Peter Wharton
Top seeds dominated the heats of the Vicbred Super Series for four-year-olds at Melton on Friday night, whetting the appetitie for the December 23 semi-finals and spectacular New Year’s Eve finals to follow.
Comeback pacer Idyllic was a standout in the entries and geldings’ division, producing a stomping run from near last to swamp his rivals, covering the 2240 metres from the mobile at a 1:53.9 rating – a full three seconds faster than ID22 placegetter Act Now (1:56.9) in the final heat.
Idyllic, runner-up in the two-year-old Vicbred final in 2020, was sidelined for 19 months owing to a pastern injury after winning the Bathurst Gold Chalice. He has won 11 of his 24 starts to date and $200,290 in stakes.
Act Now led from the outset and was untroubled to hold out the late bid of Better Eclipse, who powered home from worse than midfield through final fractions of 27.6 and 26.8 seconds.
His win completed a sweep of the male division for the powerful Emma Stewart stable with Major Moth defeating stablemate Narutac Prince in the opening heat.
Act Now and Idyllic were both bred by Ballarat identities Bruce and Vicki Edward and both are sons of supersire Somebeachsomewhere.
The three mares’ heats were taken out as expected by the highly fancied runners Tough Tilly, Soho Broadway and Tay Tay.
The trio each led virtually throughout to win with something in hand.
Tough Tilly, who lifted her stake tally to $530,833 with her effortless 3.6 metres win, is shooting for a second Vicbred title having won the two-year-old final defeating Ladies In Red, while Soho Broadway, who recently returned from Western Australia, was a heat winner and finalist in 2020.
Tay Tay, a member of Alex Ashwood’s Bendigo team, put up the fastest time of the three heats at 1:56.7.
The heats for the two-year-olds were held at Shepparton.
A stunning final 800 metres in 55.4 seconds paved the way for the commanding win of brilliant Ballarat youngster The Lost Storm in the opening heat, while Dougs Platter, Perfect Class, Sweet Bella and Vee Em Gee Macray all won their heats.
In the three-year-old heats, which were held at Kilmore, Catch A Wave made a welcome return to the winners’ list in his heat.
Roarforroscoe, Interest. Free Encipher, Jo An Jo, Petillante and Beach Life all won their heats.
