Stewart to Dominate Breeders Crown Semi Finals

VICTORIAN harness racing has never seen dominance like the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable.

Historians talk about the glory days of the late Vinnie Knight in the 1980s, the Peace family in the 1990s and, more recently Mark Purdon in NZ, but what Stewart and Tonkin are doing is unprecedented.

The rampaging Stewart and Tonkin really stamp their dominance with a staggering 31 runners across the eight semi-finals of the huge Breeders Crown series at Melton on Saturday night.

Most remarkably, they have 15 of the 24 semi-finalists in the three-year-old fillies’ series, including of the 12 runners in the first semi-final (race six).

“This is what we do it for … big meetings like this one,” Stewart said. “We’ve got some lovely horses and great owners and the Breeders Crown is up with the biggest targets of the year for the stable because we have so many young horses.

“There’s been a lot of planning and hard work to get here.”

Amongst the many stars Stewart and Tonkin will take to Melton, the headline act is the stunningly fast and exciting three-year-old Captain Ravishing.

Some say he will be the sport’s next big thing.

He’s won four of five starts since being transferred to Stewart and Tonkin and thrashed his rivals in by far the strongest of the Breeders Crown three-year-old colts and geldings heats.

Stable driver Mark Pitt should take him across to the lead from gate six and win comfortably. It’ll probably be the same in Saturday week’s Group 1 final.

In the three-year-old fillies division, it’s quality not just quantity for Stewart and Tonkin.

“We’ve got so much depth. It’s pretty amazing to have so many through the semis,” Stewart said.

Victoria Oaks winner Encipher, who boasts nine wins from just 15 starts, is the top seed of them.

Stewart and Tonkin won last year’s Crown three-year-old fillies’ final with Ladies In Red, who has raced on to win 21 of her 26 starts and be ranked Australia’s greatest mare of the modern era.

Many believe two-year-old filly Major Delight, who is trying to stretch her unbeaten streak to eight, could be the next Ladies In Red.

“Time will tell,” Stewart cautioned. “But I will say this, she’s already shown us she’s a bit special with the ease of her wins and the times she’s running. And she’s still learning what it’s all about.”

Then there is two-year-old colt The Lost Storm, who has won three of his four starts, and is already running times usually reserved for open-aged pacing stars.

Already twice in his short career The Lost Storm has broken 26sec for his last quarter, which is almost unheard of.

Stewart and Tonkin have the favourites in seven of the eight semi-finals.

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.