The Australian Pacing Gold Trotting Masters heats back up again this weekend.
And it heads to Australia for the first time this season with the running of the Gr.1 $100,000 Seelite Windows & Doors Australian Trotting Grand Prix over 2240m at TABCORP Park, Melton this Saturday night.
After first being staged in 2001 and won by star mare La Coocaracha, this race was made famous after champion trotter Sundons Gift made it his own when successful on four straight occasions (2007-10).
Following the success of Master Lavros in the Dominion at Addington last November, the opening leg of the 2015/16 Trotting Masters, an all-star cast has been assembled this weekend in the mobile start feature.
Many believe this is THE feature this weekend.
With a perfect blend of proven against unproven, a reputation will be enhanced dramatically with victory.
Australia’s best trotter Keystone Del is aiming at redemption after being forced to play the runners-up role last season with star Kiwi Stent proving victorious while his win streak of six straight wins came to an abrupt ending last start at Shepparton at the hands of emerging star Glenferrie Typhoon, a rival again this weekend.
After a recent switch to the leading stables of Brent Lilley, Keystone Del will start from gate three with champion reinsman Anthony Butt booked to take the drive.
Glenferrie Typhoon proved his recent Shepparton track record thumping was no fluke with another stunning victory last week in the Aldebaran Park Melton Trotters Cup for in-form husband and wife combination of Andy and Kate Gath.
The New Zealand bred gelding will be looking for his third straight victory and will start from the inside gate.
Also carrying the ‘Glenferrie’ moniker is the Belinda McCarthy trained Glenferrie Dreamer who chased home Monbet last week in the Australasian Trotting Championship Final.
The Sydney trained trotter will appreciate the mobile start and will leave from gate five.
Young Kiwi stars Monbet and Speeding Spur both contain ‘X factor’ coupled with explosive qualities and both command enormous respect.
The four-year-old phenomenon’s are both unbeaten at Melton and will provide New Zealand with an excellent chance of maintaining the recent kiwi dominance in the feature.
Monbet starts from gate four while Speeding Spur starts from gate six.
Classy mares Arboe and Habibti will take their shot despite both coming off crushing defeats at their most recent starts.
On each occasion, they felt the full fury of Monbet.
The Anton Golino prepared Arboe starts from gate two while the Adam Kelly trained Habibti must overcome gate seven, the outside gate.
American bred trotter Kyvalley Blur, aka ‘Mr Consistency’ is a proven big race performer at Melton and boasts excellent recent form with placing’s at his past eight starts.
The Chocolatier stallion has drawn gate eight, the sole second-line runner.
The Grand Prix will be a cracking event, it’s race 5 on the program and timed to start at 8.03pm local time.
