Tuesday’s Menangle meeting will feature five heats of the 2015 TAB Breeders Crown.
The Breeders Crown action is heating up with the Australasian trots world looking ahead to Tabcorp Park Melton’s rich Group 1 finals meetings in late August.
There will be two three-year-old colts and geldings’ heats on the 11-race program at Menangle, plus heats for three-year-old fillies, two-year-old fillies and two-year-old colts and geldings.
Race 1, the three-year-old fillies’ heat, will pit exciting Kiwi Our Classical Art from the Mark Purdon stable against Shane Tritton-trained reigning Breeders Crown champion Katy Perry and talented Goulburn pacer Miss Nickels.
Katy Perry beat home Joannes A Delight and Cyclone Kate to claim last year’s two-year-old fillies’ Breeders Crown final at Melton in 1:58.7 when in the care of Cran Dalgety.
Now trained by Tritton at Keinbah, the daughter of Bettors Delight out of In The Pocket mare Karen Donna, is coming off an eighth-of-12 run in the Queensland Oaks at Albion Park.
Two starts back she won over 1660m at Albion Park in 1:53.6 when she led to hold off Major Coup by a head.
Her New Zealand form before coming to Australia this time was below her best, but she’s very talented when right.
Our Classical Art has the Purdon polish and is coming off a Harness Jewels campaign in New Zealand.
The Mach Three/Art Lover filly finished 10th of 13 in the $150,000 Diamond final at Ashburton behind The Orange Agent, which followed a solid fifth behind Fight For Glory in the New Zealand Oaks.
In November last year Our Classical Art’s class was on display when she beat Supersonic Miss and Delightful Lana in a heat of the NZ Sires Stakes in 1:59.3 (last 800 in 56) by 2 ½ lengths.
David Hewitt trained and driven Sportswriter/Tinted Rose pacer Miss Nickels is coming off a second at Group 2 level behind Pass The Magic at Menangle, beaten 2.8m over 2400m (1:59.1).
The two-year-old fillies’ heat sees a Purdon-trained daughter of Bettors Delight/Splendid Dreams lining up and chasing a sixth victory in six starts.
Our Dream About Me has drawn the pole and is coming off a 1.3m success in the Group 1 2YO Diamond on Jewels Day at Ashburton in May.
She’s an exciting type and will be very hard to beat.
Drawn alongside is a talented Australian pacer in Hot Shot Woman from the Daniel Neagoe stables at Cobbitty.
Hot Shot Woman, by Rocknroll Hanover out of Deadly Woman, has placed second six times in nine starts to date and is coming off a last-start runner-up effort at Group 1 level beaten 3.8m by Heavens Trend in the Breeders Challenge Final at Menangle (1:52.9).
An interesting filly in the small field of five is Abettorrose from the Kerryann Turner stable at Menangle.
Abettorose captured the Group 2 Pink Bonnet at her second career start in February when she defeated Art Mistress over a mile in 1:56.4 by a head.
The first of the two three-year-old boys’ heats for the day sees former champion two-year-old Follow The Stars coming out of gate three for the Purdon camp after running third in the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Final at Melton last time out.
The second of the three-year-old boys’ heats looks an even affair, with Kilcullen drawn the pole for the John McCarthy stable, Todd McCarthy in the gig.
Race 7 at Menangle will pit some top-notch youngsters against each other in the two-year-old colts and geldings’ Breeders Crown heat, with unbeaten star Our Waikiki Beach the one to beat.
Another powerful pacer from the Purdon stable at Christchurch, Our Waikiki Beach has greeted the starter nine times and is yet to taste defeat.
The son of Somebeachsomewhere/Cyclone Betty won the Breeders Challenge Final last start in 1:53.7 over the mile at Menangle and will come out of gate five.
Bettor Together has won two on the spin for the Belinda McCarthy stable and will be driven by Todd McCarthy from barrier two, Smithstars Lexus rises in class after three straight wins from the Steve Turnbull yard at The Lagoon, while Trijet has shown plenty winning two of his four starts to date for the Tritton stable with Rob Morris in the sulky.
The Breeders Crown action continues in New Zealand Thursday and Friday at Cambridge and Addington before rolling into Western Australia on Monday at Gloucester Park.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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