Broadways Best and Chris Alford are no stranger to Vicbred success
What a difference a week can make. A little less than five days ago, Gisborne glamour horse Broadways Best was all set to dominate the Group 3 Ladyship Cup at Tabcorp Park on her way to a convincing clean sweep of Victoria’s unofficial Triple Crown for mares.
Having humbled millionaire mare Fleur De Lil and an elite field of our finest female pacers in the Cinderella Stakes some seven days prior, Shannon McLean’s queen of the Australian paceway was expected to carry on her merry mission in trademark, superior style.
But after landing in her most susceptible position at the head of affairs and succumbing to gun young Kiwi mare Talaspring via the sprint lane late, the brilliant daughter of Village Jasper looks vulnerable to a second straight defeat ahead of Friday night’s Group 1 Queen Of The Pacific at Tabcorp Park.
“That’s racing isn’t it?” McLean said of mighty mare’s shock loss last weekend. “You can’t win them all, they’re not machines. That’s just the way it goes.”
“I don’t want to take anything away from Talaspring, but if you look at her (Broadways Best’s) record, most of the times she’s been beaten, she’s been in front. Chris (Alford, driver) and I watched the replay and she was bolting on the home turn, then when she hit the front she just switched off and waited for other horses to come.
“I still think she went super and she’s pulled up a treat since, so that’s all we’re putting it down to – it’s full steam ahead for us going into Friday.”
Aside from the aberration that was her first defeat this season last Friday, McLean’s Ladyship Mile winner faces another significant obstacle in this weekend’s 2760-metre stand start feature from Victorian harness headquarters.
Only one pacer – sunshine state superstar Good Lookin Girl – has overcome the 20-metre backmark Broadways Best will face this Friday night in the 11 years since the $100,000 feature first started from behind the strands.
Despite opposing an outstanding field having never faced the tapes however, McLean is bullish a super stand-start trial, the gruelling conditions of the race and his unwavering belief in one of the finest mares of the modern era can see her rewrite history this weekend.
“Talaspring (3) will obviously be tough to beat again if she steps, along with Mendelico (1) and Christian Melody (5), who are both Country Cup winners this season,” the likeable horseman conceded.
“But I think the distance will sort a few of the others out. As good as our mare sprints, she really likes it long and she really likes it tough, so this race will suit her down to the ground as well. She also stepped safely when winning her stand trial and If anything, being off the 20 (metre handicap) should help us.
“She’ll be looking forward at the start and have the whole field in front of her. That way she should get back to doing what she does best; hunting them down and savaging them on the line.”
The Queen Of The Pacific is one of two Group 1 features at the home of Victorian harness racing this Friday night, along with the Vicbred Super Series Final for three-year-old girls and will be the medium of a $10,000 First Four Jackpot courtesy of TAB Sportsbet.
