Aussie News Update

by Adam Hamilton

YOU will need to be nocturnal if you’re a Kiwi wanting to see how Chicago Bull goes tonight (Friday).

The pint-sized superstar lines up for a fifth successive Friday at Gloucester Park, but he’s in the 10th and last race at 1.57am (Saturday) NZ time.

The club obviously felt the small field didn’t warrant prime time on the night.

Chicago Bull looked sharp winning last and has snared two wins and two excellent placings from his four comeback runs.

His driver Gary Hall Jr holds all the aces in the feature of the night aboard Justin Prentice’s Gardys Legacy from gate one in the $50,000 3YO Pearl Classic.

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STAR Queensland pacer Colt Thirty One returns from a break at Albion Park tomorrow night.

Grant Dixon’s stable star is a commanding $1.70 favourite despite a 20m backmark and trying standing-start racing for the first time.

Stablemate Tennyson Bromac is next in betting at $7.

Dream To Share, to be driven by media personality Brittany Graham and trained by her sister Stephanie, has been the big firmer in from $15 to $9.50.

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VICTORIA’S trial of Saturday morning harness continues tomorrow (Saturday).

Like last week, Melton will hold two meetings, the first of them tagged “Melbourne” harness and featuring seven races – the first at 10.30am NZ time (8.30am Melbourne time).

The Melton night card starts relatively early at 6.52pm NZ time, boasts eight races and the feature is a fast-class race (race six) where Emma Stewart’s classy Major Times is looking to go back-to-back after a powerhouse Melton win last week.

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BRILLIANT young trotter Elite Stride should add another feature win to his CV in tomorrow night’s 3YO Trotters’ Foundation final at Menangle.

Just a week after giving trainer-driver Anthony Butt the “scariest” feature race win of his career after taking charge midrace, Elite Stride drops back in grade and looks a league above his rivals.

He’s only beaten once in eight runs and whether he races on or goes a spell will be decided after this weekend.

The other highlight at Menangle in a ripper mares’ race (race three) where former Kiwi Havtime (gate nine) and Craig Cross pair Molly Kelly (10) and Hows The Memory (11) look the key players.

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THE last of the qualifiers for NSW’s rich Regional Championships are run at Wagga today (Friday).

Buzz Riverina pacer Whereyabinboppin looks to have a mortgage on his regional final after winning a heat at Wagga last week by over 30m in scorching time.

There’s another five heats of the Riverina series today with only the winners going through to the final.

The four regional finals – all with $100,000 purses – are run next week.

Bathurst (Western region) is first-up on Wednesday night then comes Wagga (Riverina) on Friday.

The Newcastle (Hunter) and Menangle (Metro) finals are tomorrow week (May 23).