Premier trainer Emma Stewart thinks brilliant young pacer The Highlight Reel can stake his claim for a TAB Eureka berth when he returns at Melton on Saturday night.
The star three-year-old, who boasts six wins and three placings from 11 starts, hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Nutrien final at Melton on April 11. Two starts earlier he was third in the NSW Derby.
“Don’t forget him. I think he’s still right in the TAB Eureka mix,” Stewart said.
“It’s looks like an open race at this stage with a few spots still up for grabs and this guy is back working really well at home.”
The Highlight Reel is one of six strong winning chances Stewart has running at Melton on Saturday night, but will have to overcome a wide draw.
“It’s never easy from out there (gate seven) and he’ll benefit from the run, but he’s the class runner and should be hard to beat on what he’s doing at home,” she said.
Stewart described winning the inaugural 2023 TAB Eureka with co-trainer Clayton Tonkin and their star mare Encipher as one of the biggest thrills of her stellar career.
She almost repeated the dose last year when three-year-old Bay Of Biscay flashed home for a luckless second to subsequent Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner Don Hugo.
Bay Of Biscay is Stewart’s only confirmed runner in this year’s $2.1mil TAB Eureka, having snared Rob Watson’s Soho Standardbreds slot for the September 6 race at Menangle.
But she expects to have at least another two starters in the 10-horse field.
“War Dan Buddy won well at Menangle last week and is probably next in line for us. He’d be favourite to run in the slot his owners (Danny and Jo Zavitsanos) have,” Stewart said.
“The Summit Bloodstock crew are also a big part of our stable and they have a slot to fill as well, so, hopefully, they’ll go with one of ours.”
Stewart said three-year-olds Go Miki and Fox Dan, who both won impressively last weekend, along with The Highlight Reel, were the other key stable contenders for TAB Eureka slots.
“They’ve both come back well and are definitely in the (TAB Eureka) picture, too,” she said.
Such is the depth of Stewart’s stable, two of strongest TAB Eureka contenders – star four-year-old mare Very Pretty and NSW Derby winner Always Hot – are recovering after setbacks.
Very Pretty boasts nine wins and a second from just 10 starts, but hasn’t raced since a Melton win almost a year ago (August 17, 2024).
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While Always Hot sustained a tendon injury after he stretched his unbeaten record to eight races with a dominant display in the NSW Derby on March 1.
“Always Hot is a real handful. He was back and coming along well until he put his leg over a fence and hurt himself again the other day. Luckily it’s superficial, but you won’t see him until the end of the year, now,” she said. “The Chariots Of Fire (next March) will be his main target from here.
“Very Pretty has been in and out a couple of times, but we’re pleased with her this time. We’re taking it slowly because we think the world of her. She won’t be back until late in the year as well.”
In other stable news, exciting pacer The Narcissist, who won his first eight starts for Stewart, has been sidelined with a tendon injury.
“It happened when he really burned early and ran fourth at Melton last time. It’s not a bad one (injury), but it’s still a long time out,” Stewart said.
