Luke McCarthy will be looking for further Breeders Crown success as the series goes into over-drive in the next few days.
The Blue Chip Farms Breeders Crown series is starting to heat up as we head into the final weeks of July and there is no better advertisement for that than the next two days racing.
In all, eight heats of the futurity series will be run and won with four for the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings at Bendigo tomorrow night and a further four for the three-year-old fillies at Ballarat on Wednesday night.
The aptly named All Eyes On Us will line up in the first of the qualifiers and with Belinda and Luke McCarthy bringing down a strong hand for the series he is well favoured to kick it all off on a winning note.
The colt by Art Major has drawn two in Race 2 at Bendigo and has been rated a $1.20 chance in today’s Herald Sun.
Hectorjayjay ($8) was a winner of his Vicbred Super Series heat just a few weeks ago at big odds and will start from the running line in an intriguing race.
The following race will see the re-emergence of Vicbred Super Series champion Major Secret however the barrier gods haven’t been as kind this time around.
He will have to contend with mobile position six as the arms fold back but has still been marked the $2.10 favourite for the race. The McCarthy’s appear to have the biggest danger with Jedi Mind ($2.30) a close second to stablemate Lettucerockthem in a Breeders Crown heat seven days ago at Menangle.
The well-travelled Bespoke Artist ($8) has drawn the extreme barrier for David Aiken and Chris Alford but is still in the market following his sixth in the Vicbred Super Series final.
The third of the heats has been blown open with the scratching of likely favourite Zacharia. Mark Purdon’s juvenile was set to play a major role in the overall series before it was announced today he will be withdrawn.
Handsome Major, for Adam Kelly, and Gowan Loch, for Andy Gath, will both start from the second row but now loom as the key chances along with the consistent Motor Smoker who won the Shakamaker Classic back in April.
The final heat comes in Race 8 on the program at 9pm and Purdon will be searching to exact revenge with Messini who was just touched off in the Vicbred Super Series final last time.
The two-year-old colt already has a win at the track under his belt thanks to his Vicbred heat win back in June and has been marked $1.40 from gate four.
The claiming drivers will take the reins on those considered the biggest threat with David Moran steering Another Safari from the second row while Zac Phillips will jump in the cart behind Theartofconfusion for Brett Cotterill.
