Smoken Up will have his last run in South Australia on Sunday ahead of his grand finale send-off at Melton in September.
Sunday’s Southern Cross Finals meeting at Globe Derby in South Australia will have a strong Victorian flavour.
Several Victorian horses have qualified for the Southern Cross Finals, which are worth $60,000 each, while champion Melton pacer Smoken Up will have his final South Australian start in the SA Farewells Trigger Pace.
Smoken Up is coming off his Sydney farewell run where he finished second to Freyberg at Menangle and has drawn gate eight for his Globe Derby send-off.
Peter Manning and Emma Stewart have multiple runners engaged in Southern Cross finals, while Euroa’s David Jack, Bolinda’s Vince Vallelonga and Heywood’s Rebecca East have also qualified runners in finals of SA’s premier futurity series.
The three-year-old colts and geldings final sees four Victorian horses in the field, with Manning trained Mixedwithajasper drawn pole and stablemate Znana in gate seven, Vallelonga’s Major Crocker to come out of the three hole and Kevin Brough-trained Always Wantano the emergency.
Secret Agenda has drawn pole for the Emma Stewart stable in the fourth race on the card, the two-year-old fillies’ Southern Cross Final, with David Harding to pilot the Live Or Die filly.
David Jack trains and drives Call Her Julie, who will come from gate 10 and has won her past two starts.
The three-year-old fillies’ Southern Cross Final will feature one Victorian runner in Punch Line for the Stewart/Harding combination.
Punch Line has drawn inside the back row after her soft semi-final win and will follow out fast beginner Sparkling Grin, who has drawn pole and will be piloted by Lance Justice.
The two-year-old colts and geldings’ Southern Cross Final sees Hez The One in action for East, with Harding taking the reins.
Hez The One has won seven of his eight starts and despite the visitor’s draw in the final, he should take a lot of holding out.
The race’s other Victorian runner, Jereme Jetsetter from the Manning yard, has drawn gate five for Jock Dunlop.