The countdown to New Year’s Eve fireworks is on in earnest after the four-year-olds kicked off the long awaited Alabar Vicbred Super Series with heats night at Bendigo.
And there were few surprises on the cards, with the entires and geldings category dominated by some of the nation’s leading pacers, with Lochinvar Art and Hurricane Harley in a class of their own and Out To Play in control.
Both first-up from their bruising battles in the Hygain Breeders Crown Championship, when Harley matched Lochinvar Art’s track record to hold the Victoria Cup winner at bay, the pair only heightened hype for their next meeting.
Lochinvar Art was the first cab off the rank and emerged from his tricky inside-the-back-row draw to circle the field mid-race and lead all home in 28.6 and 26.8-second third and final quarters to win by four metres from Major Delico, who boxed on well at big odds.
“He’s just a tradesman really, he does it in second gear,” trainer-driver David Moran told Trots Vision of Lochinvar Art.
“He probably did strike the right heat, a couple of the better ones like Harley didn’t match up, which was really good first-up from a three-week break. It was a perfect race in the end. I didn’t really want him to have a complete gut buster. It worked out good.”
It was a similar tale for Hurricane Harley, the first of consecutive victories for reinswoman Kate Gath for Emma Stewart and then Clayton Tonkin.
Hurricane Harley zipped to the front from gate two and it quickly became a matter of how far, with his blistering 26.7-second third quarter leaving the chasing pack gasping before he capped it with a 27.4-second final quarter.
“He’s a really cool horse to drive, he just quickens himself throughout the race – you just sit there and he just does his thing,” Gath told Trots Vision.
“He just felt like he was strolling and he could have ripped up another 26 quarter home.”
Out To Play’s victory was a little more adventurous, advancing to the lead ahead of stablemates Fourbigmen and Always Fast after the former miss-stepped early in proceedings.
The leading lights remained in lockstep to the line, with Out To Play having the answers to win by two metres from Always Fast, while Malcolms Rhythm boxed on well in the breeze for third to finish ahead of Fourbigmen.
“He’s a little bit lazy, he’s quite a funny horse,” Gath said. “He’s probably better following, but we didn’t have much of an option after the leader (Fourbigmen) jumped the footprints or whatever he did, but he was pretty good considering because he probably hadn’t led in many of his races.”
The first eight from each heat qualified for the December 22 semi-finals, which will move to Tabcorp Park Melton and also feature the finals night draws.
