While the two-year-olds and three-year-olds prepare to take centre stage, Breeders Crown graduates get their chance to shine in the perfect curtain-raiser to the Group 1 extravaganza on Friday night.
Seven features for open-age Crown-qualified horses form part of a 10-race card, which kicks off a classic carnival at Tabcorp Park Melton.
The headline is the $60,000 Group 2 A Rocknroll Dance Breeders Crown Graduate Pacers Free For All, which will see last-start Yarra Valley Cup winner General Dodge (Mick Chircop) tackle a quality field of rivals that includes Willie Go West (Dean Braun), Sirletic, Malcolms Rhythm (both David Aiken), Tango Tara (Andy Gath), San Carlo (Stephen O’Donoghue/Rebecca Bartley) and Out To Play (Emma Stewart).
Three other Breeders Crown Group 2s are on the card, with races for four-year-old trotting mares and trotting colts and geldings, as well as a squaregaiters’ free for all that will likely see Gath-trained star Majestuoso start a short-priced favourite.
Eight Group 1s will then be decided on Saturday night as close to $1.5 million in prizemoney is handed out across the course of the meeting.
Barrier draws for the two-year-old and three-year-old Crown finals were conducted live on TrotsVision on Monday night and can be found here.
Meanwhile, Bendigo Harness Racing Club will host Elmore cups tonight at Lords Raceway.
The Elmore Lockington Rochester Community Bank Elmore Trotters Cup and O’Sullivans Transport Elmore Pacing Cup are the features, and both carry $10,000 in stakes.
CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY NIGHT’S MELTON FIELDS
CLICK HERE FOR TONIGHT’S BENDIGO FIELDS
THE WEEK AHEAD
TUESDAY
Bendigo (night)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
WEDNESDAY
Ballarat (night)
Caller: Dan Mielicki
THURSDAY
Maryborough (day)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
Echuca (night)
Caller: Brendan Delaney
FRIDAY
Mildura (day)
Caller: Luke Humphreys
Melton (night)
Caller: Dan Mielicki
SATURDAY
Melton (night)
Caller: Dan Mielicki
SUNDAY
Charlton (day)
Caller: Lachlan McIntosh
MONDAY
Stawell (day)
Caller: Dan Mielicki