This Friday night Tabcorp Park, Melton will host an incredible line-up of races including two Group 1 features. The major event of the night will be the Victoria Cup, but trotting fans will be anticipating the $50 000 Group 1 Aldebaran Park Stud Bill Collins Sprint (1720m).
There has been a major shake-up of the Bill Collins final field today, with the reigning champ Will Trapper scratched due to injury. The son of Keystone Salute will not get a chance to defend the title after suffering a minor bump on the leg that will stop the eight-year-old from competing on Friday night.
It is still a high quality field of runners with all of the starters in last week’s Australian Trotting Grand Prix backing up with a run in the Sprint, with the exception of last placegetter La Mosca. One of the most talented trotters is the Chris Lang-trained Sundons Gift now boasting a hat-trick of Grand Prix victories after last Friday’s success. The champion squaregaiter is aiming at his first victory in the Bill Collins, after placing eighth in 2007 and third last year. He will have to work hard to prove himself as a star sprinter as well as stayer though after drawing awkwardly with gate 10.
Another fancied runner Sundons Gift’s stablemate, Skyvalley has drawn well with gate three. Lang also has Kyvalley Mac starting from gate two in the feature event.
The squaregaiters will get their chance to battle it out at 8:40pm (VIC time) when the Group 1 $50 000 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint runs as the sixth event on Tabcorp Park’s mega 10-race programme on Friday night.
2009 Bill Collins Sprint Final Field:
# |
Form |
Horse |
Trianer |
Driver |
Class |
| 1 | 411s6 |
ARMED GUARD (NZ) |
R A Shinn | Noel Shinn | T7 TM1 |
| 2 | 06233 |
KYVALLEY MAC (NZ) |
C W Lang | Daryl Douglas | T9 TM1 |
| 3 | 11114 |
SKYVALLEY (NZ) |
C W Lang | Chris Lang (Jnr.) | T13 TM8 |
| 4 | 3s377 |
RONERAIL |
M A Hughes | Jodi Quinlan | T13 TM4 |
| 5 | 45548 |
EARL OF MOT (NZ) – Emergency 1 |
L J Justice | Lance Justice | T8 TM2 |
| 6 | 22110 |
IN PURSUIT (NZ) |
M C Marais | Michael Marais | T10 TM2 |
| 7 | 11s28 |
ACACIA RIDGE |
G D Hoban | Gary Hoban | T12 TM7 |
| Second Row: | |||||
| 8 | 25s00 |
VIVA LA FEVER |
R A Graham | Brian Gath | T16 TM10 |
| 9 | 11115 |
SPRINGBANK RICHARD |
P M Williamson | Nathan Williamson | T15 TM8 |
| 10 | 65s81 |
SUNDONS GIFT (NZ) |
C W Lang | Chris Lang | T22 TM17 |
| 11 | 13633 |
SAVE A SIXPENCE |
G A Lang | Gavin Lang | T10 TM4 |
| 12 | 73219 |
DREAM A MOMENT (NZ) |
K E Manning | Kerryn Manning | T10 TM2 |
| Scratched: | |||||
| WILL TRAPPER |