While for some two-year-olds the TAB Breeders Crown marks the grand final to a long and testing campaign, for Sahara Sirocco it comes as he’s just warming to the battle and ready to hit stride.
The Gary and Deb Quinlan trained two-year-old colt contests the first of tonight’s Downbytheseaside heats at Shepparton, and Gary said the Australian Pacing Gold Championship winner was well placed.
“He certainly seems like he’s on the way up,” Quinlan said. “We only had a little query (as to) if he was a good stayer, that’s the only query we have with him, but the way he went last start he hit the line strong.”
The July 20 Championship win, when he finished eight metres clear of Vicbred Super Series placegetter Mirragon, was confirmation of Sahara Sirocco’s talent, with the Courage Under Fire two-year-old having had an interrupted season.
A cold saw him miss the lucrative Australian Pacing Gold and while he bowed out in the Vicbred Super Series semi-final, he finished second in the series’ silver pace before his $50,000 championship win.
“We had good hopes for him, unfortunately he got a cold and things went a bit pear-shaped,” Quinlan said.
“Then in that silver sires race he ran a good race and topped it off with a win last start, we were very happy.”
He will start from gate two in tonight’s heat, which also includes frontline Kiwi Zuess Bromac and Emma Stewart’s race favourite Be Happy Mach.
“It would be nice to be up a bit handier than what he’s been in his last couple of starts. He comes out of the gate all right, if he can get to the fence we will see what happens from then on. You would just like to be a little bit handy if we could.”
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