The good thing about a December Inter Dominion final is that it’s just the start of the feature racing splurge.
And we don’t have to wait long for our next “fix”.
Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup will be a pearler.
Time will tell how many horses back-up from the Inter Dominion pacing final, but waiting for them will be arguably Victoria’s best pacer Rock N Roll Doo.
Trainer-driver Mick Stanley confirmed his star would launch the biggest five months of his career at Cranbourne.
“He had a couple of weeks off after NZ and he’s raring to go again,” he said.
“We’re going to Cranbourne instead of the Vicbred series – we had to choose because the Cup clashes with the heats.
“We also like the idea of getting a string of staying races into him before the Hunter Cup, so he’ll go Cranbourne, Bendigo and then Ballarat before the Hunter Cup.”
Beyond that, Stanley said the Miracle Mile and Cambridge’s “The Race” were Rock N Roll Doo’s major targets.
“Those slot races (WA and Cambridge) are on the same day,” he said.
“He wouldn’t really handle Gloucester Park and it’s easier to get to Auckland and then down to Cambridge, anyway.”
In other exciting news, dual NZ Cup winner Copy That is also headed back our way.
His managing owner Merv Butterworth confirmed the Ballarat and Hunter Cup were targets.
“He was terrific winning last Friday (at Alexandra Park) and has another couple of races in NZ before we bring him across for Ballarat and the Hunter Cup,” he said.
“He won’t go to the Miracle.
“It’ll be back home to get ready for The Race after the Hunter Cup.”
One horse we won’t see in those early Victorian features is Captain Ravishing.
He’s favourite in some Hunter Cup markets, but won’t run.
Connections have made it clear his next major target is the Chariots Of Fire with a likely pathway being through the Group 1 4YO Bonanza at Melton on February 4.
Captain Ravishing also won’t be going to either slot race – the Nullarbor at Gloucester Park or The Race at Cambridge – both on April 14.
Travel challenges and the clash of dates with The Race make it unlikely we will see many eastern states horses chase the inaugural Nullarbor.
So, that makes local star Magnificent Storm the top seed.
He showed another weapon with explosive gate speed to lead and easily win the Group 1 Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
He is a clear pre-post favourite for the $300,000 Fremantle Cup (January 13) and $450,000 WA Pacing Cup (January 27).
Should he dominate through those races, it will be interesting if connections take their first interstate trip for a tilt at the Miracle Mile.
That’s probably unlikely, given he could stay home and prepare for the Nullarbor.
