Two young Victorian stars Mecarno and Jilliby Dreamlover have continued the Victorian dominance in the early invitations to the $150,000 Group 1 Great Square at Albion Park on July 4.
Jess Tubbs’ young star Tracy The Jet was the first invited and Mecarno and Jilliby Dreamlover mean the first three invites are all Victorian-trained.
In Jilliby Dreamlover’s case, she will be trying to defend the crown for Team Lee stable after the incomparable Keayang Zahara won last year.
What’s different is the time slot, with Racing Queensland and Albion Park opting for a switch back to the original slot as part of the huge Queensland Constellations in winter.
Returning to July 4 also enables the Great Square winner to land a golden ticket straight into the $500,000 Ladbrokes Inter Dominion trotting final on July 18, should connections wish.
Jilliby Dreamlover will continue her preparation for the race against star stablemate Jilliby Ballerini in Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 1 Macarthur Mile at Menangle.
The four-year-old mare has been a revelation over the past six months with 13 starts netting seven wins, three seconds and two thirds.
She won a heat of the huge Great Southern Star on February 14 before finishing third to Keayang Zahara and Jilliby Ballerini in the final two hours later.
While Jilliby Dreamlover blossomed later in the season, Mecarno dominated the major Australian three-year-old trotting races.
Trained and driven by Michael Bellman, the gelding raced 12 times last season for nine wins and second.
His first Group 1 wins came in the Victoria Trotters’ Derby and he then added the Vicbred nd Breeders Crown finals at the elite level.
Bellman opted to give him a good break and Mecarno is yet to race this year.
Mecarno and Jilliby Dreamlover are yet to clash.
Tracy The Jet and Jilliby Dreamlover met once 12 months ago in the Group 1 NSW Trotters’ Oaks when Tracy The Jet was second and Jilliby Dreamlover sixth.
The only time Tracy The Jet and Mecarno have clashed was in last year’s Holmfield, when Tracy The Jet won but Mecarno galloped at the start, lost all chance and ran a distant eighth.
