Top young driver Jack Laugher says airborne pacer Torrid Saint can repeat the dose and win back-to-back free for all features at Tabcorp Park Melton this Saturday night.
The Julie Douglas-trained speedster ran his rivals ragged in the My Lightning Blue FFA two weeks ago and Laugher was quizzed on Burning Questions about his charge’s ability to produce something similar in the TAB Minuteman FFA this weekend.
“I don’t see why he couldn’t. It’s probably a question you’ll have to ask (trainer) Andy (Gath): is Tango Tara quick enough to hold him out?,” Laugher said.
“The scratching of Rock N Roll Doo… in a way it helps us, but in another way it would have been nice if we wanted to go back, to have him still in there.
“I think he’s good enough to win again.”
Torrid Saint will start from gate six following the withdrawal of Rock N Roll Doo, with Tango Tara to leave from barrier four.
Gath said his horse would be pressing forward at the start of the 2240m event.
“He will come out as quick as he can. I’m not sure if he’s as quick as Torrid Saint. Torrid Saint was airborne last time when he left the gate,” Gath said.
“As we know, Tango Tara hasn’t had a lot of good draws since he’s been here so his gate speed is still a little bit unknown, but Kate (Gath, driver) will come out as quick as she can and if she’s quick enough to hold up, he’ll hold up and try to take luck out of the equation, which he’s been deprived of for a lot of his starts this time in.”
Of course, it’s not just these two pacers that can win Saturday night’s race and a golden ticket into the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship heats.
Honolua Bay is shooting for eight-straight wins since joining Emma Stewart’s stables and was rated a $2.10 favourite with the TAB on Thursday afternoon, while reigning two-time Victorian Horse of the Year Lochinvar Art ($3.40) and Joe Pace’s top ex-Kiwi Supreme Dominator ($5) are also fancied in the market.
Lochinvar Art produced a gutsy second to Torrid Saint in the My Lightning Blue FFA, which was his first start since February’s A.G Hunter Cup.
TUNE IN at MELTON on Saturday
First Race: 5.32pm Last Race: 10.28pm
Racecaller: Dan Mielicki with Steve Cleave and Shannon O’Sullivan in the TrotsVision studio.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE
JASON BONNINGTON ON MELTON
RACE 5: HYGAIN PACE
EARLY SPEED: 4,6 + 1,3,5
SELECTIONS: KNIGHTS TEMPLAR (1), MIGHTY FLYING ART (6), BLITZERN (5), MAJOR MEISTER (4)
RATINGS: 1 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 10 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 3 / 2
SUGGESTED BET: KNIGHTS TEMPLAR (1) each-way
For tips and speedmaps for all races visit Good Form at thetrots.com.au
Winner of the Week
NEVER ENDING, by Sweet Lou out of Endless Journey, a winner at Gloucester Park on August 26.
Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
