The stars will align this Saturday night in an extraordinary field of trotters fit for any of the 28 Group 1s they already have in their keeping.
The Yabby Dam Racing Trot marks the return of the past two Great Southern Star winners Dance Craze and Tornado Valley plus gifted mare Red Hot Tooth, who was only beaten a lip from having her name on Australia’s richest trotting race.
They join fit and firing Wobelee, Big Jack Hammer, Sundons Courage and Cruisin Around, who are among the seven Group 1 winners in the 10-horse field, which is completed by C K Spur and Our Kings Landing, who have taken on the Kiwi’s best, and blisteringly quick four-year-old mare Imsettogo.
“It’s a great field,” said Wobelee’s reinsman Chris Alford, who has guided his star to all 23 of his wins. “You’ve got the champ Tornado Valley back, the best trotting mare in Australia Dance Craze back and throw in Wobelee, Sundons Courage, Big Jack Hammer – it’s a great field of trotters.”
The Alison Alford-trained Wobelee has won four of six this campaign, with all but the first featuring top line Andy Gath trotter McLovin, having been close to flawless before showing some old habits still lingered when he failed to score up last start.
“He seems really good in himself,” Chris Alford said. “He had a couple of good wins and then we were probably a bit easier on him after his last one. He got a bit fresh and cantered a bit in the score up and had to chase from 100 metres behind, which just took it out of him the last little bit.
“But he seems really good this week and I’m sure he will run really well.”
The legacy of that missed start may still have some marginal impact, with Wobelee out of the draw for Saturday night and therefore relegated from gate eight or nine to gate 10 – outside Tornado Valley on the back row.
Alford said the fall-out was likely negligible, with Wobelee always best suited to trailing.
“Now he’s in this grade he’s better driven for his speed,” he said. “Depending on what happens in the run, there is going to be at least one good horse that we can follow up.
“The two with the score on the board are Dance Craze and Tornado Valley. I know they are both first up, but I’m pretty sure they will be close to the mark and the two hardest to beat.”
The Yabby Dam Racing Trot streams at 8.05pm on Saturday night on Trots Vision, which will have live, free and extended coverage from before the first race, when race caller Lachie McIntosh will be joined by Paul Campbell from the parade ring and Kirsten Graham in the Winners’ Circle.
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH GROUP 1 WINS BY SATURDAY NIGHT'S RUNNERS:
TORNADO VALLEY (8 GROUP 1s)
10/3/18: SEELITE WINDOWS & DOORS AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX
13/10/18: ALDEBARAN PARK BILL COLLINS TROTTERS SPRINT
15/12/18: TAB INTER DOMINION TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL
5/1/19: ALDEBARAN PARK 2019 MAORI MILE
23/2/19: ASCEND TROPHIES THE KNIGHT PISTOL
3/1/20: ALDEBARAN PARK MAORI MILE
1/2/20: WHAT THE HILL GREAT SOUTHERN STAR
17/2/20: ALDEBARAN PARK THE KNIGHT PISTOL
WOBELEE (5 GROUP 1 WINS)
20/5/17: EMPIRE STALLIONS VICBRED PLATINUM HOME GROWN CLASSIC (2YO C&G)
7/7/17: EMPIRE STALLIONS VICBRED SUPER SERIES (2YO C&G)
6/8/17: SEELITE WINDOWS & DOORS REDWOOD CLASSIC
27/8/17: ALDEBARAN PARK BREEDERS CROWN (2YO C&G)
10/3/18: ALAN MANCE HOLDEN NEED FOR SPEED PRINCE FINAL
BIG JACK HAMMER (5 GROUP 1 WINS)
19/12/15: EMPIRE STALLIONS VICBRED PLATINUM HOME GROWN CLASSIC (3YO C&G)
2/2/19: HYGAIN V L DULLARD TROTTERS CUP
2/3/19: AQUAGAIT TROTTERS MILE
9/3/19: HYGAIN AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX
7/3/20: AQUAGAIT TROTTERS MILE
RED HOT TOOTH (4 GROUP 1 WINS)
11/3/17: LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL
7/4/17: HARAS DES TROTTEURS AUSTRALASIAN TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP
3/3/18: ALDEBARAN PARK THE KNIGHT PISTOL
10/3/18: LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL
DANCE CRAZE (3 GROUP 1 WINS)
27/8/17: YABBY DAM RACING BREEDERS CROWN (3YO FILLIES)
26/1/19: WHAT THE HILL GREAT SOUTHERN STAR
29/2/20: HYGAIN AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX
CRUISIN AROUND (2 GROUP 1 WINS)
1/7/16: EMPIRE STALLIONS VICBRED SUPER SERIES (3YO C&G)
28/8/16: WOODLANDS STUD BREEDERS CROWN SERIES (3YO C&G)
SUNDONS COURAGE (1 GROUP 1 WIN)
3/7/15: EMPIRE STALLIONS VICBRED SUPER SERIES (2YO C&G)