A guaranteed spot in Australasia’s richest juvenile race is up for grabs at Ballarat on Thursday night.
A unique relationship between the Ballarat club and Queensland officials means the winner of the inaugural Durham Park 2YO Rising Star will secure a slot in the $500,000 Protostar at Albion Park on July 12.
So far, only two of the 10 slots are locked-in with high-profile owner Greg Mitchell taking the Adam Kelly-trained Showmethetanlines and race sponsor Ladbrokes locking-in the exciting Rewatch.
Australia’s dominant juvenile trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, who has The Highlight Reel run second in last year’s inaugural Protostar, have a remarkable six of the 11 runners in the Ballarat race.
They could have as many as three runners in this year’s Protostar.
If one of the Stewart and Tonkin runners books a slot at Ballarat, they also have their own stable slot in the race and loyal stable clients Warren Viney has his own slot.
Despite a wide draw (gate six), Stewart and Tonkin’s top seed at Ballarat looks to be the explosive Loucasso, who has won four of five starts and cost himself by galloping in the other.
Loucasso is equal $5 second favourite with star Queenslander Fight For Victory behind Showmethetanlines ($3) in prepost Protostar betting.
Stewart and Tonkin’s five other runners are: Degarmea Teale (gate one), Knight Fury Dan (three), Cardigan Dan (five), Letsstartinheaven (seven) and Brooklyn Dan (11).
Last start Australian Gold winner Degarmea Teale is one of just two fillies in the race. The other is Sam Barker’s I Want Mary and they get barriers one and two under the preferential draw system.
Two other trainers who had Protostar runners last year – Damien Burns and Aaron Dunn – are hoping to do so again through the Ballarat race.
Burns, who trained Hesitate to finish sixth to Fate Awaits last year, takes his unbeaten youngster Maxo Mighty to Thursday night’s race first-up. He’s looked sharp winning both starts.
Aaron Dunn’s Forty Love finished 10th last year and his Ballarat contender is the emerging Eyeneedthat, who broke through for his first win at his fifth start at Ballarat on June 5.
Burns knows the enormity of the challenge, despite his huge opinion of Maxo Mighty.
“I wouldn’t swap him for anything else at the moment, but I might change my mind after Thursday,” he said.
“I’d love to have got a lead-up race into him, but so many of the races I’ve entered him for have been scrapped with a lack of entries.
“I’m sure he’ll run a great race, but there’s so much depth in it with that Protostar spot up for grabs.”
Burns also has an eye on the Queensland carnival with Hesitate, who has retained with new owner Mick Harvey and a switch to Luke McCarthy’s stables.
“He’s running first-up at Menangle on Saturday and the reports are great. It’ll be exciting to see what he can do in the big Brisbane races.”