Without a shadow of doubt Torrid Saint’s ready to burn again

There will be a financial carrot dangling from the winning post for SENTrack Inter Dominion pacing runner-up Torrid Saint in Saturday night’s $100,000 Decron Cranbourne Pacing Cup.

The Julie Douglas trained six-year-old will elevate himself to the head of the Trots Country Cups Championship leaderboard in the final race of the series should he salute in the Group 1 feature.

The scenario will see Douglas pocket $15,000 while owner Noel Watson will be the recipient of a $20,000 purse.

Glenn Douglas, Julie’s training partner, said Torrid Saint was in peak condition despite enduring four runs in the fortnight of the Inter Dominion carnival.

“He has come through the Inter Dom terrific, way easier than I thought he would,” Douglas.

He admitted the son of Shadow Play had exceeded his and Watson’s expectations.

“We were over the moon when he was named as an emergency, we were rapt that he even made the field,” he said.

“Though he was airborne and went into the series with a full head of steam.”

Douglas conceded that six months ago it was the stuff of dreams for Torrid Saint flash home to finish on the ID22 podium.

“To see where he’s come from to last Saturday night is beyond our wildest expectations,” he said.

“It’s just a maturity thing with him as that family, which includes Saint Flash and Courageous Saint, all got better with age and I think working with better horses on the training track has also been a factor.”

Douglas said he was most thrilled for gun young driver Jack Laugher.

“I was pumped for Jack that he was able to run second in an Inter Dominion and I reckon he got a bit out of it as well – he just clicks with the horse,” he said.

The quality opponents will keep coming in Saturday’s Cranbourne Cup.

The Michael Stanley trained Rock N Roll Doo is a $3.10 favorite for the Group 1 despite having to contend with an outside second row draw, while Major Meister ($3.60) is being kept safe after outclassing his rivals at Ballarat in his first outing for dual Inter Dominion winning trainer Jason Grimson.

Torrid Saint will step from gate nine in the 9.16pm Cup, following the $50,000 trotters cup at 8.23pm.

The Betavet Bruce Skeggs Memorial Cranbourne Trotters Cup also features a ID22 runner-up.

Majestuoso, who led until the shadows of the post before being pipped in last weekend’s championship grand final, heads a group of four horses backing up from that race, with another three lining up that competed through the series.