The barrier draws for the 2015 Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Finals nights on Friday and Saturday at Tabcorp Park Melton were conducted this morning at the Legends Café.
Twelve Group 1 races will be held across two big nights of harness racing with the trotting finals on Friday followed by the pacers on Saturday.
Claudys Princess was the big winner in the four-year-old trotting mares’ final, the Mick Blackmore-trained two-time Vicbred Super Series champion at two and three pulling gate four, while her biggest rival, Illawong Helios from the Ross Sugars camp, snared gate eight and will need a pinch of luck.
“It does help,” Blackmore said of the draw.
“But you still need a few other things to go your way.
“Illawong Helios just needs a bit of luck though and she’ll be right in it.”
Blackmore said Claudys Princess was a picture of health for her tilt at the rare Vicbred Super Series clean sweep after suffering a virus two runs back at Melton when third in the Bacardi Lindy Trot.
“Her blood was down a bit after that run at Melton but since then she’s done really good and worked a treat,” he said.
Illawong Helios has won 11 of her last 12 starts for Ross and Greg Sugars but the inside-back-row draw Friday night means she’ll be giving her arch rival a start.
“It’s not the best but it could have been worse,” a matter-of-fact Ross Sugars said.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult. We’ll probably end up four back on the fence, maybe three back, while Claudys will be in front.
“She’s probably a three- or four-length better horse anyway, so given we’ll be giving her a start it’s going to be very tough.
“But win, lose or draw she’s had a fantastic season … we’re very proud of our mare and we’ve had a lot of luck with the barrier draws. We just needed it one more time and unfortunately it didn’t fall our way.”
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