Better Eclipse and Just Believe will spearhead the five-strong Victorian entry for the Inter Dominion Grand Finals at Albion Park on Saturday night. They will joined by Turn It Up and the trotters Van Sank and Thebestbourbon.
Better Eclipse, who won two of his three heats, was bred by Joe Bajada, while Turn It Up was bred by Bruce and Vicki Edward, of Durham Park Standardbreds, near Ballarat.
Just Believe, who is undefeated at the carnival and is the reigning champion, and the outsider Thebestbourbon were both bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms. Van Sank was bred by Louise Toulmin, the manager of leading Victorian stud farm Haras Des Trotteurs.
A pair of Alabar Bloodstock sires, Rock N Roll Heaven and Always B Miki, are represented in the $500,000 pacing final by Swayzee and Future Assured respectively.
Just Believe is one of three runners sired by Haras Des Trotteurs’ stallion Orlando Vici in the $250,000 trotting final, the others being Ollivici and Adelle.
Alabar’s champion trotting sire Majestic Son has three starters namely Plymouth Chubb, Majestic Lavros and Gus and also figures as the damsire of Funny Face (by Peak).
Victorian bred horses have a proud record in Inter Dominion Grand Finals, having won 11 pacing and five trotting deciders.
On the subject of the Inter Dominion, Victoria has played host to 11 series including four at the Melbourne Showgrounds in 1950, 1959, 1964 and 1970.
The history of harness racing at the Royal Melbourne Show, staged at the Showgrounds from 1888 till 1998 and various other venues including St Kilda Road prior to that, is the subject of the latest work of renowned historian and author John Peck.
The book called Harness Racing: Always a Highlight at the Melbourne Show traces the history of trotting at the Royal Melbourne Show dating back to 1871. The project describes the known winners of every harness race, time test and breeding class blue (1st), red (2nd) and white (3rd) ribbons.
It contains over 100 photographs and etchings as well as special features on John Robertson, Alice Laidlaw, Alex Hunter and Will Whitbourn.
The book can be viewed at https://www.melbourneroyal.com.au/virtual-museum/resources/publications/harness-racing-always-a-highlight/
Benstud Standardbreds bred the highly promising New Zealand juvenile We Walk By Faith, who took out the $110,000 Ace Of Spades at the Grand Prix meeting at Addington. The Bettor’s Delight gelding has won three of his six starts and $113,752 in stakes
Colonial bred sires left four winners at Melton last Saturday. They were the Benstud Youthful Stakes winner Miss Idaho (by Ultimate Machete), the Alabar Victoria Sires Classic winner Our Vincent Can Gogh (by Vincent), Magnetic Terror (by Terror To Love), winner of the Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship Final, and Bizzness Class (by Bling It On)
Devil Of A Smile, a runaway winner at the Mildura midweek meeting, was bred by popular identity Russell Hockham and his late wife Pam. The gelding was sired by the Hockham’s Vicbred champion Devilish Smile
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.