Change thunders in

By Michael Howard (HRV)

The changing of the trotting guard has further entrenched with Aldebaran Zeus winning one of the gait’s more renowned Australian crowns and OIlivici readying to make his launch into the Group 1 spotlight.

The four-year-olds are enjoying outstanding seasons and at Tabcorp Park Melton last Saturday Aldebaran Zeus in particular made it clear his time was nigh, registering a third career Group 1 and a first at free-for-all level in capturing the Opus Group Australian Trotting Championship.

The triumph for trainer Brent Lilley, reinsman Chris Alford and breeder/co-owner Duncan McPherson was registered with an Inter Dominion Champion breathing down his neck and was a third win from four starts this campaign.

“I was very happy with Zeus tonight,” Alford said, after his trotter started fairly from the stand and soon took over the lead from stablemate Robbie Royale.

“Didn’t know what was going to happen in the run, but once we found the front I thought we might have to take a trail if something come and put pressure on. But the runs didn’t come until 1000 out and he’d had a pretty easy lap.

“He felt great in the run and although he sort of looked like he was getting tired, he half switched off down the straight but he still had something to give at the finish.”

Maori Law lobbed outside of Aldebaran Zeus with a tick over a lap to go, which put speed into an otherwise modest pace as Alford responded with a 27.6-second third quarter.

That made it hard for anything to mount a challenge and a 29-second run to the line was enough to hold Maori Law by 1.7 metres, with co-trainers Emmett and Richard Brosnan’s filling the third placing as well as second as Baltica well to the line.

Alford was full of praise for his winner.

“He’s just like driving a motor car, you just point him wherever you want – stop, start, turn left, right,” he said.

Aldebaran Zeus is likely now on a collision course with Ollivici, Chris Lang’s exciting four-year-old trotter who’s earned lavish praise from his trainer-driver across a six-race winning streak.

That was extended with Saturday night’s win in the DNR Logistics Trot, when he upstaged brave leader Just Believe.