26 July 2018 | TERRY NEIL
THE biggest challenge for spectators and especially the breeding buffs among them at Wednesday’s Breeders Challenge Regional semi-finals at Gold Crown Paceway was deciding just which horses to keep their eyes on.
Depth in the form lines, and absolute quality of the bloodlines, made for an engrossing night, and the qualifiers that made it through have ensured that Sunday afternoon’s Breeders Challenge Regional Finals – six $30,000 (Group 3) races for two, three and four-year-olds – will be the richest, and best, meeting at the track outside the iconic Gold Crown.
A bumper crowd, from right across the state, is expected.
Luke McCarthy was faced with a decision – difficult, but no doubt enjoyable- after driving all three winners of the Three-Year-Old Fillies semi-finals.
Island Banner, a Rock N Roll Heaven daughter of N.Z. Cup-winning Mainland Banner, looked sharp in leading most of the journey in semi one; Love My Sister, the Art Major daughter of millionaire Fleur De Lil, was perfectly positioned before gaining the upper hand over a gallant Prophesy; and Dixirosalie, a Heaven daughter of Blacks A Fake’s half-sister, maintained a picket fence formline in taking out the third.
The first two are from the Craig Cross- McCarthy stable (and sported the new Cobbitty Equine Farm blue, white and black livery), while Dixirosalie came north from the Shaun McNaulty stable at Kennington, in northern Victoria, to take in the series.
Other leading stables were represented among Wednesday’s semi-final winners, and despite varying draws on Sunday, look to have very strong prospects of taking out a Group Three.
Qualifiers for the three-year-old males were taken out by Premier Joy (the Somebeach half-brother to Australian 2YO of the Year Captain Joy), Michael Towers for Michael Doltoff’s Sloys team, and by Bracken Sky, for Sydney visitor Blake Fitzpatrick, no stranger to Group glory at Bathurst.
Prominent owner John Starr backed up from Bracken Sky for a second win, in the Four-Year-Old male division, with Joes Star Of Mia, for Amanda and Steve Turnbull, the night’s slickest trip in 1:53.9, and the other semi saw an all-the-way win for grandfather-grandson combination Jim and Jake Bates.
It was career win 15 for a delighted driver, and earned him racecaller Craig Easey’s Drive of the Night award.
Make Mine Heaven, from champion racemare Make Mine Cullen, made a perfect start in the Bernie Hewitt stable by reeling in runaway leader Im All Courage in the first Four-Year-Old Mares qualifier (Bernie getting his double with a 2YO win by We Salute You in the last), with the second one going to Yourblueyescrying, Todd McCarthy for Hunter Valley trainer Clayton Harmey, which came with a rush.
A wonderful 10-race card at Bathurst Gold Crown Paceway on Sunday gets underway at 12.16 p.m. with the first of six successive Group Threes speeding away from the gate at 1:52 .
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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