The Lost Storm Photo by Dan Costello
A CHANGE of plans for Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave has created a stellar card at Melton on Saturday night.
Andy Gath’s stable star will now join fellow major TAB Eureka contender The Lost Storm in action at Melton, and their races will be run early – race two and three, respectively – to beat the start of the huge Carlton and Melbourne AFL clash.
Gath opted to run Catch A Wave in Saturday night’s My Lightning Blue free-for-all (1720m) instead of waiting another week so as to broaden his lead-up options into the $2.1ml TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.
“There’s nothing like a race to find out exactly where your horse is at,” Gath said. “He was beaten first-up, and then we had the workout at Geelong last Friday, but I just felt a race now would show if we’re where we need to be three weeks out from the Eureka.
“It also keeps the option open to run him against next week or wait and give him a run at Melton the week before the Eureka.
“He seems really well, but as I said after that first-up defeat, he spelled so well and has come back a bigger horse, so we’re keen to see where he’s at this week. It’ll be a great guide.”
And it won’t be an easy test, either. Catch A Wave will start from outside the back row (gate 11) over the short 1720m trip.
Similarly, stunning last-start Queensland Derby winner, The Lost Storm, faces a serious challenge from the back row (gate nine) against top-class former Kiwi pacer Son Of Mac, who has the advantage of gate six.
Son Of Mac, who boasted a close second in the Group 1 Northern Derby in NZ before crossing the ditch, has turned plenty of heads with four impressive wins from as many starts for young trainer-driver Kyle Marshall.
Marshall has previously said he is looking forward to Son Of Mac meeting The Lost Storm for the first time, but many thought it may not be until the Victoria Derby series in October.
Marshall will look to take advantage of the front row and work forward to lead, but The Lost Storm is deservedly ranked Australia’s top three-year-old and will still dominate the betting.
The Lost Storm has been joined by top-class mare Encipher to give the powerhouse Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable two runners in the TAB Eureka.
Encipher delivers a strongly South Australian-based flavour to the Eureka, given she is owned and bred in SA and will run in the slot held by the SA-based Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock.
“We’re thrilled to have her in the Eureka, too,” Stewart said. “Don’t see her short because she’s a mare. She works with our best home and holds her own, and she’ll get a preferential (barrier) draw given she’s a mare.”
Adding more class to the Melton meeting is the return of Chris Lang’s highly rated trotter, Ollivici, in the Maori’s Idol Trotters’ free-for-all (race seven).
“You know I’ve got a very big opinion of him, and he just wasn’t right last time in work, but I’m really pleased with the way he’s come back,” Lang said.
“I’m sure he’s got the talent to match it with the very best if he comes back as well as I think he has.”
In other TAB Eureka news, gifted pacer Captain Ravishing is recovering from a minor setback following his workout at Geelong last Friday.
The four-year-old sustained a minor hoof injury, but trainer Ahmed Taiba expects him to be right to trial at Melton on Monday.
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
