Down Under Muscles is through to a second Breeders Crown final
Down Under Muscles will get his shot at Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown redemption after a dominant heat win at Ballarat on Tuesday night.
The Chris Alford-trained-and-driven three-year-old squaregaiter cruised home to move straight through to the $93,000 Group 1 final at Melton’s Tabcorp Park on “Super Sunday”, August 23.
There the half-brother to former trotting superstar A Touch Of Flair will strive to go one better than last year’s two-year-old final when he was an unlucky second to Magic Interest.
On what the son of Muscles Yankee showed in his heat, Bolinda trainer Chris Alford is every chance to notch his maiden Group 1 training success in the final.
While Victoria Trotters Derby winner and $1.40 favourite Arizona Blue galloped out of contention at the start of the 2200-metre event, Down Under Muscles began safely and was taken to the front 1400m from home by Alford.
The champion reinsman then dictated the tempo aboard the $4.40 chance. After a 64.4-second first half of the last mile he scooted home the final two quarters in 29.6 and 29 seconds for a 2:03.9 mile rate win.
Arizona Blue turned in a huge performance to claim second spot, albeit 18 metres from the winner, 1-1/2m in front of Carletonhill.
The second heat provided a much more favourable result for punters with Australian Pacing Gold champion Let Me Thru saluting as a $1.40 favourite.
The Chris Lang-trained gelding, also by Muscles Yankee, cruised home by 13-1/2m from South Australian Oaks-Derby heroine Aftanoondelite ($5) in a 2:03 mile rate with Chris Lang Jnr in the cart.
They spaced their rivals with third placegetter Kyrellant almost 36m astern the Lisa Miles-trained-and-driven second placegetter.
Tuesday night's beaten brigade get one last chance to qualify for the final with at least one repechage to be run at Maryborough next Wednesday, August 12.
The first repechage round will be run on Wednesday night when three last-chance qualifiers for both two-year-old divisions will be run at Cranbourne.
The three-year-old repechages will be run at Yarra Valley on Friday.
