Saturday night marks the beginning of a seven-leg series that can open a world of opportunities for Australasia’s best trotters.
The Aldebaran Park Maori Mile is race one of the Aurora Australis, a seven-leg trotting series worth $655,000 that features four Group 1s, takes in the Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star on February 3 and runs through to the February 24 Australian Trotting Grand Prix.
It was in this series last year that Just Believe transformed from elite to superstar and he has a band of next big things at the gates hoping to replicate his success.
Among that lot are Brent Lilley’s Queen Elida and John Justice’s Mufasa Metro, who’ve returned from Inter Dominion campaigns to contest tonight’s Group 1 Maori Mile.
“It’s definitely got a lot better having a trotter,” Justice said.
“Victoria has been leading the way in Australia for a good few years with their breeding programs, along with New Zealand, and it’s only going to get stronger.”
Justice has had the six-year-old in his stable since late 2021, when owner Mark Gurry snapped up the Kiwi.
“He wanted to get a horse who was at a Group 1 level,” Justice said. “Mark made a significant investment, but he would have been rewarded for what he paid nearly three times over.”
Mufasa Metro’s amassed $318,105 in stakes from his 50 starts and Justice is optimistic he’s only getting rolling.
“He’s going to be right up there amongst the best of them,” he said. “He hasn’t done a Just Believe yet, but I think the door is open for him to dominate a season, if not this year then maybe next.”
Central to a dominant season is the Aurora Australis, which peaks with the February 3 Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star on February 3, when it shares top billing with the SENTrack A. G. Hunter Cup.
Those coveting that crown will be well aware that the key to victory will be overcoming the reining champ, Just Believe.
“He’s a great horse in great form, but he doesn’t make you feel like you can’t beat him,” Justice said.
“In the Inter Dominion I felt like I had him under pressure, he dug deep and won, but I don’t think he’s a huge distance better than the next best five.”
TUNE IN at BENDIGO on Saturday
First Race: 5.52pm Last Race: 10.43pm
Racecaller: Lachie McIntosh with TrotsVision's Ryan Phelan, Bronte Nieuwenburg and Kirsten Graham.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE
Winner of the Week
CHEROKEE, by American Ideal out of Little Red Cloud, winner of the Garrars Horse & Hound Young Guns Series race at Melton on December 31.
Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
