk about his trip, breeding trends and the state of harness racing worldwide.

The function starts at 6pm.

If you’re interest please contact Gail Paisley 027-222-1114 before 19th April for catering purposes.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink