Victoria will again be the driving force in the world’s richest harness race.
With just 12 days until the $2.1mil TAB Eureka, the field is really starting to come together.
It’s a lock at least half the field – five of the 10 runners – will come from Victoria.
But, after a night of twists last Saturday, that could even stretch to six.
Although only Bay Of Biscay (Soho Standardbreds slot), Fighter Command (Tasracing) and Seathestars (Cordina Racing) are officially confirmed, you can take it to the bank the slots held by Summit Bloodstock/Aaron Bain Racing and Danny and Jo Zavitsanos will go to Victorians, or more specifically, Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin-trained pacers.
It’s very likely those two slots will come from three pacers: Fox Dan, Go Miki and War Dan Buddy.
Miki To Success’ stunning and timely return to career-best form has propelled him right into the mix, too.
Five is the record by any state set by Victoria in the inaugural 2023 running when South Australian owned-and-bred, but Victorian mare Encipher blasted home to upset the great Leap To Fame.
Stewart and Tonkin became the first stable to have multiple runners in the race in year one with Encipher and The Lost Storm (seventh).
They bettered it last year with three runners, but had to be content with minor money. Bay Of Biscay ran second, High Above third and Major Delight was sixth.
That trio were the only Victorian-trained runners last year, so we split the spoils with NSW and Queensland, who also had three runners.
They could break their own record this year with four probable runners.
Whether it’s five or six Victorian-trained runners, we will still break the record for influence on the race on September 6.
That’s because a sixth (or maybe seventh) runner, brilliant three-year-old Hesitate, started his career in Victoria and is still part-owned in the state by Damien Burns and Scott Petrie.
So, how do I think the final TAB Eureka field will look? Here’s my best guess.
LOCKED-IN
Bay Of Biscay (Soho Standardbreds slot)
Fighter Command (Tasracing)
Hesitate (John Singleton)
Seathestars (Cordina Racing)
Fate Awaits (Western Jewel)
Call To Order (Racing Queensland)
ALMOST A LOCK
Fox Dan: I’ve got him firmly the top seed for the Team Zav slot.
Go Miki: Just my thoughts, but he would be my first pick of the Stewart/Tonkin options if I had the Summit Bloodstock/Aaron Bain Racing slot.
Miki To Success: He wouldn’t have been on too many bingo cards before Saturday night, but you couldn’t have scripted a more impressive display to propel him right into the mix. If he doesn’t go to Summit/Bain, surely TAB now has him top of their list?
SEYMOUR FACTOR
Path To Greatness/Cool And Classy/Charge Ahead: With Seymour’s top seed being snapped up by Wayne Loader’s Western Jewel slot, Seymour will take another of his pacers in his own slot and these are the three options. If Path To Greatness recovers from a bug which threw his blood out and forced his scratching at Albion Park last Tuesday, he is the logical one.
FLOATERS
War Dan Buddy: He’ll be stiff to miss, but he’s not that much better (if at all) than the three-year-olds on offer from Stewart/Tonkin and he will have to draw poorly (six or wider) given the preferential barrier draw.
Glitter Aint Gold: I’d love to see him in and I’m sure he’d be competitive, but it’s hard to see what slot he could land in.
Our Luciano/Royal Cruiser: I had both right on the verge of landing slots, but below par runs at such a crucial time last Saturday night have probably stamped their papers in such a cut-throat environment.
