Ridiculous as it sounds, Victoria’s benchmark conditioners, Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, have symbolised sleeping giants in recent weeks when it comes to their native habitat.
They’ve been on tour you see.
Sadly, for their rivals, however, the Leyland Bus has stalled, and the giants have returned.
For many months now, Stewart and Tonkin have traipsed up and down the eastern seaboard, and, in recent weeks, they’ve brutally pillaged riches south of the Bass Strait.
Funnily enough, one temptation will always bring this recently nomadic duo back to Ballarat, back to what they do better than anyone has ever done before them.
Juvenile and three-year-old racing.
Few could argue that this evening’s Home Grown Classic finals for classic-age pacers of both genders are still programmed at the wrong time for what they were intended.
The ‘Home Growns’, without question, were conceived as an opportunity for late blooming or slightly inferior youngsters to land serious riches once the major futurities were run and won.
Hopefully, with the Vicbred Super Series shifting from late December, that will be their new and natural homeland.
None of this, however, concerns Stewart and Tonkin.
Trainers don’t set calendars, they exploit them.
And this evening, Victorian harness racing’s prom king and queen look set to do just that.
In tonight’s first Home Grown final, for three-year-old fillies, Tequila Delight simply picks herself.
Despite making hard work of her heat success, that little sister of Petacular and Idyllic has class on her side, and the Stewart/Tonkin team have made a dramatic recent habit of improving their runners exponentially second-up from breaks.
In the corresponding Home Grown decider for classic-age colts and geldings, life seems even easier for the team that’s won eight Victorian training premierships in succession.
This time via Gawn, who may open slightly longer than the $1.06 and $1.05 he’s started at his past two starts but should salute as easily tonight as he has in those outings.
If anything, The Shakamaker Classic might prove a minor stumbling block for the Stewart/Tonkin juggernaut.
In that event, they’ll gear-up royally-bred juvenile colt Bay Of Biscay; a son of four-time Group 1-winning super-mare Nike Franco.
And based on his most recent trial, Bay Of Biscay – who galloped early and appeared to lose all chance before cruising in as though nothing ever happened – could well be a genuine freakshow.
Nevertheless, race-hardened current star Hammer Dan won’t make life easy on any level.
Tonight, we'll find out where Cheyella stands.
In her past two successes, Laura Crossland’s rapidly evolving four-year-old mare has looked capable of locking horns with any female pacer in the land.
In this evening’s Blossom Lady, she meets last season’s best – or equal-best – three-year-old filly, Encipher.
The draw is in her favour and fitness is in her favour.
If she’s the proper real deal, Cheyella will prove it at her toughest test this prep.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.