ID22 Grand Final preview
The 2022 SEN Track Inter Dominion has been a raging success.
Sure, the series could do with a prize money increase but the participants and fans of the sport have got right around this carnival.
From a training and driving sense, the pacing series has been completely dominated by the girls. Emma Stewart's charges have won seven heats whilst Jess Tubbs and Belinda McCarthy claimed one each.
We'll see more than half the field trained by women and a few to be driven by our brightest and best female drivers as well.
The trotting series lost its pre-series favourite with Bolt For Brilliance going amiss after the Geelong heats over the 2600m. Incredibly disappointing for the series as he was the major New Zealand entrant for ID22.
Ballarat was excellent on opening night, we raced in a fast and furious manner at Shepparton and Geelong tested the endurance of these superstars - now we get to see where everyone stands in these Grand Circuit Group 1 events @ Tabcorp Park Melton.
Here is my preview of both mammoth clashes...
SEN TRACK INTER DOMINION PACING FINAL (Group 1, 2760m, $500,000)
Emma Stewart seemingly has a mortgage on this one but two horses seem the most proven at the level - Spirit of St Louis and Expensive Ego.
Both have real tasks ahead of them to be winning but do not discount either horse.
Act Now looks the leader with Honolua Bay likely keen to take the trail, despite the tough talk from Dave Moran. There could be a genuine burn for the opening couple of furlongs until Act Now and Honolua Bay as well as Expensive Ego and maybe Spirit of St Louis get their positions.
Off the back, I'm giving Zeuss Bromac and Narutac Prince some hope. A small hope, but some hope.
SELECTIONS:
1 SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS
2 ACT NOW
3 ZEUSS BROMAC
4 EXPENSIVE EGO
SEN Track INTER DOMINION TROTTING FINAL (Group 1, 2760m, $250,000)
Does this speed map play out as straight forward as it seems?
Mufasa Metro loves leading and he has the gate speed to do so. Queen Elida is speedy and looks primed to be hard on the helmet of John Justice on Mufasa.
It's hard to envisage anything trying to cross so perhaps Majestuoso gets to the breeze before Greg Sugars and Just Believe make their move.
Once we have Mufasa Metro leading, Queen Elida trailing with Just Believe in the breeze and Majestuoso in the one-one I cannot see anything else winning.
Always Ready is my guy and will be in a wide quaddie but he's about the only one. Perhaps Sleepee...
SELECTIONS:
1 QUEEN ELIDA
2 MUFASA METRO
3 JUST BELIEVE
4 ALWAYS READY
OTHER BEST BETS: Race 3, Number 2 - CAPTAIN WILSON
Race 4, Number 5 - IDYLLIC
Race 5, Number 8 - QUEEN ELIDA
