Balt from the blue may gift Brosnans second Grand Circuit ticket

EMMETT Brosnan believes he will know in the coming months whether to submit a second Inter Dominion trotting nomination to accompany reigning champion Maori Law.

Brosnan and his father Richard put the polish on the promising mare Baltica, who faces the biggest challenge of her career when she lines up in the Opus Group Australasian Trotting Championship at Tabcorp Park on Saturday night.

The seven-year-old, who only commenced racing 18 months ago, has won eight of her 22 starts with eight placings, including runner-up behind Brandlo Prince in the Group 3 Hip Pocket Coulter Crown two starts ago.

Brosnan acknowledged the Group 1 assignment was a significant rise in class from her last start impressive victory at Tabcorp Park Melton.

“We tested the water in the Coulter classic and then she put them away pretty quickly last time in a NR 67 to 79 race, but we’ll get an idea of where she stands on Saturday night,” Brosnan said.

He admitted Baltica hadn’t looked like reaching lofty heights as a young horse.

“She wasn’t trotting right and had a lot of soreness and we just couldn’t get on top of her, we tried a few things but nothing seemed to work,” he said.

Brosnan said it was left ultimately to Mother Nature to find a solution.

“We just left her in the paddock for 12 months while we moved into our new property and she was a different horse from the time we put her back in the cart,” he said.

“We had No Republic who won $100,000 and Mah Mukker who was racing in free-for-alls and here was a half-fit Baltica wiping them on the track at home.”

Brosnan said there was scope for Baltica to compete at country cups level or even better.

“We’ll know in a couple of months whether its worthwhile nominating her for the Inter Dominion,” he said.

“Sitting on speed and sprinting is her strong suit and she should be suited by the longer distance races.”

Meanwhile Brosnan believes the stable’s flagship horse Maori Law is in better form than when he took out the Inter Dominion Grand Final in November last year.

“He is running quicker times now than he was back then,” he said. “He hasn’t put a foot wrong in the past six months, he is right where I want him.”