Champion driver Luke McCarthy could win both major Bathurst Gold finals next Saturday night.
Depending how the barrier draws fall tomorrow (Monday) night, McCarthy could be aboard the favouries in both the $100,000 Gold Crown final and $100,000 Gold Tiara final.
In the Tiara, he will team with Kiwi trainer Cran Dalgety and talented filly Millwood Daisy.
McCarthy co-trained and drove two Gold Crown winners – Awesome Stride and Astride – both owned by Emilio Rosati.
Punters took the tip when Dalgety took a two-year-old to Bathurst.
His filly Millwood Daisy (Art Major-Millwood Peg) was heavily-backed and won accordingly in her Bathurst Gold Tiara heat last Thursday.
Others went quicker in their heats on the new, spacious Bathurst track, but there was something exciting about how Millwood Daisy did it.
The daughter of Art Major sat parked and cruised home by 7.5m in a 1min58.3sec mile rate for 1730m.
Although she only ran home in 59.0 and 29.9sec, she seemed to do it with plenty in reserve.
The quickest heat winner was the first, Dont Think Twice (Armbro Operative-Nikalongboulevard), who led then took a trail and sprint-laned to win in a 1min56.1sec mile rate.
Talented young trainer Alex Alchin won the second heat with Joyces Desire (Real Desire-Starspangledbanner) in a 1min57.7sec mile rate.
Heat three went to Frith’s former trainer-driver Bruce Harpley with Rubies For Tash (Courage Under Fire-Roses For Tash) in a 1min57sec mile rate.
Luke McCarthy also won the fourth heat when he teamed with trainer Pete Rixon and Belligerence (Mach Three-Natuzzi) in a 1min57.1sec mile rate.
In the Crown heats, the highlight without doubt was the stirring battle between father and son – John and Luke McCarthy – in the second heat.
John trained and drove the leader Bettor Be Gold (Betrors Delight-Pyrites), who couldn’t hold off the finish of Astride (Somebeachsomewhere-Pearl Stride) in a sizzling 1min54.8sec mile rate for 1730m.
The time was just 1.5sec outside the open-aged track record.
In the previous heat, Luke led throughout to win easily on Awesome Stride (Art Major-Labretto Franco) by 7.2m in a 1min57.7sec mile rate.
The other Crown heats went to: Wardan Express (Art Major-Benelise, 1min57.3sec); Rave On Rabbits (Righteous Hanover-Rave On Girl, 1min58.3sec); Persimmon (Courage Under Fire-Soho Bordeuax, 1min58.6sec) and Weona Sizzler (Bettors Delight-Weona Badgirl, 1min56.9sec).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
