Soho Valencia vanquished a poor first heat by winning Wednesday's repechage in convincing fashion
All but one of this season’s genuine juvenile headline horses shone in six super ABC repechages at Kilmore yesterday afternoon.
Recent Vicbred Super Series princess Secret Desire kicked off the card in prophetic style for the programme’s glamour runners, saluting in the day’s first repechage for freshman fillies.
Spearing to the lead from her polemarking draw, Amy Tubbs’ daughter of Real Desire avenged her unexpected heat loss by more than three metres, with Jasmine Sheffield and Blazeaway Macray the others to achieve automatic qualification to the semi-final phase of the series.
In the following event, teak tough two-year-old Braeview Creation took full advantage of a hectic early tempo to outstay her rivals, including Zoomba and Shezanelsu, who will also take their place at Tabcorp Park on August 12.
While in the final repechage for the juvenile girls, versatile black filly Lombo Cloud Nine simply dominated her opposition; swamping race favourite Paintball and brave on-pacer Overthorns from the rear to announce herself an unlikely Breeders Crown force.
Next, it was the baby boys turn and while few could deny the dominant death seat victory of green but gifted Bolinda colt Stormed Out, the first repechage for the junior males also saw the biggest upset of the afternoon.
Finishing fourth behind Stormed Out, Turn The Beast and Funny Car, talented NSW colt and race favourite Macca Kelly has now left his Breeders Crown fate in the lap of the gods.
With automatic qualification to the semi-final stage of the series only available to the first three repechage runners over the line, Bernie Kelly will be waiting on the decisions of several local and interstate qualifiers to dictate whether his star son of Mach Three remains a series contender.
ABC order was restored in the following repechage for the juvenile colts and geldings with Jayne Davies’ $1.40 favourite Soho Valencia a very convincing winner.
Dictating terms from the head of affairs, Chris Alford cruised through the first mile of the 2180-metre qualifier before laying down a 27-second final fraction to vanquish brave APG silver medallist Magic Bliss and local improver Machin Out.
It was a similar story in the programme’s final preliminary where gifted interstate (NSW) gelding and Breeders Challenge champion Theartofdelusion outclassed his rivals from the rear.
Sent out a $1.50 popular elect, Brett Cotterill’s burgeoning star went from last to first in 400 metres to topple Fumanchu and Harryoh and confirm his reputation as a horse to watch on Super Sunday, August 21.
Later today it will be classic boys and girls chance to book their place in the semi-final stage of the series, with a pair of preliminary’s scheduled for both genders at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
Vicbred Super Series queen Bellas Delight and dual Group 1-winner Aussie Made Lombo are the glamour girls engaged and both will be well supported in their repechages at 4:00pm and 4:40pm respectively.
While the final qualifier for the three-year-old C&G’s may go down as one of the strongest repechages in ABC history, featuring two Group 1 winners (Suave Stuey Lombo and Devilish Smile) along with fellow series heavyweight Caribbean Blaster.
The first seven runners home in each repechage today gain direct qualification to their respective semi-finals, which will act as the cornerstone of a massive meeting at Victorian harness headquarters on August 12.
