Inter Dominion heat winner Fighter Command is en route to renew acquaintances with Leap To Fame and co in the Group 1 SEN Victoria Cup after his slashing win in the Benstud Standardbreds Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
The Jess Tubbs-prepared five-year-old produced a powerful finale after spotting the leader Forty Love more than 20 metres on the home turn.
Leap To Fame aside, Fighter Command was the best of the beaten brigade behind Captains Mistress in the Inter Dominion Grand Final after making up many lengths over the concluding stages to finish fifth.
Driver Jason Lee believes the winner will be more than competitive in the Victoria Cup.
“He’s already proved in Queensland that he is capable of mixing it with them. It’s going to be a pretty tough race but I’m more than happy to jump on him,” Lee said.
“He’s been racing super and he’s pretty lethal when things get run to suit.”
Jess Tubbs said Fighter Command will contest the Smoken Up Sprint in the week leading up to the Victoria Cup.
“He raced through the Inter Dominion okay so he is better now at backing up and I was happy with the way he hit the line tonight,” Tubbs said.
Win, lose or draw in the Victoria Cup, Fighter Command’s place in the race will tick off a bucket-list item for Tubbs.
“The Victoria Cup has always been on my dream list after Dad having won the race with Melpark Major, so I am happy that he is in the race,” she said.
The Michael Stanley-trained Soho Trump showed a return to his best form with a dominant win in the Victorian Sires Classic (3YO Colts and Geldings).
Sent out the $1.55 favourite, Soho Trump led unchallenged from the pole and reeled off a slick last 800 metres in 54.4 seconds to score comfortably by eight metres from the Emma Stewart-trained pair Brooklyn Dan and Dynamitedan.
Stanley conceded he felt confident during the run with Soho Trump, who made it back-to-back wins at Melton.
“We were able to dictate proceedings to our liking, he has a good turn of foot when he gets it his own way and he did that tonight quite comfortably,” Stanley said.
“We got an easy lead time and a cheap quarter, and we saw last week how strong he is when it’s an even tempo.”
The Emma Stewart-trained filly Willows Girl visited the winner’s stall for the first time at Melton when she successfully resumed from a spell in the Melton Gold Chalice (3YO Fillies).
Willows Girl settled last in the small field before Mark Pitt eased out to press forward towards the leaders with 900 metres to travel.
Willows Girl ($1.55 fav) levelled up with Keayang Passion around the home turn before forging clear in the home straight to score by two and a half metres in a mile rate of 1:58.7.
Pitt said he was conscious of making up ground on the leaders before the speed was injected into the race.
“It was nearly mission impossible to get into it, but she really showed her class. She puts up a good fight no matter where she is in the race,” Pitt said.
Pitt believes the winner of the Group 2 Gold Bracelet at Bathurst in March has plenty of upside.
“She’s only lightly raced and came into tonight off the back of one trial, so there should be a lot more improvement in her yet,” he said.
The Chris Angove-trained juvenile trotter Regal Gala was rewarded for his consistency when he led all the way in the Aldebaran Park Tatlow Stakes (2YO Trotters).
The son of Pastor Stephen had finished runner-up at his previous three outings at headquarters.
“He’s just been very honest all the way through, we had a very good trip tonight so hopefully that will give him confidence and get his head back in the game,” driver James Herbertson said after the race.
Trainer Mathew Craven is aiming for larger spoils with Hoppy after the five-year-old outsprinted his rivals in the Hyland Racing Colours Trotters Free For All.
Hoppy eased off the back of the leader Imperial Monarch on straightening before surging clear in the home straight to score by three metres in a mile rate of 1:55.7.
Craven said the Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint is on the winner’s radar.
“We’ll bypass Geelong next week over the long journey and stick to here at Melton the following week and then hopefully into the Bill Collins,” Craven said.
“Tonight he showed that being on the fence he could be competitive in a race like that.”
