22 March 2019 | MICHAEL COURT
WIDELY regarded as the biggest ‘provincial’ harness racing carnival in Australia, Bathurst takes centre stage tonight when their two-week Gold Crown Carnival gets underway.
While the ‘boys’ will take centre stage tomorrow [Saturday] night with the running of six heats of the Gold Crown, the fillies get their chance tonight with four heats of the Gold Tiara for two-year-old fillies.
The winners and runners-up will make their way into the $100,000 Final on Friday, March 29 at the 1000m circuit which will feature four Group One finals in a stellar night’s harness racing.
The two fastest third placegetters will also sneak into the final and get their shot at the big dollars so early in their careers.
If there is an early favourite for the Gold Tiara, it is probably KerryAnn Turner’s promising youngster Eye Can Run, who gets a chance to make her mark early in the series when she contests the opening heat.
Turner took the Heston Blue Chip –bred filly to Bathurst for a look at the track last month when she finished third, at her first official race start behind the ultra-talented young colt Mistery Road, beaten 22m.
There were some excuses though as the filly paced roughly and locked wheels with another runner before finishing her ace off with some merit.
Sher then came out at her next start and looked a filly with a real future when she scored a strong 4.8m win over a quality field in the $30,000 Group Two Pink Bonnet Mile.
She is expected to go on her winning way tonight from barrier five and depending on what time she posts, be one of the favourites for next week’s Group One feature.
“She’s drawn a little wide, but still well,” said trainer KerryAnn Turner. “Hopefully she will have no problem qualifying for the Final.
“She’s been working better since the Bonnet and we think she can improve on that run.”
Meanwhile tomorrow night’s Gold Crown heats should see Tatlow Stakes winner Mistery Road go on his winning way as well.
Undefeated from three starts, Mistery Road will start at prohibitive odds in the sixth Gold Crown heat.
Co-owned and trained by John Boserio, Mistery Road has drawn barrier five.
“He’s come through his run fine,” said Boserio.
“Although he won, I was a bit disappointed in his waywardness, but he is still learning.
“He was hanging and playing up a bit in his trials so I got a chiropractor to go over him and he was much better in his first two starts.
“I got a chiropractor to go over him again yesterday and hopefully it has straightened him up a bit.”
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