South Park Hanover will debut for new trainer Simon Burrows
The first leg of the Barastoc Grand Circuit will be held at Albion Park this Saturday - and what a field it is, with stock bred in Australia, New Zealand North America doing battle!
Inter Dominion 'threepeat' champion Blacks A Fake heads an all-star cast in the Group One $125,000 Garrards Queensland Pacing Championship.
Run under lifetime prizemoney handicapping conditions, the mobile will be held over the track's middle distance trip of 2138 metres - it will provide an ideal lead-up for the Harness Racing Queensland Trans-Tasman at Queensland's pacing headquarters a week later.
Blacks A Fake, who has been just about unbeatable in elite level in recent seasons, chases his first home State Grand Circuit win from barrier three on the second row.
As he edges toward $3 million in prizemoney, the eight-year-old has drawn inside only Be Diligent, who is on the unruly list, and has not been included in the barrier draw for positions.
Trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen - 'Miss Inter Dominion' - will handle Blacks A Fake, while her husband, the State and track's leading reinsman, Grant Dixon, will also be seen in action.
Dixon will choose from stablemates, the up-and-coming I Am Sam or quality mare, Good Lookin Girl, who are prepared by his father, Bill Dixon.
Dixon and fellow trainer Catriona Martin are dually-represented, while 'Team McCarthy' has two runners - Be Good Johnny (John McCarthy) and Fleur De Lil (Luke McCarthy).
Rob Martin, the trainer's husband, has been booked for recent 1:55.2 Albion Park winner Tip Your Hat, while Lola Weidemann will drive his year-younger half-brother, Be Diligent.
Tip Your Hat finished a brave second to Blacks A Fake in the $50,000 Cold Mountain Stud Gold Coast Cup last Friday night.
Sydney visitor Iron Hudge, a potential superstar, looked sharp in an all-the-way Harold Park win in easier company last Friday when second-up from a spell, and faces his acid test in this grade.
The raw-boned, slab-sided rangy son of Holmes Hanover will start from the pole for trainer-driver Mark Rolfe.
North American-bred speedster South Park Hanover has been transferred from the care of Darrel Graham and will debut for Graham's former stablehand, Simon Burrows, from gate four.
The first of 10 races will be held at 5.40pm, with the final event set for decision at 10.02pm.