HIGH-CLASS speedster Hurricane Harley is on trial for a Queensland raid when he resumes at Melton on Saturday night.
The winner of 25 races and almost $700,000 is fighting with star stablemates Honolua Bay and Mach Dan for a spot in what shapes as a powerhouse team of Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin raiders chasing all the Queensland Constellations riches at Albion Park in July.
“I doubt we’ll take all three,” Stewart said. “They’d be racing against each other and there are still some nice races down here if we leave one at home.”
Hunter Cup winner Honolua Bay, who is also close to resuming, would seem a lock for Queensland given his CV is as good as any pacer in this part of the world over the past six months.
So, it may come down to Hurricane Harley and Mach Dan for the other to tackle races like the $200,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint (July 15) and the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake a week later.
Hurricane Harley hasn’t raced since a slashing fourth in the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 4. It followed a terrific second in the Group 2 Schweppes Sprint at the same track a week earlier.
“He didn’t have all that long out and he’s raring to go again,” Stewart said. “We picked this race because it looks really suitable.”
Hurricane Harley, renowned for his gate speed and love of sprint racing, has firmed from $2.80 to $2.50 favourite from gate four in Saturday night’s Lazarus Free-For-All over the suitably short 1720m.
Stewart said Honolua Bay would resume in coming weeks.
“He had a bit longer out than ‘Harley’, but he’s ready to go. We’re just keeping him ticking along because he’ll probably just have the one run before he goes to Queensland,” she said.
“He’s terrific. He really went to the next level last campaign and we’re looking forward to getting him back.”
Honolua Bay has won 22 of his 27 starts and hasn’t raced since narrowly beating Hurricane Harley home when third in the Miracle Mile.
Hurricane Harley and Honolua Bay are both raced by Bill and Anderson, who also have champion mare Ladies In Red.
Excitingly, she is progressing well after a lengthy break with injury.
“She will actually go to Queensland, too. But it’s more of a holiday with her,” Stewart said.
“She’s had about six weeks of work and we don’t want to leave her at home as she gets closer to racing again.
“There’s a small chance she’ll have a run in Queensland if there’s a suitable race, but it’s more likely she’ll just keep working up there and possibly have a trial.
“Either way, she’ll be ready to race by late July or early August.”
Stewart said plans were to take “about 15 horses” to Queensland for a sustained campaign based out of Grant Dixon’s stables.
Glamour mares like Tough Tilly, Encipher, Amore Vita, Soho Historia and Treachery are all possibles.
“The Lost Storm is the other definite. He’s just about ready to go again, too. The Rising Sun and Queensland Derby are his targets,” she said.
“Then we’ve got the fillies. Major Delight had a setback and I don’t think she’ll be ready, but Tempting Tigress, who races at Melton this week, and Joyful are the others we’ll probably take up.”
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
