The count down to the Crown

The month of January means holiday time for many people but in harness racing it signals the commencement of the racing careers for the new kids on the block – the two-year-old colts, geldings and fillies.

Many of these juveniles are being targeted at the Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival which is just 10 weeks’ away to the $100,000 finals.

Last year’s finals certainly created some excitement with the Lithgow-trained colt Castalong Shadow providing his trainer, driver and part-owner Geoff Simpson with a career best highlight when winning the Gold Crown.

Then the Shane and Lauren Tritton-trained filly My Sweet Chilliphilly set the track alight with a stunning 20 metre victory in the Tiara Final.

Her mile rating of 1.54.7 is the fastest in thirty year history of the Gold Crown CarnivalL and will certainly take some beating in 2018.

Some of the 2018 eligible youngsters made their racetrack debuts on January 12 in the heats of the Mia Breeders Plate at Leeton.

The Stephen Maguire-trained gelding Major Roll made his debut a winning one as he impressively downed the favourite Heart Of Cooper (also Bathurst Gold Crown eligible) over the final 100 metres.

The third and fourth placed horses in that heat, Caribbean Rocket and Redbank Rendezvous are also paid up at this stage for the prestigious series.

Major Roll is by Roll With Joe from the unraced Art Major mare Courlivia.

Roll With Joe, who is the full-brother to champion sire Bettor's Delight is represented with 17 youngsters being eligible for the upcoming Gold Crown Carnival.

Bettor's Delight has 33 two-year-olds still eligible whilst the two sons of Artsplace in Art Major and Sportswriter have the largest representation with 50 and 42 youngsters respectively. Other stallions represented with 10 or more two-year-olds are:

A ROCKNROLL DANCE  17

CARIBBEAN BLASTER    18

MILLION DOLLAR CAM    17

PET ROCK                        23

SHOOBEES PLACE          11   

AUCKLAND REACTOR     11   

MACH THREE            20

MR FEELGOOD                17

ROCK N ROLL HEAVEN    20

Last year the lightning fast filly winner, My Sweet Chilliphilly, was sired by a first season sire in Betterthan Cheddar.

This year there are four sires represented with their debut crops of foals – A Rocknroll Dance, Caribbean Blaster, Pet Rock and Shoobees Place..

Will one of those stallions have a flying start to his stud career?

Many questions will be answered on the night of Saturday March 31, 2018.

John Coffey