Bay Of Biscay winning last night
AUSTRALIA’S top four-year-old Bay Of Biscay’s Brisbane raid looks over before it starts.
The flight he was booked on from Melbourne to Brisbane on Tuesday has been scrapped and there are no other viable flight options this week.
It robs Saturday night’s huge $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun of its major drawcard.
“He won’t be going unless there is a miracle and flight becomes available. He won’t go by road,” co-trainer Emma Stewart said.
Bay Of Biscay had been specifically set for a hit-and-run raid on the Rising Sun after his win in Australia’s premier four-year-old feature, the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire, at Menangle on March 1.
Bay Of Biscay had his first start since the Chariots win when he worked to the front and won narrowly but in slick time at Melton last night.
He was one of a remarkable five winners on the 10-race Melton card for Stewart and Tonkin.
With Bay Of Biscay out, Chantal Turpin’s emerging four-year-old The Janitor is a clear $3 favourite for the Rising Sun.
Much of the intrigue of the race is the quartet of three-year-olds in the race – Rubira, Fate Awaits, Path To Greatness and Hesitate – given they get preferential barrier draws because of their age.
Kiwi raider Rubira made it two wins from as many starts in Queensland when made the most of gate one to lead and comfortably beat Fate Awaits, who trailed him, in last night’s Group 3 Redcliffe Derby.
It was a performance which showed he could win the Rising Sun.
Rubira’s win was part of another big night in Queensland for the Kiwis with their star filly Captains Mistress overcoming a tough run to win the Group 3 Redcliffe Oaks.
Bay Of Biscay’s focus will now switch to the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 6.
The powerhouse pacer flashed home for a luckless second as a three-year-old in last year’s Eureka and is $3 prepost favourite to go one better this year.
Despite the setback with Bay Of Biscay, Stewart and co-trainer Clayton Tonkin will have Queenslander raiders.
There is a flight Tuesday week which will carry their star juvenile trio – Loucasso, Cardigan Dan and Dynamitedan – to Brisbane for the $500,000 Protostar at Albion Park five days later.
Other leading Victorian trainers Andy Gath and Jess Tubbs confirmed their Queenslander raiders would head to Brisbane by road, with a stopover in Sydney, early this week.
Tubbs’ Inter Dominion-bound pair Better Eclipse and Rakero Rebel will leave tomorrow (Monday).
Unfortunately, Gath’s team won’t include former Great Southern Star winning trotter Callmethebreeze, who had a bleeding attack when he returned from a long spell at Melton last night. He was stood down for 28 days.
The Ladbrokes Inter Dominion starts with the opening round of heats at Albion Park next Saturday and in a coup for the event, all three nights (July 5, 12 and 19) will be showcased on Sky Thoroughbred Central (Foxtel 528).
Ryan Phelan will be joined by NZ Trackside star Brittany Graham and Greg O’Connor, along with Brandon Kreymborg for the coverage.
PHOTO:- Stuart McCormick
