It is far from a surprise, but Lochinvar Art will start a commanding favourite for Saturday night’s Group 1 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup.
The five-year-old Chariots of Fire, Victoria Cup and Vicbred Super Series champion drew gate six tonight for the $110,000 TAB Summer of Glory, Grand Circuit opening night Ballarat feature, and TAB responded by opening him $1.30.
And the $1.30 disappeared literally quicker than Lochinvar Art’s 1:48.6 4YO Bonanza run – wheeled into $1.25 moments later.
Trainer-driver David Moran was certainly confident immediately after the draw.
“I guess Hurricane Harley drawing gate two makes it a little bit tricky,” he said, before adding “but at the same time it leaves them with a tough decision to make; whether they try to post (Arty) knowing he (Harley) probably won’t get the 2700 metres,” he said.
Quizzed about how Lochinvar Art had pulled up after his Shepparton Cup dalliance, Moran said “really good”, adding “he’ll be spot on” for Ballarat.
It is obviously ominous given the heights this horse has already achieved, including that Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup win in October when he was simply better than a cracking field, which included New South Wales star King Of Swing.
Of the other runners in a sterling Ballarat Cup line-up, Sicario pulled the plum gate one draw, with Hurricane Harley likely first to the pegs in two.
The remainder of the field is Out To Play (three), Bettor Be The Bomb (four), Somewhere Secret (five), Lochinvar Art (six), Our Uncle Sam (seven), Always Fast (eight), Wolf Stride (nine), emergency Kowalski Analysis (10), Jamieson Steele (11), Forty Thieves (12), and Sunday’s Matthews Petroleum Hamilton Pacing Cup winner Fourbigmen (13).