Top South Australian reinsman Mark Billinger has picked up the drive on the Emma Stewart-trained Stay And Play in Saturday night’s Group 1 $115,000 Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Four-Year-Old Mares final (2240m) at Melton.
Stewart has an incredible five of 12 qualified runners in the final and sought Billinger because of his successful association with her runners when they come to South Australia for the Southern Cross series.
It is likely a number of her runners during Saturday night’s Empire Stallions Vicbred finals will head to South Australia for the Southern Cross heats next week because many have a South Australian ownership group.
In fact, Adelaide-based syndicator and owner Bruce Cameron has six horses in Saturday night’s Melton finals, all with South Australians in the ownership.
In the mares final he has Starburst Girl to be driven by Mark Pitt, Lovelist with Greg Sugars in the sulky, and Stay And Play with Billinger aboard.
In the three-year-old fillies he has Celebrity Guest (Mark Pitt) and the outstanding Rocknroll Magic, to be driven by Gavin Lang.
Our Celebrity (Chris Alford) is the Cameron runner in the two-year-old fillies final.
Billinger said he was honoured to be asked to drive Stay And Play.
“It will be tremendous to be driving in a Group 1 race, and actually I have picked up the drive on Just Wantano for Kevin Brough in the Three-Year-Old Fillies final,” Billinger said.
“I know the stable think Stay And Play can be really competitive despite coming from gate 11.
“In her semi-final win last week she ran several best sectionals of the night so with the pace on maybe she take holding out but obviously I will need a lot of luck.”
Billinger said he was due to drive Majestic Lustre and his own horse Rap Artist on Saturday night at Globe Derby Park.
“When the offer came to drive in the Group 1 I accepted the opportunity and elected to run Rap Artist on Monday.”
It is not Billinger’s first drive in the Vicbred finals as he previously had Aspiring Artist running eighth in the 2012 two-year-old final at Melton, and finishing ninth on Mighty Aslan in the 2004 Entires & Geldings final at Moonee Valley.
He also won a heat at Bendigo then a Listed Classic semi-final of the 2008 series at Moonee Valley with Saved A Corka before finishing fifth in the final.
