Big guns to the fore as trotters tackle Breeders Crown heats

By Tim O’Connor (HRV)

Maryborough proved a happy hunting ground for Cognati (pictured – number one) and Cravache Dor late last month, and the two Group 1 winners excelled at the same track on Thursday when they qualified for respective Breeders Crown Series finals.

Cognati, who claimed the Redwood Classic for trainer Jess Tubbs and driver Greg Sugars on October 30, cruised through to a $100,000 Crown decider by leading all the way in her heat for two-year-old trotting fillies.

Anton Golino-trained Cravache Dor then backed up his Victoria Trotters Derby triumph by claiming the first qualifier of the On A Streak @ HDT Breeders Crown 3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings series.

Unlike Cognati, Cravache Dor had to sit parked, but cruised home to score as a short-priced favourite by more than 4m.

The win was the first of two for Golino, who prepared stablemate Courmayeur to take out the second heat for the three-year-old fillies.

Nathan Jack drove both Cravache Dor and Courmayeur, and also teamed up with Wayne Potter’s star colt The Locomotive to prevail in an Aldebaran Park Breeders Crown Series 2YO Trotting Colts and Geldings qualifier.

Rockinwithattitude ran into trouble in the closing stages of the Redwood Classic, but bounced back to win her heat for two-year-old trotting fillies, while Chris Lang’s Triumph Stride (pictured – number five) survived a protest from Rickie Alchin (Watts Up Partytime) to join The Locomotive as a winner in the two-year-old trotting boys’ division.

Others to claim victory on the eight-race card of Crown heats were Aldebaran Keepa (three-year-old trotting fillies) and Harry Stamper (three-year-old trotting colts and geldings).

The top six horses across the line in each heat progress to Group 1 finals at Tabcorp Park Melton on November 19.

Barrier draws for all trotting and pacing Breeders Crown finals will be conducted this Saturday night and broadcast on TrotsVision.