The moment long in his team’s focus has arrived and Vince Vallelonga can’t wait until the gates open Friday night and the harness racing stars of his Bolinda stable are unleashed.
Stunning Grin and Major Crocker will be among the 30 hopefuls whose TABtouch Inter Dominion campaigns begin in earnest at Gloucester Park.
“We have been here over a week and a bit and are itching to go,” Vallelonga said.
He said both had settled in well in the west, with Vallelonga taking lodge at Alan Bell’s property at Hopeland, which sits about halfway between Gloucester Park and Pinjarra.
“(Stunning Grin and Major Crocker) are pretty good mates, which makes it even better for them,” Vallelonga said.
“Stunning Grin has settled really good. He is eating, drinking and really happy. Major Crocker worked good this morning. He’s a seasoned traveller and settles in well wherever he goes.”
So far the cards have fallen well for Stunning Grin. He has drawn gate four of the field of 10 in the first heat, with a front line of nine and one runner on the back row. On his inside are Emma Stewart’s pole marker Guaranteed and local hopes Our Jimmy Johnstone and Tricky Styx.
“It’s an ideal draw for him,” Vallelonga said. “I’m not too sure how fast some of the horses drawn inside him are, but he can come off the arm pretty quick and hopefully he will find the fence.”
The luck of the draw may well play a role in Stunning Grin’s ability to advance to the December 9 final, with the Grinfromeartoear six-year-old needing to be at the pointy end to press the best.
“If he draws bad barriers in the other heats it will be hard for him to earn points, but if he is in front or behind the leader he just keeps trying and giving,” Vallelonga said. “It is a bit of a step up for him. He is probably one step behind the really good ones, but if he gets the opportunity he can be cheeky.”
By contrast, Major Crocker has form at this levels that infers he can make his own luck, including winning the TABtouch Inter Dominion Consolation at Gloucester Park last year and been one of the few to have pipped Lennytheshark in his dominant 2015-16 season.
“I know this year’s series is probably a little bit tougher, but last year he didn’t have a draw and when he did he won the consolation final,” Vallelonga said of Major Crocker.
He is drawn gate seven for Friday night’s second heat, outside local hope Bettors Fire and fellow Victorian Yankee Rockstar.
“There is a bit of form inside him and Yankee Rockstar is pretty quick off the arm,” Vallelonga said. “My bloke is pretty quick, but I don’t want to use all of him up in heat one. We will just look to put him on the outside and find a spot and go from there.”
Following Friday’s launch, the Inter Dominion heats continue on Tuesday night and Friday, December 2, ahead of the final in Friday, December 9.
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
