11 June, 2003

Grey power will be to the fore when Misty Gift tackles the Victoria Trotters Oaks on Saturday night at Moonee Valley.

Her veteran St Arnaud trainer Frank Evans (pictured) knows just what it takes to win the Group One feature.

The 73 year old took out the 1984 Trotters Oaks as both trainer and driver with Misty Gift's grand-dam Lunar Lass.

Like her illustrious ancestor Misty Gift is not your average squaregaiter, she's one of the few grey standardbreds gracing Victorian tracks.

"Lunar Lass was a grey and she won the Derby and Oaks for me that season", explained Evans.

"I've now got four grey mares out of Lunar Lass, all by different sires.

"Her (Misty Gift) mother (Flair) has been terrific, she hasn't missed and this filly's a full sister (by Straphanger) to Diamante and a half sister to Opulence."

After being sidelined through a careless driving suspension, Evans is chomping at the bit to return to the gig on Saturday night, but admits he'll need an ounce of luck.

"I don't class my filly as strong as the others, so we'll need a bit of luck.

"She's drawn well (gate two) and she does everything right so that's always a help in these races.

"She's got good speed off the gate, but I'd prefer not to lead over the twenty-five hundred so we'll be looking for a bit of cover."

Evans has rightly labelled the polemarker Melpark Sunrise as the horse to beat.

The Graeme Whittle-trained filly has missed a place just twice in 24 starts and like Misty Gift boasts impressive speed off the mobile.

Placed in the 2002 Breeders Crown Final, she upstaged the older trotters at her most recent appearance in the prestigious Tontine Final.

On Saturday she'll be chasing her fifth consecutive victory after saluting as the pacemaker in her past four starts.

By dominant New Zealand-based sire Sundon, Melpark Sunrise is out of Speed To Glory, a half-sister to 1993 Oaks winner Melpark Maid.

One of her main dangers will come in the form of the likely trailer Ricochet Beauty (gate eight).

Trained at Shepparton by Patrick Ryan, Ricochet Beauty created a massive impression last start taking the scalp of Vicbred champion Wagons Next.

A bold front-runner she doesn't looked entirely suited from inside the second line, but she does have the speed to trail the favourite throughout if she can settle.

Others with a winning hope include the much-improved Strike Destroyer (gate 10), the talented, but unreliable Spainish Sheila (gate three), the lightly-raced Seeya (gate four) and New South Wales visitor Classic Comment (gate 12) who's first-up from a six month spell.

The $30,000 Victoria Trotters Oaks (Group 1) will be run at 8pm (AET) on 14 June.