Chris Alford celebrates one of his five Breeders Crown wins. He is a strong chance to add to that tally this year
If TAB Sportsbet was running a driver challenge at Tabcorp Park tonight, like it does with jockeys at city gallops meetings, punters wouldn’t be getting juicy odds about Chris Alford.
The six-time Australian driving champion has the standout book of drives at a meeting that showcases the Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown semi finals for the two and three-year-old pacers.
Odds-on favourites Broadways Best and Bonavista Bay are his headline acts, while he is also engaged for Broadway Play, who is the popular elect in the Graduate Mares Free-For-All.
Rounding out his book are heat winner Modern Warrior in a two-year-old colts and geldings semi, the capable On Any Day in a qualifier for the three-year-old boys and Gypsy Tingira in a semi for the three-year-old girls.
The 41-year-old from Bolinda, who shares the record for the most Breeders Crown final wins of five with Gavin Lang, agreed it was a good book but has been around too long to make any assumptions.
“It does look a good set of drives and I just hope it turns out to be,” he said.
Broadways Best is one of the horses Alford is most looking forward to driving.
He has already won the Vicbred Super Series and Victoria Oaks behind the daughter of Village Jasper this season and although they have barrier 10 to negotiate tonight, she has proven herself from bad barriers before.
“She’s drawn there (the back row) about her last five starts and she’s a pretty versatile type who can either come with one run or go around them (early),” Alford said.
“She had a little bit of a setback before the (Australian) Oaks when she just got beaten, but her heat run was good and hopefully tomorrow night will be a further tune-up for the final.”
Broadways Best’s semi is at 10.12pm, half an hour before older half-sister Broadway Play takes on Deanna Troy, Pacific Charm and Christian Melody from barrier eight in the $25,000 mares’ feature.
“The draw’s not as bad as it could be because she’s the only one off the back row,” Alford said. “She’s very strong and there should be a bit of speed on early which will suit her.”
And Alford is supremely confident that boom three-year-old colt Bonavista Bay can make it 11 straight wins at his third run back from an injury-enforced layoff.
“He seems to have come back from his injury really well,” he said. “His heat run was a lot better than his first-up run and hopefully he won’t have too much trouble making the final from barrier four.”
Alford’s Breeders Crown influence extends to Sunday’s meeting for the four-year-olds at Tabcorp Park, where he will partner championship contenders Maffioso and Ruby Dazzler in their respective semi finals.
But even if things go horribly wrong over the next few days Alford is safe in the knowledge he’ll be in action on finals day – “Super Sunday”, August 23 – with three-year-old trotter Down Under Muscles, who he trains, already in the final.
