Aussie Update - 8 May

By Adam Hamilton

COMEBACK star Chicago Bull lines up for the fourth consecutive week at Gloucester Park tonight (Friday).

Gary Hall Sr’s stable star won superbly first-up and has run brave placings at his next two runs after doing the work.

He’s well-graded, but again faces a challenge from a wide draw (gate eight) in the Vale Gavin Lang free-for-all (2536m).

“He’s the sort of horse who needs racing to get the weight off and right to his peak,” Hall Sr said.

X X X

TIM and Anthony Butt are the key players at tomorrow night’s Menangle feature night.

Anthony trains and drives buzz three-year-old trotter Elite Stride, who is a commanding $1.15 favourite to make it eight wins from nine starts in the Group 2 NSW Trotters Derby.

Anthony then teams with Tim and former Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshal, who is $2.10 favourite despite the outside draw (gate 12) in the free-for-all (race six).

Tim has two of the major hopes in the Bulli Trotters Cup – Sassy Pants ($4.60) and Majestic Courtney ($9) – where exciting former Kiwi trotter Super Fast Pat is $2.20 favourite to make it five wins on end for KerryAnn and Robbie Morris.

 X X X

TWO of NSW biggest stables have flexed the muscle in the early stages of the NSW Regional Championships.

The series started with three heats of the Metropolitan Regional series at Menangle on Tuesday where Craig Cross won two heats with First String and Royal Aurora.

That said, the most impressive of the heat winners was Anthony Butt’s Wolf Stride, who made it five wins on end and ripped home in a 25.9sec closing quarter.

Bathurst hosted four heats of the Western Region series on Wednesday night where Amanda Turnbull trained and drove three of the winners: Animal, Catch The Moment and Shoobee Doo.

The exciting Catch A Moment was by far the most impressive, winning by 22.9m and posting by far the fastest mile rate at 1min56.7sec for 2260m.

The series continue with five heats of the Riverina Region at Wagga today (Friday) and five heats of the Hunter Region at Newcastle tomorrow night (Saturday).

X X X

NO, you’re not seeing things … there are two Melton meetings tomorrow (Saturday).

As part of a three-week trial, Harness Racing Victoria is running a Saturday morning at Melton. The first of seven races is at 8.30m Melbourne time (10.30am NZ time).

The traditional Melton Saturday night meeting starts earlier at 5.03am Melbourne time where the return of Auckland Inter Dominion finalist My Kiwi Mate creating added interest.

Despite drawing the outside, My Kiwi Mate has been backed from $10 into $5.50.

 

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