From Hobart to Sydney, it was a brilliant night for Victorian harness racing participants across Australia.
Starting at home at Melton, Rebecca Bartley trained and drove her top-quality four-year-old trotting mare Worth Waiting to victory. The talented mare was second-up this year after finishing her previous season seventh to Keayang Zahara in the Vicbred Super Series in September. On Saturday night, she found the front and was able to fend off her rivals to lead throughout and win.
“She was all out on the line, she was all out on the line.”
“She’s a terrible track worker, so when she comes out and goes like that, you get a lot of hope. I’m really proud of her.”
Less than 20 minutes earlier, Bartley was celebrating the win of Zoe Ella in Tasmania in the $30,000 2YO Fillies Sweepstakes Final at Hobart. Zoe Ella is a young filly Rebecca prepared and sent to the care of Rohan Hillier to contest the Tasmanian features.
“We sent her (Zoe Ella) over, the heats were last week. Rohan’s got her and she won a really good race over there. It’s a bit unexpected, but she went really good, and it means a little bit when you do a lot of work with them and they go over and win.”
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The Victorian glory in Tasmania didn’t end there, with an emotional fairytale victory as the Jess Tubbs-trained and James Herbertson-driven Fighter Command dominated the $80,000 Beautide, breaking his own track record.
After a life-threatening twisted bowel dashed his TAB Eureka hopes last year, Fighter Command has now locked in his spot for the 2025 edition of the $2.1 million race. Once considered a long-term project by the late Greg Sugars, the Jess Tubbs-trained star sealed his place with a powerful win in The Beautide.
“This was as far as we’d let ourselves look, winning this race (Beautide) and knowing he was in the Eureka. Now we can look at the Eureka itself,” Tubbs told Racenet.
“After everything that happened last year with the horse, we’ve very much taken it one step at a time since getting him back to the races.”
The Victorian interstate reign continued with leading trainer Emma Stewart preparing six winners across Hobart, Melton and Menangle.
First starter Hungry Hippo won by 27 metres in a maiden pace at Hobart, while quality runners War Dan Buddy, Sir Jimmy and Go Miki were eye-catching in their respective wins at Menangle, all in fast time. All three are eligible for the Eureka and were showcasing their talents in a bid to attract attention for a potential slot in the world’s richest harness race.
Back home at Melton, Ryan Sanderson drove a double for Stewart, with Fox Dan and Humour Me impressing in dominant victories.
Former Tasmanian and now Victorian driver Jack Laugher also returned to Hobart, scoring two consecutive wins with runners trained by his father, Michael.
PHOTOS: Stu McCormick, Eliza Howlett and Club Menangle
