It's Bathurst Baby Time

By Adam Hamilton

THE powerhouse Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin made an immediate splash at the big Bathurst Gold Carnival.

Joanna, a filly raced by Danny Zavitsanos and named after his wife, looked fantastic winning her heat of the Gold Tiara series last night.

The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere sat parked for Amanda Turnbull, but switched into another gear at the top of the straight to win running away by 9.3m in a 1min56.9sec mile rate and 56.7sec last half.

Stewart also won the fifth heat with Dangerous Hand and grabbed third spot in heat four win No Motive.

Captaintreacherous filly Dangerous Hand made it two wins from as many starts when she overcame a back row draw to win in a 1min58.4sec mile rate.

One of her biggest dangers to Stewart’s star pair will be the North American-owned Girl From Oz, who was an outsider winning the Pink Bonnet, but started a $1.28 favourite and won her Tiara heat by 30.2m in a 1min56.4sec mile rate for 1730m.

Stewart and Tonkin have two of the key runners in the Gold Crown heats for two-year-old colts and geldings tomorrow (Friday) night.

Tonkin’s Idyllic ran second to Stewart’s Ideal Dan when both were on debut at Melton and the pair line-up at Bathurst.

Idyllic will need to be good to overcome the back row (gate 10) in the fourth heat where My Buzz Lightning (gate four) and Rickoshay (five) are the other major players.

Ideal Dan will take beating despite a wide draw (gate seven) in heat six. His major rivals are Jarrod Alchin’s Feels Lika Boss (gate one) and The Grogfather (four).

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AUSTRALIA’S most exciting young trotter, Elite Stride, adds to the star factor at Bathurst.

The regally-bred Anthony Butt-trained trotter will be a commanding favourite to make it four wins from five starts in the Gold Coronet.

Elite Stride, owned and bred by Emilio and Mary Rosati, landed what be the first of many Group 1 wins when he powered home by 23.5m in a 1min55.8sec mile rate for 1720m in the Need For Speed Prince final at Melton on February 29.