Champion reinsman Chris Alford has predicted a Grand Circuit future for impressive winner Penny Veejay at Moonee Valley tonight.
The five-year-old proved too classy in disposing of a quality field in the SEW-Eurodrive Carnival Pace Final leading to Alford declaring the gelding will be a future Grand Circuit performer.
“He was very good tonight and I think in the next two years he will be racing on the Grand Circuit,” Alford said.
The performance was that outstanding that there is outside chance the horse may sneak into next week’s SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup.
“It’s up to the selectors to decide if he warrants a start, but if he does get in the Cup he won’t disgrace himself that’s for sure,” Alford said.
Penny Veejay showed enormous gate speed to lead from barrier six, and after a generous first-half of 63.4-seconds, he poured on the pressure down the back straight in the final lap.
The Jayne Davies trained bay clocked 27.7-seconds for the third quarter, before running 28.3-seconds and clearing out to win from the Tracy Moule-trained Toe Taper.
“He should keep improving and stepping up, but he will have to be driven a bit more quietly in that grade,” Alford said he referring to the lightning third quarter.
“He had an easy first lap and that allowed him to put the pressure on down back, it was a very good performance,” Alford said.
“I didn’t expect him to go so fast, but it was probably that he was a bit excited and fresh given this was only his second run back in (from a spell).”
Take nothing away from the runner-up who shooting for his 10th straight victory.
Toe Taper has showed he has a big future as he sat in the death seat for the entire 2090m journey and was still giving his all in the run to the line.
Armbro Excel, who settled three-back the fence, found space in the straight to grab third just ahead of Dallas Page, who settled behind the leader.