TAB Eureka Update - August 20

VICTORIAN David Moran has won a Chariots Of Fire, but he’s still got a few demons to exorcise at Menangle.

And now he’s got the chance to do so in the world’s richest harness race.

Moran’s exciting three-year-old Captain Hammerhead forced his way into Saturday week’s TAB Eureka with a dominant win in the inaugural $50,000 The Singo at Menangle last night.

It was more than enough to snare him the John Singleton slot, the last of the ten spots available.

A peach of a drive from Moran to save ground on the inside then land the one-one trail helped Captain Hammerhead to a brilliant win.

Of course, Moran “won” the 2021 Inter Dominion final at Menangle on Expensive Ego before losing in on protest to Boncel Benjamin.

Moran also finished second in a couple of recent Miracle Miles on Lochinvar Art (2020) and Expensive Ego (2021).

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NOT only has the late emergence of Captain Hammerhead added another potential winning hope to the mix, but it’s significantly changed the barrier draw matrix.

Being a three-year-old, he will now draw gate one or two, with The Lost Storm getting the other.

And Encipher, the lone mare in the race, will now start from gate three instead of a much more preferable barrier two.

Further, it means the best available draw for the other seven starters is gate four.

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TRAINER Andy Gath hasn’t ruled out Catch A Wave racing at Melton on Saturday night.’

But he stressed the most likely path was to trial the Miracle Mile winner at Melton on Tuesday week instead, as his final “sharpen-up” before the TAB Eureka.

“At this stage, a trial is the path I’m taking. Obviously, the other option is to race next Saturday, but I’m definitely leaning towards the trial,” Gath said.

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QUEENSLAND Derby winner The Lost Storm could have a final lead-up run at Melton next Saturday night ahead of the TAB Eureka.

The Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin-trained star made it 11 wins from just 13 starts and four-from-four this season when he saluted at Melton last Saturday week.

“We’re just weighing up things, but there’s a chance he will go around again next Saturday,” Stewart said.

Being the lone three-year-old in the TAB Eureka, The Lost Storm is guaranteed barrier one under the preferential draw conditions.

The barrier draw is 9am Wednesday week at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art in Circular Quay.

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KATE Gath is thrilled, albeit a little bit torn as well, with Encipher being the only mare in the TAB Eureka.

Gath partnered the four-year-old mare to her most important (not biggest, but important) win so far when she upstaged serious free-for-all company at Melton last night.

“It didn’t surprise she could sit on them and beat them, and it won’t surprise me if she runs a great race in the Eureka,” she said.

“I was surprised it took so long for someone to pick her up in their slot. She might not look that impressive winning at times, but I’ve always said she’d follow any speed and still run a quick last quarter.

“And she’ll love the 2400m.

“Obviously, I’ve got Catch A Wave in the race and can’t drive her, but I’m thrilled for the stable and owners that she's got her chance in it. She really deserves it.”

Luke McCarthy has been booked for Encipher in the TAB Eureka, where she will race in the Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock slot.

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TRAINER Ahmed Taiba is looking at Menangle trial on Wednesday to help prime Captain Ravishing for a first-up tilt at the TAB Eureka.

Taiba took the powerhouse pacer from his Sunbury stables to Menangle last Thursday.

“Most likely, he will trial on Wednesday,” he said. “His work was so good at home last Tuesday, we skipped the idea of trialling him at Shepparton (last Thursday night) and brought up to Sydney a bit earlier.”

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IN any normal year, Speak The Truth would be Queensland’s best pacer and a massive TAB Eureka player, but this is no ordinary year.

It is clear Shannon Price’s gelding is a star in his own right, with 12 wins and 6 placings from just 20 starts.

Speak The Truth added to his impressive CV with a sparkling Qbred 4YO Triad final at Albion Park last night. He mile-rated 1min54.5sec for 2138m and dashed home in 55 and 27.4sec.

Price hasn’t ruled out giving Speak The Truth another Albion Park on Saturday night before heading to Menangle.

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HOMETOWN hope My Ultimate Ronnie showed he was back on target for the TAB Eureka with a sparkling Menangle trial last week.

And the four-year-old will cap his preparation by racing at Menangle on Saturday night.

Trainer Jarrod Alchin and driver Cam Hart were all smiles after My Ultimate Ronnie blazed a 1min51.4sec mile, dashing home in 54.2 and 26.3sec.

“He’s back on song,” Alchin said. “He just wasn’t right in Queensland and, thankfully, we’ve had time to turn him around back at home.

“He’ll go around Saturday night, and then we’ll be sweating on a good draw for the TAB Eureka.”

My Ultimate Ronnie runs in Rob Watson’s Soho Standardbreds slot, which has been linked to a newly founded charity called Toby for Childhood Cancer.

“It’s close to my heart. One of my best friends lost a child to cancer,” Watson said.

“We’ve had a set of (racing) colours made to reflect the charity’s branding, and they’ve come up a treat.”

Watson will donate 10 per cent of his slot’s share of the prize money earned by My Ultimate Ronnie in the TAB Eureka to Toby for Childhood Cancer.

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EXCITING Tasmanian pacer Magician arrived at Jimmy Rattray’s stables last Wednesday.

Trainer Todd Rattray said the four-year-old had progressed well since landing the Tasracing slot in the TAB Eureka through his win in the $80,000 Beautide in Hobart.

“The plan is to trial him Wednesday, ten days out from the Eureka,” he said.

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INJURY-PLAGUED local Ripp will need to improve sharply on his final lead-up run to have any hope in the TAB Eureka.

Bernie Hewitt’s four-year-old was third-up when he led and weakened late for fourth in much easier company at Menangle last night.

He’s sure to strip even fitter, but the jury is out on whether he’ll get back to the sort of form that saw him run a huge second to Leap To Fame in the Victoria Derby last October.