Cranbourne officials are rubbing their hands together
with glee after attracting the showdown of the season this Saturday night.
Champion local filly Lombo La Fe Fe (pictured) will
make her long-awaited racetrack return in an event that also features the
re-match between Sokyola and Lagoon Lady.
The $6000 Conect Enterprises Free For All provides the
setting for this clash of three of harness racing's biggest names.
For Lombo La Fe Fe, the race shapes as a major
stepping stone after her three-year-old career was derailed in March courtesy
of an irregular heart beat.
Crowned Victorian Horse of the Year at two, she was
forced to take a back seat for most of last season as Ashlees Babe and Pullover
Brown dominated the fillies' classics in her absence.
Now she's back and after a lengthy build-up Jayne
Davies has her firing on all cylinders as evidenced by a slashing trial win at
Cranbourne last Saturday morning.
A victim of her own success, Lombo La Fe Fe will be
thrown straight into the deep end against the open class cream despite having
raced just six times since her two-year-old days.
In a small field of six, the four-year-old
Troublemaker mare will start from gate two as she reignites a career that has
already yielded 22 wins and over $550,000 in stakes.
With her blistering gate speed driver Chris Alford has
the option to hold the front or, what seems more likely first-up, elect to take
a sit on Sokyola who'll roll out from gate three.
With his trainer Lance Justice on suspension, Jodi
Quinlan has been called up to pilot the equine powerhouse whose trip to this
month's Queensland Pacing Championship is now back on.
Quinlan, who's boasts a 100% winning strike rate on
the flashy chestnut, will be out to turn the tables on gun mare Lagoon Lady.
The Peter Manning-trained seven-year-old proved too
slick at Moonee Valley last week ending Sokyola's 12 race winning streak by the
narrowest of margins.
Able to take full advantage of a trail on Sokyola's
back in that event, she may be forced to park outside the leader this week from
gate four.
It's a race certain to attract the attention of Harold
Park officials selecting next month's Ladyship Mile field.
Along with glamour girls Lombo La Fe Fe and Lagoon
Lady, the Cranbourne feature also sees the return to racing of Gary Quinlan's
star mares Petes Dream and Sunset Soky.
Petes Dream is the reigning Ladyship Mile titleholder,
while Sunset Soky's omission from the 2002 field caused a wave of criticism.
The duo will start from gates five and six
respectively in the 2105 metre event.
The $6000 Conect Enterprises Free For All will be run
at 10.30pm (AET) on 11 October.
