Young Modern looks ready to produce a big run in his Vicbred Super Series heat.
EMPIRE STALLIONS SUPER SERIES
8pm: Race 5 – 4YO ENTIRES AND GELDINGS 1st HEAT
Young Modern (barrier 5) and Bryce Cooper (barrier 4) are both M2 graded pacers, who look well-placed in the first of the 4YO Entires and Geldings Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series heats at Shepparton on Tuesday night.
Both horses like to push forward and race on the pace with Bryce Cooper getting the inside draw here for the 2190-metre journey.
Young Modern’s trainer/driver Michael Stanley had nothing but praise for his son of Modern Art’s first-up run at Ballarat on May 22 when second to Keayang Starzzz, beaten 3.4 metres.
Keayang Starzzz, a winner of 14 of 35, was allowed to dictate terms in front over the 2200m with a soft lead time of 45.7secs, followed by comfortable opening splits of 32.4secs and 31.5secs.
Young Modern (out of Our Christine Cullen) was driven off the pace, improving to the one-one at the bell behind Narra Operative before sprinting sharply from the 400m but spotting the leader a start.
Keayang Starzzz’s third stanza was run in 29.4secs but he ripped home with a last quarter of 26.6secs, meaning it was nigh impossible for anyone to eat into the ground.
Young Modern, however, closed the gap on the leader at the finish – at no stage threatening him seriously but definitely putting the writing on the wall for future runs.
“I was rapt. He’d had a couple of trials leading into that race but he’ll come on a fair bit,” Stanley said.
“It was a slowly run race, which doesn’t suit him, but he was first-up. He had a gut-buster going into the Sires last year and I didn’t want that again.”
The speed mappers are likely to have Bryce Cooper and Josh Aiken in front early, but Stanley said Young Modern would not be far away in the run.
“It depends on what Bryce Cooper wants to do but my fella races best strong on the speed,” Stanley said.
“If they hold the front we’ll make sure it’s a genuine tempo.”
Stanley said Young Modern was still an immature racehorse despite having had 33 starts.
“He still shies at the mobile and races quite greenly,” he said.
Stanley also suggested punters should forgive some of Young Modern’s defeats because “he’s just not a miler”.
Bryce Cooper (by Four Starzzz Shark out of Lombo Heart Beat) is coming off a last-place finish in the 4YO and 5YO Championship at Melton behind Lennytheshark and Chilli Palmer, having won three on the trot in impressive fashion prior to that.
Both Bryce Cooper and Young Modern have form at Shepparton, the former boasting four wins and a third from nine goes there and the latter a perfect one-from-one record.
Others in the field include in-form gelding Macterra Lad (by Artistic Fella out of Marilyn Macray) from the Alan and Amy Tubbs stable, who rated 1:57.4 in winning over 1710m last time out at Ballarat in a C2-C3 race, Stormont Czar (by Bettors Delight out of Czarina Katerina) for NSW trainer Kerryann Turner and reinsman Chris Alford) and Just Knew (by Mach Three out of Just Say Go) for Keith Cotchin and Nathan Jack.
Field: 1 Provocator $101, 2 Vikenti $34, 3 SCR, 4 Bryce Cooper $2.4, 5 Young Modern $1.8, 6 Macterra Lad $7.5, 7 Sketch Me $17, 8 Stormont Czar $10, 9 Arrokeefe $51, 10 Bone Dry $501, 11 Just Knew $34*
8.30pm: Race 6 – 3YO FILLIES 1st HEAT
Victoria Oaks winning filly – and reigning Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series champion – Niki No No has drawn terribly for the first heat of the 3YO Fillies series, snaring gate seven on Tuesday night at Shepparton.
Trainer Kari Males said the barrier draw was far from ideal but added the tactical approaches would be left up to the horse’s strategists, Greg Sugars (driver) and Rob Auber (part-owner).
“They normally catch up and do the form and work out the tactics,” Males said.
Males’ role is working the horses and she said Niki No No (by Sportswriter out of Benelise) had pulled up well after her recent Oaks success when 2.8m too strong for Makes Every Scents in a mile rate of 1:58.3 over 2240m at Melton.
“We just backed off her because it’s a long season with the Vicbred and the Breeders Crown,” Males said.
“She’s good though. She’s not the greatest of track workers but the plan will be to qualify her and then have her peak for the final.
“There are some nice horses in this field.”
One of the nice fillies is Soho Tokyo from the Michael Stanley yard, which has drawn eight.
The last-start Maryborough winner (2:00.2, 56.8 last half) came from behind on May 28 to score, overpowering Bodiceas Fury and Valens.
Soho Tokyo seems to have peaked at the right time and it was less than 12 months ago that she won through to a Breeders Crown Final with a heat win and a Semi-Final fourth behind three big-name Kiwis.
Gary Quinlan-trained Yankee Showgirl has drawn gate five at Shepparton, last year’s Vicbred Super Series Final third placegetter sure to be pressing forward at the start.
A last-start winner at Kilmore, the daughter of Bettors Delight/Aston Villa will be driven by Chris Alford.
Another filly who takes strong form into the race will be Come Cullect (by Gotta Go Cullect out of Pareen) from the David Miles camp at Monegeetta.
While she hasn’t won since November last year the filly has been running some strong races lately, including a close-up second to Glenferrie Bronte in the HBV Argent 3YO Classic at Melton on May 15.
Glenferrie Baby (Mach Three/Power Player) is also expected to play a key role from gate four for Amanda Turnbull and Nathan Jack.
Field: 1 That Chill Devine $34, 2 Shakahari $51, 3 Come Cullect $6, 4 Glenferrie Baby $6, 5 Yankee Showgirl $8, 6 Hypervigilant $101, 7 Niki No No $1.3, 8 Soho Tokyo $14, 9 The Last Cullect $301*
* Prices by Ben Krahe
Media enquiries:
CODY WINNELL
COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA MANAGER
HARNESS RACING VICTORIA
PO BOX 184, MOONEE PONDS, VIC 3039
400 EPSOM ROAD, FLEMINGTON, VIC 3031
t: 03 8378 0288 | f: 03 9214 0699 | e: cwinnell@hrv.org.au
www.hrv.org.au
