Harness Racing Victoria today announced that Pryde’s EasiFeed will sponsor the Great Southern Star squaregaiting series which will feature for the first time next year at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
Representatives from HRV, Pryde’s EasiFeed and Harness Breeders Victoria were among those at Aldebaran Park to witness the launch of Australasia’s most revolutionary squaregaiting series ever.
Victorian and Tasmanian Sales Manager for Pryde’s EasiFeed, David Owen said the Gunnedah-based feed distributor was thrilled to be associated with the Great Southern Star for its inaugural edition.
He added that EasiFeed’s additional support of the first ever Australasian Premier Trotting Sales at Melton’s Tabcorp Park was a measure of their commitment to southern hemisphere squaregaiting.
“Pryde’s are proud to announce on this, our 27th birthday, a wonderful new involvement with the Great Southern Star.
“This sponsorship will align Australia’s leading horse feed manufacturer with the leading southern hemisphere trotting race and sales.
“We envisage a strong partnership with harness racing and we look forward to growing our relationship with both breeders and trainers for our range of market leading extruded horse feed.”
Modelled on Sweden’s Elitloppet, the Pryde’s EasiFeed Great Southern Star will showcase heats and final run at the same Tabcorp Park programme on March 23, 2013.
The night will be one of the biggest in Australasian harness racing, with several Breed For Speed Finals and an incredibly well patronised fundraiser for the Women’s Cancer Foundation also staged at Victoria’s metropolitan home.
Record breaking Kiwi trotter I Can Doosit has already qualified for the $350,000 series along with King Of Strathfield, Elegant Image, Charlemagne, Brief Glance and Cold Sister.
Victoria’s local representation in the Great Southern Star will become clearer over the next fortnight with this Saturday night’s Bill Collins Mile and next weekend’s Dullard Cup both qualifying races.
Regardless of who claims those two feature races however, Victoria’s leading local aspirant, Let Me Thru, may still be weeks away from his racetrack return.
Champion trainer Chris Lang, who has his own alliance with Pryde’s EasiFeed as Aldebaran Park’s preferred feed supplier was also on hand for the Great Southern Star launch and said his best trotter was still being aimed at the brand new Group 1 series.
“He (Let Me Thru) is looking good, but he’s still four to six weeks away from trialling.
“I still expect that he’ll be 100% for the Great Southern Star though because that’s what he’s been aimed at and he’s definitely on track to be back and firing early next year.
“He feels fantastic and it’s very much a case of so far so good.”
HRV are continuing to work closely with European contacts in the expectation of recruiting a top flight northern hemisphere trotter to take on I Can Doosit and Let Me Thru next March.
