Aussie star A Touch Of Flair faces a daunting task to overcome a quartet of classy New Zealand raiders in this Saturday night’s $100,000 SEW-Eurodrive Australian Trotting Grand Prix at Moonee Valley.
The hometown hero, who suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Kiwi trotter Glenbogle (pictured) in last weekend’s Group 1 Bill Collins Mile, must concede three of his trans-Tasman rivals a start after drawing barrier nine on the second line.
Glenbogle has drawn ideally to chase back-to-back Group 1 victories in barrier one and should he prove triumphant he’ll join trotting superstars Take A Moment and La Coocaracha as the only horses to complete the Bill Collins-Grand Prix double.
Stablemate Whatsundermykilt was luckless when unplaced in the Bill Collins Mile, but the Group 1 winner has drawn to challenge strongly from barrier five this weekend with 21-year-old Kiwi driver Shane Walkinshaw making his Aussie debut in the sulky.
The x-factor is the reigning Inter Dominion champion Delft who returns to the scene of his greatest triumph, this time under the care of astute mentor Warren Stapleton.
The giant trotter has been hampered by injuries since his Inter Dominion victory, but the fact he has made the journey across the Tasman will be widely respected by his rivals. From barrier six he is drawn to impose his ample frame on the 2575-metre contest.
Outside of A Touch Of Flair, last weekend’s Bill Collins Mile runner-up Clares Brother looks the best of the locals. The brilliant beginner is drawn to advantage in barrier four.
The field for the Group 1 $100,000 SEW-Eurodrive Australian Trotting Grand Prix (2575m, mobile start), to be run at 9.30pm on Saturday at Moonee Valley, is;
1 |
| GLENBOGLE (NZ) | K.FAIRBAIRN | CHRIS ALFORD | | $3.50 |
2 |
| VIVA LA FEVER (VIC) | R.GRAHAM | ROSS GRAHAM | (1EM) | - |
3 |
| FLYING HARDWICK (VIC) | C.LANG | CHRIS LANG |
| $16 |
4 |
| CLARES BROTHER (VIC) | B.MAHNCKE | BRENDAN MAHNCKE | | $10 |
5 |
| WHATSUNDERMYKILT (NZ) | K.FAIRBAIRN | SHANE WALKINSHAW (C) | | $5.50 |
6 |
| DELFT (NZ) | W.STAPLETON | Driver TBC | | $7.00 |
7 |
| STARLIGHT JOSH (VIC) | B.BOURKE | DAVID AIKEN | | $67 |
----------------------------------------------- | Second Row ---------------------------------------------- | |
8 |
| JAZZ LEGEND (VIC) | G.LANG | GAVIN LANG | | $16 |
9 |
| A TOUCH OF FLAIR (VIC) | R.THOMSON | DARYL DOUGLAS | | $3.50 |
10 |
| ROMPER STOMPER (NZ) | J.DICKIE | ROSS PAYNE | | $13 |
11 |
| UNCLE PETRIKA (VIC) | L.JUSTICE | LANCE JUSTICE | [ODM] | $51 |
12 |
| TAMRA DAWN (VIC) | K.MANNING | KERRYN MANNING | [ODM] | $34 |