25 November 2020 | Chris Barsby
No trotter has ever recorded back to back victories in the Darrell Alexander Memorial Trotting Championship Final.
Star performer Our Overanova is a dual winner but recorded his victories years apart, the Grant Dixon prepared gelding scored in 2014 before claiming the feature again in 2017.
Amazingly, the veteran lines up again this weekend, his fifth final after contesting the past seven series.
On Saturday night, he starts as the back marker off a 30m handicap in the 2647m feature.
Trainer Dixon has won the event five times since it was first staged back in 2008 at the famed Parklands complex.
It was moved to its current home of Albion Park in 2013 following the unfortunate closure of the Gold Coast.
The Gr.2 $30,770 event has drawn together an excellent and capacity sized field, 14 runners will be vying for the prize on offer.
Defending champion Wee Man Trouble looms as a superb chance of rewriting history, his slashing efforts in both rounds of heats haven’t gone unnoticed and will carry plenty of support.
Last year, the former New Zealand gelding was prepared by Grant Dixon and handled by Adam Sanderson when starting off the front-line in the Gr.1 feature but owing the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s event has dropped back to Gr.2 level.
Wee Man Trouble is now prepared by owner Shannon Price with Sanderson sticking solid, the five-year-old must overcome a 10m handicap if he is to become the first back to back winner.
But former Victorian BD Khaosan also carries an army of supporters.
Purchased by SKY Racing personality Brittany Graham specifically for this series, the gelding has shaped up nicely in both heats to date.
A first-up victory over 2647m was followed by an excellent second (behind Gee Up Neddy) last week over the shorter 2138m trip.
The talented trotter is prepared by Brittany’s father, Darrel.
“When he first arrived, we had a few issues with him and he was behind the eight ball, but he came out and won his opening heat and then went another good race last week,” Graham said.
“The draw on paper doesn’t look good but it’s a really open race and luck in running is going to be crucial. You can’t go into this race with a single plan, we’ve got a great driver and he’s adaptable and so is the horse so I’m really looking forward to it.” He added.
The Graham family enjoyed success earlier this year during the winter carnival when another former Victorian trotter Il Pirata scored in the Gr.3 $25,770 Queensland Trotters Cup at Albion Park.
And driver Shane Graham (no relation) is a previous winner of the DJA Final when combining with King Of Strathfield back in 2012.
TAB fixed odds markets have Wee Man Trouble as favourite at $4.60 ahead of Majestic Simon ($6) and BD Khaosan ($7).
The 2020 Darrell Alexander Memorial Trotting Championship is Race 4 on the 10-race card and is scheduled to start at 7.17pm local time.
Actions gets underway at 5.42pm local time.
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