Power trainers like Emma Stewart, Clayton Tonkin and Chris Svanosio headline Victoria’s historic raid on the Queensland winter riches, but charm sits with lesser known names chasing their dreams.
Shepparton hobby trainer and former TAB operator Eddie Tappe has taken Im Bobby for the Inter Dominion trotting series, Beeac trainer Courtney later is chasing the Queensland Derby with Luvetobeuptome.
Then there is Michael Bellman with Mecarno, Alex Ashwood with Parisian Artiste and David Miles and his mare Rockinwithattitude.
That quintet inspires others.
The 71-year-old Tappe was thrilled to draw gate one with Im Bobby in the second trotting heat on Saturday and has snapped-up NSW young gun Will Rixon to take the drive.
Rixon will become the 14th person to drive Im Bobby through a 111 starts career which has netted 22 wins and almost $300,000.
Slater thinks enough of the untapped Luvetobeuptome to travel so far and take on Australia’s best three-year-olds in two major races, starting with the $50,000 South-East Derby on Saturday night.
It’s a cracking race and a wide draw (gate six) is a challenge, but Luvetobeuptome is trying to follow in the hoofprints of another Beeac pacer, the much-loved Rufus Young Blood, who went to Queensland and won the 1987 Derby.
Michael Bellman was a top young driver and now at the age of 45 is a mainstay of Victoria driving ranks and Mecarno gave him first Group 1 success as a trainer last year in a season he was crowned Australian 3YO Trotter of the Year.
He looks one of the major chances in a wide-open and terrific $150,000 Group 1 Great Square, but will have to overcome a wide back row draw (gate 12) to land his fourth Group 1 victory.
Bellman said he would likely accept the golden ticket into the $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final if Mecarno won the Great Square.
“I think we would because of the way the format is that you go around against three and four year-olds again the next week and then you only have to tackle those elite ones on Grand Final night. We could drive him accordingly and enjoy the moment,” he told Racing Queensland.
Miles and Ashwood are chasing the Inter Dominion trotting series with their stars Rockinwithattitude and Parisian Artiste.
This is the third time in the past four years Miles has taken Rockinwithattitude to the Queensland winter carnival. She ran fourth in the 2023 Great Square and returned a year later to win the same Group 1 feature.
Rockinwithattitude, already an eight-time Group 1 winner, missed much of last season with injury, but has returned to tackle her first Inter Dominion series.
She is drawn to lead the first trotting heat on Saturday night and is $4.40 second favourite to another star Victorian, comeback mare Susan Is Her Name.
Ashwood and his partner Tayla French return with the injury-plagued Parisian Artiste after he made everyone take notice with a heat win over eventual final winner Arcee Phoenix last year. He then ran fifth in the final.
“He peaked to win the heat, so we’ve deliberately held him back to be fresh for the series this year in the hope he peaks for the final,” Ashwood said.
“He’s as sound as we’ve had him for a long time and he’s been up here a while and settled in really well.”
