Can the wonder mare beat the back row yet again?

Ladies In Red will once again have to overcome a back row barrier in a Group 1 feature if she is to claim the Benstud Standardbreds Queen Of The Pacific this Saturday night.

The state’s pin-up mare received gate 11 at Tuesday’s draw, but will start from nine following the scratchings of stablemate Treachery and Emmett and Richard Brosnan-trained Vincenzina from the $100,000 event.

Ladies In Red has been beaten just five times in her 25-start career, and four of those defeats have come when she’s started off the second row.

The four-year-old has won five races at Group 1 level, and all except The Rising Sun triumph in Queensland have been after starting from the back line.

Owner Bill Anderson said Ladies In Red had only been able to achieve such amazing results from difficult draws because of her exceptional ability.

“She’s been an unlucky horse with barrier draws, and no disrespect to Tough Tilly, but she’s only ever been able to beat her because she’s had an advantaged barrier draw,” Anderson said.

“The only reason Ladies In Red gets there and does it is because she is special.

“If you put another horse in all those barrier situations, if they weren’t with her ability, they wouldn’t have those results.

“She’s never been further back than second in her life. It is remarkable.”

Anderson and his wife Anne have a good record in the Queen Of The Pacific, having won the race with Pistol Abbey in 2019 and Speak No Evil in 2020.

David Moran will forgo a Group 1 night of racing in New South Wales to continue his proud association with harness racing’s wonder mare at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Moran has Rocknroll Gig engaged in the Group 1 NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Colts and Geldings Final at Menangle, and also had the drive of Emma Stewart’s star Honolua Bay in the elite level TAB Len Smith Mile, but decided to remain in his home state to partner Ladies In Red during the final leg of the Elizabeth Clarke Mares Triple Crown.

The top reinsman has driven Ladies In Red in 20 of her 25 career starts, including her epic victory in last Friday night’s Angelique Club Pace.

That tough, gutsy performance followed a runner-up placing to Tough Tilly in the opening leg of the series, The Make Mine Cullen on October 8.

“The best win, in my opinion, was when she sat outside Tough Tilly and she won the Breeders Crown (in 2020),” Anderson said.

“That was as good of a run last week as that run.”

The two results have left Ladies In Red on 13 points in the Triple Crown, three clear of Tough Tilly and six ahead of Dougs Babe.

Tough Tilly has drawn barrier six for Saturday night’s Queen Of The Pacific, with Jack Trainor-trained Braeview Kelly the expected early leader from gate four.

A $10,000 bonus goes to the owners of the Triple Crown winner, with points calculated for each race as follows: 1st – 8 points, 2nd – 5 points, 3rd – 3 points, 4th – 2 points and 5th – 1 point.

TRIPLE CROWN

LEADERBOARD

13 – Ladies In Red

10 – Tough Tilly

7 – Dougs Babe

6 – Treachery

1 – Momentslikethese, Common Courtesy