A stunning showdown is looming in the pacing boys Breeders Crown final after School Captain drew to advantage over The Lost Storm for the Group 1 final.
Having gone to war when sitting leader (School Captain) and breeze (The Lost Storm) last month, the pair are poised for a tantalising rematch in the IRT Australia two-year-old colts and geldings final.
Owner-breeder Bill Anderson plucked gate two for School Captain and then Clayton Tonkin, co-owner of The Lost Storm, pulled number four, with Louie Lou I separating the pair.
“It’s going to be an interesting race, it’s going to be competitive,” Tonkin told TrotsVision. “I’m happy.”
Asked if The Lost Storm was still the pick for this race, Tonkin responded “I think he is”.
Anderson was similarly looking forward to the bout, with the combatants having produced a stunning 54.8-second last half at Melton when they went head-to-head in the Home Grown Classic. On that occasion School Captain led and scored by 2.4 metres, but The Lost Storm maintains an overall 2-1 head-to-head advantage.
“(School Captain's) had (four) starts and he’s learning all the time,” Anderson said. “He’s getting stronger, he’s a very nice horse.
“My opinion is it’s The Lost Stom and obviously School Captain. I think ... they are the two nicest horses in it, it will just get down to who’s the toughest.”
Emma Stewart’s stable hasn’t hidden their praise for The Lost Storm and that reputation was in tact tonight after his brutal semi-final win.
The $1.20 chance had to rip a 41.6-second lead time before reinsman Mark Pitt could establish control of the race, extraordinarily a Tabcorp Park Melton record.
“The first burn probably took a little bit of edge off him, but I thought Captains Knock was probably one of my main dangers, so I had to be in front of it,” Pitt said. “In the end we were going that hard that he relented, which was good for us.”
The Lost Storm had some respite over the quarters to follow (29.3, 31 and 29.6) while Captains Knock breathed down his neck, and while plenty loomed at the line the leader had enough in the tank to hold on in a brisk 27.1-second final quarter.
“He was super brave,” Pitt said. “He was starting to feel it a little bit but he held them off strong. That lead time can take it out of them and he’s only a baby, so he was a little bit out on the line but he still had enough to fight them off.”
Dougs Platter and Don Hugo filled out the placings, beaten a head and a neck, while Captains Knock was also within a metre of the winner. Perfect Class and Little Louie were next best to also advance to the finals.
Pitt and Stewart then followed up with a victory in the second semi-final, part of a staggering six wins the pair shared on the card.
The second semi-final for two-year-old boys was a much more regulation affair with Techys Watching strolling to the top unchallenged in a 45.5-second lead time, almost four seconds slower than the previous race.
Nathan Jack quickly advanced lead challenger School Captain to his outside and Chris Svanosio hustled early on Louie Lou I to grab leader’s back and they would soon separate themselves from the pack.
A 27.5-second third quarter blew the race open and Techys Watching crashed the line in a 26.6-second final quarter, which secured a 2.1-metre win from Louie Lou I with School Captain just a further metre back after sitting parked throughout.
“He was super,” Pitt said of the winner. “He was still travelling good on the line. I think he will improve off that run big time. He is three runs back now from a spell, I think he will be at peak fitness next week.”
My Ultimate Jacko, Keayang Santiago and Heathbern Bruce were more than 20 metres back but connections would have been satisfied with them booking final tickets.
Unfortunately for Techys Watching and his owner-breeder Mario Cirillo his hopes of building on his unbeaten record of four wins in the final was made difficult at the draw, having plucked gate 13.
Here's the field for next Saturday's final:
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More from Breeders Crown semi-finals night:
Ravishing eight Breeders Crown wins sets Stewart further apart
Major star blossoms amid Pitt-Stewart Breeders Crown Delight
Breeders Crown trotters draws set up Group 1 showdowns