2022 Breeders Crown

[Messenger]

The series kicks off with the 3yo heats at Bendigo on Friday night
There are 3 C&G heats and 4 Fillies heats
As expected these are the best quality juveniles going around

With Semi-Finals also to be run I don't think any colts will be eliminated so the boys heats are nothing more than a tune up

For the girls they will have to run top 6 in their heat so 18 will be eliminated. The last heat only has 9 runners but the other three have 11 so the favoured fillies cannot afford to completely muck up.
Emma Stewart has 14 fillies in - 3 or 4 in each of the heats. She only has 4 colts in

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN041122

The weather should be a bit better by Friday

[Messenger]

The 2yo's heats on Sunday at Maryborough
3 heats of each sex with only a handful needing to be eliminated before the Semis
The Hewitts bringing a couple of stars down adds a bit of extra interest and I personally think the Stewart stable only having about one quarter of the fields instead of a third like last night's 3yo fillies is better for the series

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH061122

[Messenger]

I have mentioned the track records run by the fillies in the Speed thread but you had to marvel at the run of Jewel Melody to run second
The Jewel courtesy of the draw really had to give the Tigress 25m start, she went to the death and made the race. Aureus's effort to come from a long way back for third was also outstanding - any of the three could win the final BUT draws are everything (one of the negatives of harness compared to the gallops and the bigger tracks and straights)

Major Delight was sensational to break the half hour old record from the death and Perfect In Pink was impressive in winning the other heat, also from the death
Soho Seraphine who made the record pace will still be getting fitter and with the right breaks can also be a threat in the final.

We eagerly await the Semis

You could almost say the boys crawled compared to the girls but how about The Lost Storm running a final Q of 25.6 - this is a 2yo having only his 4th start!

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH061122

[Messenger]

We have the trotters heats on Thursday at Maryborough (where else)
With only 2 heats for each division and no Semis, there will be some eliminations
It is fairly amazing how so many of the highest ranked horses have drawn very well

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH101122

[Messenger]

Observations from the 2yo trotters heats

R1 In the home straight Dichotomy seemed happy to run second rather than test his stablemate the favourite Cognati

R2 On her previous amazing run Susan Is Her Name was entitled to start fav against Rockinwithattitude BUT $1.35 v $3.00 was ridiculous. It was a good run by Susan but on todays run with the same draws she will not start those stupid odds again. I am a tinge worried as to whether that previous run has taken the edge off her and that in an ideal world she would be going for a break - at the very least the driver might have to drive a little smarter/give the opposition more respect in the final in 9 days time

R3 I thought the 2nd horse was Very unlucky not to have the protest upheld - only beaten a head, the winner definitely inconvenienced him when he drifted out at least 2 cart widths

R4 I know the All Clear was given on the first 4 but it will be interesting to see if the 5th horse is relegated for galloping over the line - it could mean a place in the Final for 7th horse Uptown Lad

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH101122

[Messenger]

R4 5th across line only relegated one position so Uptown Lad still misses out

[Messenger]

A big night of Semis where the Stewart stable has 6 odds on favourites in the 8 semis!

[Messenger]

R1 Semi Thank you Brad Hewitt for making that a fantastic race

Cannot wait to watch the replay but no doubt the first four were super runs and 2nd and 3rd were $151

[aussiebreno]

Captains Knock and the winner were entitled to stop but both showed stamina beyond their years.

How about race 8 for a 2yo maiden at Bathurst earlier in the year. Starting prices look a bit silly now. https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BH090222#BHC09022203

[Messenger]

5 Semis out of 5 for Stewart and Pitt
(you rarely hear Dan fumble a call like he did R6)

[Messenger]

The draw for the final because of the tie for 6th in R6 Semi was not as significant as you might think as Peter Gleeson owns both horses

[Messenger]

2yo Fillies Final draw

[Messenger]

2yo Colts Final draw

[Messenger]

A big night of Semis where the Stewart stable has 6 odds on favourites in the 8 semis!

They win 7 of the 8 Semis - Mark Pitt on 6 of them, Kate Gath the other

[Messenger]

3yo Fillies Final draw

[Messenger]

3yo Colts Final draw

[Mighty Atom]

They win 7 of the 8 Semis - Mark Pitt on 6 of them, Kate Gath the other

Vic racing is becoming very embarrassing. No wonder people are turning away.

[Messenger]

R1 Semi Thank you Brad Hewitt for making that a fantastic race

Cannot wait to watch the replay but no doubt the first four were super runs and 2nd and 3rd were $151

Add the 5th horse to the follow list, if Perfect Class gets out in the final he can at least run a place

[Messenger]

The Lost Storm's 41.6 Lead Time (for 631m) is the equivalent of a 1.46 MR or 26.5 quarter pace

[Messenger]

TAB markets are up for the Finals
Superior barrier draws have been a big factor

2yo Fillies
1.Major Delight is $1.25, 3.Tempting Tigress $5.50, while disappointing 5.Jewell Melody is $11
I thought 8.Ludacrous $9 and $2 place might have been value for exotic punters but with her that short I would rather 9.Clives Girl at $13.50 the place

2yo Colts
$2.20 for BOTH 2.School Captain and 4.The Lost Storm (obviously the draws) while barrier 13.Techys Watching has resulted in him $6
8.Perfect Class is $26 while 9.Captains Knock is $9

3yo Fillies
2.Encipher $1.30, 11.Soho Historia $6, 13.Petilante $9 and 1.Amore Vita $9.50

3yo Colts
5.Captain Ravishing $1.12

Trotting 2yoF
2.Rockinwithattitude $2.20 seems a little short, 10. Susan Is Her Name $3.70, 9.Cognati $4, 1.Dichotomy $7.50

I will let you look up the other trots

[Messenger]

I just checked the fluctuations and it would seem that Rockinwithattitude opened $3.30 but was backed in the whole point

Captains Knock $12 into $9 and Ludacrous $14 into $9 have been other movers
Cravache Dor supposedly opened $4.50 in the 3yo Trotting Colts and is now $2.80

[Messenger]

They have the favourite in all six pacing finals and first and second favourites in five of those.

But it's Jack and his exciting two-year-old School Captain who pose the biggest threat for Stewart and Tonkin's quest for a historic clean sweep of the night

https://www.racenet.com.au/news/harness-racing-nathan-jack-out-to-deny-emma-stewart-and-clayton-tonkin-clean-sweep-of-breeders-crown-pacing-finals-20221117

It would seem somewhat strange if Anne and Bill prevent a Stewart stable clean sweep when they have provided the stable with more Gp wins than any other

[Messenger]

Let's hope the BOM is wrong for tomorrow night

[Messenger]

The rain is definitely coming

[Messenger]

Fingers crossed - it could be all gone by 6.07

[Messenger]

Jimbob/David and the Wyborn family would be very excited by Susan Is Her Name's Gp1 win - she deserved one

[Messenger]

Looking at the 2yo trotters and seeing how much better the fillies are than the colts, wouldn't it be nice if the Oaks and Derby did not clash next year so that the fillies had the option to tackle the derby

[Messenger]

I agree with Ryan's observations that Mark Pitt had to keep flicking the reins at Major Delight during her preliminary - I don't know that I would be taking $1.08 from the pole

[Messenger]

But she is simply special, she also looks fantastic

[Mytwobobsworth]

Looking at the 2yo trotters and seeing how much better the fillies are than the colts, wouldn't it be nice if the Oaks and Derby did not clash next year so that the fillies had the option to tackle the derby

Trotters oaks/derby generally don’t clash, plenty of filly’s in the derby heats this year. Agree the best of the filly’s are currently 50m better than the boys.

[Messenger]

Sensational for Anne and Bill and Nathan Jack with School Captain. Also good to see the 2nd part of the feature about your destiny - interesting to hear about the beginning of the Anderson-Tonkin link being Maffioso. Revisiting his record, a cheeky question - is Anne actually your second name?

[Messenger]

Sitting in the death, on a rain affected track Captain Ravishing BREAKS THE TRACK RECORD going 1.51.1

One little thing that still irks me - his sale fell through at the yearling sales, APG themselves were his owner for his first couple of wins with Ahmed Taiba training him, next we know he is racing for Hassan Taiba. Did he have the inside running on purchasing him? Did APG (the Industry owned APG) get the best possible price for the horse?

[Messenger]

The other good thing about School Captain's win is it showed that a horse can be prepared by someone other than the Stewart stable and win a juvenile major race

[Messenger]

2yo filly Rockinwithattitude was a phenomenal run to tough it out for 2nd after running an all age record lead time. We await the stewards report, Brad Williamson was suspended for causing interference at the start and destroying the hopes of Our Marvella - I hope he got several weeks for that. Some will say that is racing and that Jayden Barker could have handed up, either way it went for fifty to a hundred metres too long to be seen as reasonable

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX191122#MXM19112210

[Bonnie]

Yes Kevin . My name is Elizabeth Anne , known as Anne from 4 years of age when friends called me Liz. I haven’t seen Part 2 hopefully it will be on replay this week. A family friendship with the Jack family of over 45+years meant emotions ran high with School Captain. Robbie Jack and his sons would stay at Dales Stables in Maribyrnong when he brought horses down from NSW to race at the Showgrounds. My father was a hobby trainer stabled there and Russell and Nathan have educated , trained and driven horses for us for many years and our win with School Captain together was a dream come true.

[Messenger]

Great memories.

[aussiebreno]

What a fantastic meeting!

Captain Ravishing one of the biggest runs I have ever seen.

School Captain and Ladiesinred phenonomal. Plenty of other top performances on the night as well.

As for PP comments I think by now most have cottoned on not to listen to a word he says.

[Messenger]

We have 6 Gp3 races at Bendigo tonight - the Silver Crowns
$20k and $30k races on a Tuesday night!

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN221122#BNC22112206

I don't know that they will be considered Group races under the changes next year as they would have to be deemed as consolations

[Showgrounds]

We have 6 Gp3 races at Bendigo tonight - the Silver Crowns
$20k and $30k races on a Tuesday night!

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN221122#BNC22112206

I don't know that they will be considered Group races under the changes next year as they would have to be deemed as consolations

Ridiculous these are considered group races. Money is pretty handy for the also--rans though.