Hesitate back for another Eureka crack after Go Racing nod

Hesitate (Sportswriter – Village Tango) will return to the $1.5 million TAB Eureka after being confirmed as the runner for the Go Racing slot, giving last year’s third placegetter the chance to go one better as a four-year-old.

The selection keeps Hesitate in the hands of owner Mick Harvey, who holds the Go Racing slot. Now trained by Jason Grimson, the horse has a record of 13 wins, six seconds and two thirds from 42 starts for $439,967 in stakes.

“Hesitate has earned another shot. He ran a huge race in the Eureka as a three-year-old and I’ve always believed in him,” Mick Harvey said.

Hesitate was one of a record six three-year-olds in last year’s Eureka, finishing third behind Bay Of Biscay and Fox Dan, beaten 2.5m at $5.50.

His connections will take heart from the path Bay Of Biscay took to victory. The Stewart and Tonkin trained pacer placed second as a three-year-old in 2024 before returning as a four-year-old to win last year’s race. Hesitate now has the chance to follow the same path, and he will again meet Fox Dan, who is also back for a second Eureka.

Hesitate has shown his class this year, winning at Melton in February with a career-best winning mile rate of 1:51.2, and again at Albion Park in June. He has since joined the Grimson stable, and Harvey said the move had been a positive one.

“The stable change has been a real positive. His point-to-point speed is next level, and you saw that coming from last at Melton,” Harvey said.

Harvey is hoping Hesitate can produce the kind of late surge Marketplace showed to finish second in the New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday. The question now is whether Grimson can bring out the big change his connections believe is there in the final week before the Eureka.

Hesitate’s confirmation means nine of the 10 runners are now locked in: Loucasso (Rampant Standardbreds), Double Lou (The Don), Soho Charmer (Soho Standardbreds), Bettor Beach (Harnesslink), Fate Awaits (Western Jewel), Cigano (Levarg Racing Group), Fox Dan (Team Zav), The Last Trip (Cordina Racing) and Hesitate (Go Racing).

The final slot belongs to Solid Earth, with Kevin and Kay Seymour expected to choose one of their own pacers before tomorrow’s deadline.

The TAB Eureka will be run at Club Menangle on Saturday, November 21.

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From Harnesslink Media