DECORATED race caller Dan Mielicki is adamant emerging star Catch A Wave must get a run in Saturday night’s $500,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup.
Mielicki, the voice of Victorian harness racing, said the wildcard factor of Catch A Wave was just what Australia’s greatest staying harness race needed.
“The race needs a sexy aspect to it," he said. "If a four-year-old like Catch A Wave can’t run in it this year, then a four-year-old will never run in it.
“To me it’s a no-brainer. It’s like three-year-olds in the Cox Plate. If they’re good enough, they should and do get a run.
“Using that methodology, if Catch A Wave doesn’t get a run it would be like So You Think not getting a run in the first Cox Plate he won as a three-year-old and we’d have been denied that great moment in racing.
“I really hope he gets a run.”
But Catch A Wave’s trainer Andy Gath frustratingly admits Catch A Wave probably won’t get a run.
He’s not happy, but said recent field selection history in Victorian didn’t give him much hope.
“They seem to pick the field on historical (not recent) form. There will probably only be a couple of last-start winners in the race,” he said.
“I want to run him. I’ve got no doubt he would be very competitive, especially with a good (barrier) draw, but I don’t think they’ll give him a run.
“I’ve so many people coming to me saying he should get a run, but looking back through how these feature race fields have been chosen in recent years, I’m not holding out much hope.”
Debate around which horses should make what shapes as a vintage 12-horse Hunter Cup field has been raging since nominations closed last Friday.
The fight for the last few spots became tighter when trainer Mick Stanley said Victoria Cup winner Rock N Roll Doo was “very likely” to accept for the race (and get a run) despite some issues in his recent races.
Much interest also centres around rejuvenated former star Hurricane Harley, who blazed back into winning form in last night’s Group 3 Casey Classic at Melton.
Driver Mark Pitt said after the win: “I’d love to drive him in a Hunter Cup, If he gets a run and draws to lead, he’d be very hard to beat.”
Co-trainer Emma Stewart said talks with owners Bill and Anne Anderson over the next 24 hours would decide whether they aim for the $500,000 Hunter Cup or the quirky $50,000 Mercury80 over just 1200m on the same night.
Stewart and partner Clayton Tonkin already have two certain runners in Honolua Bay and Mach Dan.
Champion NSW stable Team McCarthy confirmed two runners for the Cup in last year’s runner-up Spirit Of St Louis, who won at Menangle last night, and the top class Expensive Ego.
Kiwi stars Copy That, prepost $3.50 favourite for the Cup, and the exciting Old Town Road are other “locks” for a start.
Rampaging trainer Jason Grimson is another with multiple runners. His Inter Dominion winner I Cast No Shadow and Cranbourne and Bendigo Cup winner Major Meister are both assured of runs.
Grimson has also nominated his exciting recent Kiwi import Betterzippit, but despite his two brilliant Aussie wins from as many starts, he hasn’t done enough to force his way into such a strong line-up.
The list of fringe players is lengthy and loaded with talent.
Inter Dominion runner-up Torrid Saint looks close to a certain starter despite his form tapering-off a little since that performance back on December 10.
In-form NSW pacer Petes Said So, who ran sixth in the Inter Dominion final and beat Expensive Ego last start, is another right in the mix.
Shepparton Cup winner Cranbourne, Ballarat Cup placegetter Triple Eight, Inter Dominion fifth placegetter Zeuss Bromac and former Victoria Cup winner Max Delight are also in discussions.
* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
