Stanley’s Bushranger Claims Eureka Berth at HQ | Rsn

Stewart, who won the race’s inaugural running with Encipher, launched the Eureka campaign of Victoria Derby winner Petracca when that pacer entered the race as a $1.15 favorite in a NR 80 to 89 event.

Petracca came in with three drivers in the rear and loomed on the final turn before being beaten and settled into fourth place behind Operative Line ($17), who enjoyed the race on the back of leader Crime Writer.

An hour later, Stewart looked forward to the light-footed High Above to make up for finishing last behind American Legacy after being in the top 10 the week before.

High Above ($1.70 fav) also had a frugal middle ground in the running line, but was no match for the Jess Tubbs-prepared Hes From Heaven, who entered the Eureka fray when he outclassed his rivals in the Benstud Standardbred Pace.

Earlier in the evening Stewart had trained the four-year-old Perfect Class ($3 favourite) but that had not jeopardised his chances of a starting place in the Eureka when he led all the way in the Allied Express Free For All, beating Rakero Rebel and Ubetcha Tigerpie.

Perfect Class is on the third betting line ahead of Eureka at $9, while Petracca and High Above are on the second betting line at $7, behind joint favorites Frankie Ferocious and Never Ending at $3.50.

Later that evening, the four-year-old Exotic Bushranger, trained by Michael Stanley, emerged as a contender in the world’s most expensive trotting race when he defeated the Stewart-trained $1.04 favorite Very Pretty in the Logical Staff Solutions Pace.

The exotic Bushranger raced across to find the pegs from the outside of the track and Stanley was able to dictate the terms of the race during the middle stages, before Very Pretty sprinted quickly to join him in a smooth 26.5 straight quarter.

The pair became embroiled in a two-horse battle from the 400 metres out but Exotic Bushranger did not give up when overtaken by the favourite and fought back to score with a one-head lead.

Stanley said he wanted to make the race a “survival of the fittest.”

“My guy is really strong and I wanted to make it an endurance test. I knew he would push through and that’s what happened,” Stanley said.

Stanley is confident that Exotic Bushranger would be very competitive in the TAB Eureka if he were to secure a place.

“It would be nice if there were Eureka slots available and if there was a slot holder who was interested. He’s won three races on Metropolitan in only 10 starts. They just have to see what he does and then they’ve got a horse that can really perform well,” he said.

“He is a very progressive horse who can be really dangerous in a race like this.”