2yo's for 2024

[Messenger]

Yes already!
R1 at Bendigo tonight sees 7 newbs going around with 3 of them by first season sire The Storm Inside

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN110124#BNC11012407

[Messenger]

An article on the breeding (but no author?)

https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/vicbred-pure-primed-for-lift-off-this-thursday-in-bendigo/

[Messenger]

Viva Storm - the same family as Our Sir Vancelot

[Messenger]

It is only one start but the favourite was disappointing, then again there is nothing in his pedigree to suggest he should be any good

[Messenger]

Stormy Woods who ran 2nd in the race above, broke through for his first win with a lot of encouragement from Anthony Butt at Ballarat tonight in the slow time of 2.05.9 for 1710m

Although the breeding article above mentions his 2nd dam, it does not point out that she is a half sister to super sire Holmes Hanover!

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BA290224#BAC29022408

[Messenger]

Only 4 left in the field for the $20k Premier stakes tonight
The favourite v three Storm Inside's

Do we expect a long career from a 2yo racing twice in 3 days? He may have only been entered to help the race stand up for the stablemate
It will be interesting to see how he goes for although he won on Thursday, he did not seem too sure about this racing caper

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX020324#MXM02032407

[Messenger]

Anne would be happy with Its Confidential's debut win at Cobram today
Poster Boy's progeny are already making an impression
His MR of 1.57.3 was the fastest of the day and although it was over the short trip, so were 5 other races

Nothing wrong with 4th/Last placed Zeron's debut either if you can excuse the mistake that he made, for he was beaten by less than what the mistake cost him

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CO040324#COC04032406

[Messenger]

I reckon tonight's Sapling Stakes will produce its fair share of winners
The winner and Lexy might be VERY good

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=PC090324#PCM09032405

[KTQ]

I reckon tonight's Sapling Stakes will produce its fair share of winners
The winner and Lexy might be VERY good

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=PC090324#PCM09032405

I'm not so sure much good can come from running such fast times so early in the season.

[Messenger]

Yes, there are plenty that would even advise against racing as a 2yo Katie but under the old September system, this was half way through the season

[Messenger]

There didn't seem to have been that many 2yo's around so far this season but that all changed last night

Fillies alone - 52 went around in 6 heats of the Bathurst Tiara
(and not one from the Stewart stable)

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BH200324

The 26yo marvel Bettors Delight sired 3 of the winners
When he comes down under this year he will be staying for good

https://harnesslink.com/new-zealand/bettors-delight-press-release/

[Messenger]

The Bathurst Crown heats last night were brilliant
But I cannot say the same about having this guy filming inside the track!

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BH220324

[Messenger]

The pick of the heat winners were Sweet On Lexy (but he is still green and that is what cost him at his previous start) the super bred My Ultimate Barney and Fox Dan

[Messenger]

Bathurst is THE meeting tonight

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BH300324

[Messenger]

Bittersweet miles too good in the Tiara - well 21.6m to be accurate
while Fox Dan was always in control in the Crown but I think the somewhat unlucky My Ultimate Barney is probably his equal

[Messenger]

Peter Wharton reports

Stay Hungry continues to lead this season’s first crop sires’ list with seven individual two-year-old winners. Other Victorian-based stallions to rank highly are The Storm Inside (4 winners), Poster Boy (3) and Captain Crunch (2)

[Messenger]

Heaps of good breeding on show tonight
There are 2 heats but only 11 starters for the boys in the Nutrien at Ballarat tonight and Clayton Tonkin trains the top 7 selections, the other 4 are all roughies
He only has 2 of the 12 fillies in their 2 heats but could have the favourite in both

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BA110424

[Messenger]

But I cannot see how it is good for the industry to have one trainer and one driver win Heat 1

[Messenger]

Heat 2

[Messenger]

Heat 3

[Messenger]

Heat 4 - all with odds on favourites

[Messenger]

It is ridiculously hard to find out class records for Melton
I think the racebook is the only way (obviously to be printed there, they must be on file somewhere!)

The only racebook I could find lying around is over a year old but going on that
the 2yo C&G 2240m record dated back to 2016 with Our Little General rating 1.55.2
so The Highlight Reel beat that going 1.54.7 last night

But my old racebook indicates that the fastest 2yo for the distance is actually the fillies record of 1.54.4 by Party On also on the same night as OLG in 2016

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX200424#MXM20042405

[Messenger]

PP is right about the SA Botra Southern Stars doing nothing for SA harness racing.
You have the Stewart/Tonkin stable send one over for a week to win a heat and then the $50k final
On the same program you have four $6,999 races and three $4,500 races

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=GD180524#GDC18052401

[Messenger]

PP has an article about Clayton Tonkin's record with 2yo's so far this season simply too good to be true with 14 of 18 having won
His winning strike rate is 55% while his place strike rate is 85%
It is certainly extraordinary
They regularly start at $1.05 in their first start. Once upon a time no 2yo would ever be those odds at their first start as their race day manners were too big an unkown

[Messenger]

Soho Lanikai has his first ever starter at Terang tomorrow night - Soho Empire State

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=TE250624#TEC25062406

If you never saw Soho Lanikai's one and only start in the first 2yo race of the 2020 season you must check it out

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX080220#MXM08022007

[Messenger]

Soho Lanikai has his first winner

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=KI180724#KIC18072407

From his first crop of 13 he has had 2 starter in 4 races for 1 win, 2 seconds and a 7th

[Messenger]

Saturday night's Paleface at AP should be a good race

[Messenger]

Vicbred heats at Bendigo on Wednesday

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN280824

Emma Stewart has 15 in with the next most Michael Stanly with 7

[Messenger]

Starting in 10 minutes and only half hour between heats - should be good racing
Not many fillies need to be eliminated before Semi's but with 5 heats of C&G, I imagine the boys need to finish first four

[Messenger]

I love to look at the breeding for the 2yo's
The 2nd heat of the C&G's was an interesting one
The winner Always Hot drifted out to $1.90
Third place New Shuffle was $119
Both by good stallions out of mares that are half sisters who both won over $130k

It will be interesting to follow both their careers

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN280824#BNC28082407

[trish]

Michael Stanley is doing a great job tonight. Good to see.

[Messenger]

Yes Trish, although Emma Stewart had 5 winners and 7 placings, Michael's 2 winners and a placing from 6 starters was very impressive.
When analysing why the trots are struggling in Vic, I cannot see how Emma's domination helps

[trish]

100% agree Kev.

[Messenger]

The last heat and the first heat were by far the most impressive

[Messenger]

GP on Friday

[Messenger]

When the favourite draws one, you get another contender from GP for the most boring race of all time

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=GP270924#GPM27092401

[trish]

When the favourite draws one, you get another contender from GP for the most boring race of all time

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=GP270924#GPM27092401

Equal with the Eureka & many others.
Watching the sun set in the Kimberley is great cause you have no coverage.

[Messenger]

There was plenty of good 2yo racing in both gaits at Melton on Friday - a poster wondered whether this was the first Friday that we had not had Night racing at Melton since Covid times

The 2yo pacing fillies were way faster than the boys but I would not be surprised if Ronnie The Hammer turns out to be the best that Lennytheshark has produced so far. In the other boys heat, Speedy Healey was some run for 3rd after breaking

2yo filly Looks Perfect's 1.53.4 was pretty perfect on debut

While 2yo trotter Zipping Volstead (yet another of his) was impressive rating 1.57.8 for her debut

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX131224

[Messenger]

We were way off the mark as far as Melton night meetings was concerned - they did not have a Friday night twice in October and twice in November

[Messenger]

Terang being the last possible meeting for picking up 2024 age bonuses proved very handy for the Lee stable
The stable won the last two races with 2yo's debuting at their home track
That is what you call cutting it fine or fine timing?

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=TE301224