The stage is set for an intriguing $100,000 Group 1 SEW-Eurodrive Australian Trotting Grand Prix at Moonee Valley on Saturday night after big guns Sundons Gift and Acacia Ridge both drew the front row at Tuesday's barrier draw.
A feature of Harness Racing Victoria’s annual SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup Carnival Golf Day at Sanctuary Lakes, which launches the two-night extravaganza to be held over the next two Saturdays, the barrier draw saw positions allocated to the 12 horses in Saturday night’s 2575-metre event.
But most of the interest revolved around where the two big guns drew. Acacia Ridge’s trainer-driver Gary Hoban was satisfied with his gelding’s barrier of five, while the Chris Lang-trained Sundons Gift drew the coveted inside barrier.
Saturday night’s race will see Sundons Gift and Acacia Ridge resume hostilities after engaging in an enthralling tussle in the Cranbourne Trotters Cup at Cranbourne last Saturday night.
But the Australian Trotting Grand Prix is anything but a two-horse race.
New Zealanders Whatsundermykilt and Galleons Sunset will also start from the front line.
Kevin Fairbairn’s Whatsundermykilt – runner-up in last year’s Grand Prix – will roll from gate four, while Galleons Sunset drew barrier six.
The Michael Hughes-trained Ronerail, which beat the pacers at Cranbourne on Saturday night and holds the Moonee Valley track record over this distance, landed outside the front row, while the talented Flying Hardwick landed gate 11.
Complementing the opening program of the 2007 SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup Carnival is the $30,000 Popular Alm Free-For-All, which carries a ballot exemption for the following week’s $350,000 Group 1 SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup.
Heading the list of nine acceptors for the FFA is reigning Victorian Horse of the Year Sting Lika Bee (barrier five), who will be a surprise starter after his memorable Decron Cranbourne Cup win on Saturday night.
Among the other acceptors are Penny Veejay (four), Cincinnati Kid (eight) and Lance Justice-trained stablemates Smoken Up (two) and Smooth Crusa (six).
The field for the $100,000 Group 1 SEW-Eurodrive Australian Trotting Grand Prix (2575m, mobile start), to be run at 10pm, is:
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1
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SUNDONS GIFT
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Chris Lang
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Chris Lang
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$2.50
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2
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JAZZ LEGEND
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Gavin Lang
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Graeme Lang
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$67
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3
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COUNTESSA HEST
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Ross Payne
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Chris Lang
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$41
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4
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WHATSUNDERMYKILT
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Shane Walkinshaw
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Kevin Fairbairn
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$6
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5
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ACACIA RIDGE
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Gary Hoban
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Gary Hoban
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$3
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6
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GALLEONS SUNSET
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Derek Balle
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Derek Balle
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$9
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7
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RONERAIL
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Geoff Walker
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Michael Hughes
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$10
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Second Row ----------------------------------------------
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8
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MENTAL POWER
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Kerryn Manning
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Daryl Crone
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$101
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9
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NO EARLY SPARK
|
Neil McCallum
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Peter Hornsby
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$17
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10
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RIVER RED
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Peter Hornsby
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Peter Hornsby
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(EMERG)
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11
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FLYING HARDWICK
|
Chris Alford
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Chris Lang
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$11
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12
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RIGHT INTEREST
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Chris Lang
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(ODM)
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$51
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