The path towards the 2021 Inter Dominion Championships kicks off this Saturday night for Magicool, who returns to the track for his first race start since March.
Regular driver Zac Phillips said a crack at the November/December series in New South Wales was on the radar for the son of Tennotrump, who measured up to the elite level in his first preparation for trainer Rob O’Connell.
Phillips went agonisingly close to winning the Great Southern Star when second with the horse back in February, and will drive in his first-up assignment during Geelong’s metropolitan meeting this weekend.
He has been given two trials at Bacchus Marsh and Tabcorp Park Melton in preparation for the Group 3 Haras Des Trotteurs Wagon Apollo Trotters Free For All, where he will start from gate 13.
Phillips suggested, from a punting perspective, it might be best to just sit back and watch this weekend’s race.
The multiple Group 1-winning driver said the Inter Dominion Championships shaped as a key goal for the horse later in the year.
“That’s probably what we’ll target. I say he’ll probably have four or five runs this time in and then have a little freshen-up, and that will be his main aim going forward,” he said.
Phillips said Magicool showed last preparation that he was good enough to compete with the top trotters.
“He’s a funny sort of horse. He has a few health battles and a few soundness issues. If you can get him on the night 110 per cent I think he is up there with the best trotters going around, but that horse can be so few and far between,” Phillips said.
Magicool will lock horns with a fellow first-up star on Saturday night, with Andy Gath-trained Majestuoso also set to resume.
The Wagon Apollo Trotters Free For All is one of the key features on Saturday night’s card, which will include the Flying Brick Cider Preux Chevalier Free For All, which has been rescheduled from last weekend’s abandoned Cranbourne meeting.
Jason Bonnington and John Dunne will lead the Trots Vision coverage, alongside caller Lachlan McIntosh.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TUESDAY
Bendigo (night)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
An interesting runner on the card is first-starter Just A Bit Touchy for the Emma Stewart stable. The two-year-old is a half-sister to stablemate Banglez, who won the Vicbred Super Series 2YO Trotting Fillies Final on December 31.
WEDNESDAY
Ballarat (night)
Caller: Dan Mielicki
Bray Raceway hosts an eight-race card, with the first to go at 5.29pm.
THURSDAY
Echuca (night)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
Echuca hosts its one and only meeting of the month, with the nine-race card to get underway from 5.27pm.
FRIDAY
Mildura (day)
Caller: Luke Humphreys
Racing will kick off at 11.05am on Friday, with 12 races to be run and won out of the Sunraysia region.
Tabcorp Park Melton (night)
Caller: Dan Mielicki
The third-straight Friday night meeting at Tabcorp Park Melton gets underway from 5.27pm, with the Victorian Square Trotters Association hosting its 2019-20 awards function at the venue.
SATURDAY
Geelong (night)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
The Preux Chevalier Free For All, rescheduled from last weekend’s abandoned Cranbourne meeting, is an added bonus to a cracking metro card at Beckley Park. Jason Bonnington and John Dunne will lead the coverage on Trots Vision alongside caller Lachlan McIntosh.
SUNDAY
Cranbourne (twilight)
Caller: Luke Humphreys
After the rare metropolitan meeting was abandoned on Saturday night, racing returns to Cranbourne in the usual Sunday twilight zone slot.
MONDAY
Maryborough (day)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
The new week starts in Maryborough with a VHRC-APG-APTS Super Bonus Race Series meeting, where there will be stacks of extras handed out to winning owners and trainers.
