Wobelee, the horse Kate Gath says could be the next Tornado Valley, has made a long-awaited return to the barrier draw for tomorrow night’s Hygain Australian Trotting Grand Prix.
Bad manners in the score up have resulted in the Alison Alford-trained star having to race wide on the back row in recent races, but he will start the weekend’s Group 1 feature from gate six.
Alford said the last time the son of Down Under Muscles started in the field was back in June of 2018 and she was interested to see how he handles the early stages of the $100,000 headliner at Tabcorp Park Melton.
“He got back in the draw on Saturday at Bacchus Marsh. We just had to go and get our second tick. He went and had a quiet trial and did everything right,” she said.
“It’s hard when you are coming off outside the second row and all the favourites have drawn favourably, but in saying that this week I don’t think it’s really helped us that much because everything is drawn inside of us anyway.
“It didn’t really help this week, but hopefully next time we might get the good draw.”
Wobelee, who had a long lay-off through injury during the back half of 2018 and early part of 2019, produced one of his career-best runs when a narrow second to Tornado Valley in Aldebaran Park The Knight Pistol on February 17.
That performance saw Kate Gath, who drove the winner, heap praise on her rival, who she said could follow in the footsteps of her eight-time Group 1-winning squaregaiter.
Alford, who admitted she thought Wobelee would run past Tornado Valley in the home straight in that recent battle, said it would be tough to topple that horse this weekend.
“I’m an optimist, but I can’t see how he can beat Kate’s horse,” she said. “It’s going to be just interesting to see how he comes out. He’s going to have to slot in somewhere and see how it’s run.”
After this weekend, a “hit and run mission” to Sydney remains a chance before attention turns towards giving Wobelee a break from a long campaign.
“He’s a little boy playing with the big kids at the moment and he has held his own, so I can’t see why he wouldn’t be entitled to go onto the big ones later in the year,” Alford said.
The Australian Trotting Grand Prix is the highlight of a bumper card of racing at Melton, which includes three other Group 1 events.
The IRT Australia Need For Speed Princess Final (1720m) is for the three-year-old trotting fillies and Anton Golino’s Im Ready Jet has come up favourite, while Anthony Butt-trained Elite Stride is the punters’ pick in the Alan Mance Holden Need For Speed Prince Final (1720m) for the three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Both races follow heats held at Bendigo on February 20.
The Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Gold Series Final (1720m) is the other elite level contest and is for the trotting mares. Joe Vassallo-trained I Am Pegasus is favourite to win his second Group 1 after returning from a spell with a heat victory at Ballarat on February 11.
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO TIM O’CONNOR’S CHAT WITH ALISON ALFORD:
