06 March 2019 | APG Media
APG Australian Premier Trotting Sale graduate Alpha Male is poised to provide trainer Emma Stewart with her second Group One for squaregaiters.
Chasing just her fourth win with a trotter, Stewart is odds-on to capture the Need For Speed Prince Final.
Successful with Manwarra Dollamaka more than a decade ago, Stewart’s second win came with Alpha Male in the Group One Home Grown Classic last December.
“I won a race at Geelong with Manwarra Dollamaka in 2005, which was the only winner I’d had with a trotter before Alpha Male,” Stewart said. “That said, trotters haven’t been a big part of the stable.”
Sent for a spell following this top shelf victory, Alpha Male returned to secure a Need For Speed Prince heat in Maryborough last week.
Despite drawing the back row in Saturday night’s $60,000 Final at Tabcorp Park Melton, the three-year-old son of Majestic Son is rated as a $1.40 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds.
“He did very well in his heat and will benefit from the run,” Stewart said. “His work has improved and he’s in pretty good shape
“The draw makes it tough, but he is going well enough to overcome it.”
Although Montpellier is regarded as the biggest threat as the $5.50 second elect from barrier four, Stewart considers Archleo has a major danger.
Runner-up to Alpha Male in the qualifier, Archleo is listed at $13 from gate three.
“I liked Archleo’s run in the heat and think he will be right in the finish on that effort,” Stewart said.
Alpha Male was purchased from 2017 the APG Premier Trotting Sale, with this year’s edition being conducted on Sunday.
“We purchased Alpha Male at the Trotting Sale as he looked like a nice type and has certainly turned out that way so far,” Stewart said.
“Everything he has done suggests he can develop into a pretty handy trotter.”
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