Aleppo Jewel and Moonshine Linda are on track for a big showdown in their Aldebaran Park Vicbred Super Series final, with the four-year-old trotting mares reaffirming their class in Kilmore’s heats.
Having clashed just eight days prior at Maryborough when Aleppo Jewel took the shortest way home to win by a half-head over four-wide Moonshine Linda, the pair ran in separate Vicbred heats tonight and solidified their reputations.
Trainer-driver Kerryn Manning was rapt that Aleppo Jewel, an Angus Hall mare out of Insulated, was on her best behavior.
“You just never know and I was just hoping for once she behaved herself and she did. She got the job done and she did it quite nicely in the end,” Manning said.
Having led from her gate one draw Aleppo Jewel got home in 29.5 and 28.5 seconds to win by 6.1 metres from Lucinda Mac and Moonlight Dream.
“Of late she’s found a bit of dash and seems to be in a good place at the moment, which is good going into the final.”
She will need all that talent to get the better of Moonshine Linda, who will be chasing a rare third Vicbred Super Series title and showed she’s well in tune with tonight’s 14.5-metre win, having ambled to the front and then got home in 29.9 and 29.3-second final quarters.
Trainer-driver Gavin Lang gave great credit to co-owner/breeder and former trainer Neville Pangrazio, who he said had “done a great job with her making her into a complete horse, you’d love to have a stableful like her”.
“We all aim to have them at their best for the big dance and that’s the way we’ve been heading with her. Good hit out tonight, so we don’t have to do too much between now and the finals, just keep ticking her over and she’ll do the rest hopefully.”
