Valhalla sets sizzling pace in Wayne Harris Appreciation heats
Boom trainer Jedda Cutlack knows how well her chaser Valhalla is suited from the pink box, which he gets for the Wayne Harris Appreciation 5th Grade Final this Sunday at Capalaba.
He was the fastest of all the heat winners over the weekend, getting home by 6.5 lengths in a sizzling 19.45 seconds.
In his heat, he jumped from the pink box for the second time in his 13-start career and used the wide alley to spear through before moving into the centre of the track and running away with the victory.
It was only his third appearance at the Capalaba track (2: 1-1-0) after runs at Albion Park and Ipswich.
Valhalla's opposition in this one is classy and fierce but also well aware of the damage the Orson Allen x Femme Folle dog is capable of if given the opportunity.
Wayne Harris Appreciation 5th Grade Heat 6 replay
1st – Valhalla (19.45s)
Jason Schmidt trains two in the final in Regal Scotch and Borneo Brave, with the latter winning his heat in 19.60 and by 3.25 lengths ahead of Graceful Gunn.
“They both went well,” he said.
“It was Borneo Brave's second time out of the boxes there, so should improve with more on the track.”
The Hooked On Scotch x Bonne Chance dog is undefeated having won all five starts by no shorter than 3.25 lengths (the heat on Sunday) through to a whopping 10.5 lengths in his debut run in January.
“He probably is not boxed well in the final (7) but Regal Scotch is boxed OK (2),” Schmidt said.
“In saying that I think Valhalla (8) and Magistrate (1) are boxed well to so it is going to be a good race.”
Magistrate is flying having gone unplaced only once in his past twice in his past 15 starts, including eight victories.
He has drawn the inside box after winning his heat in 19.71 from the pink box.
That is sure to please trainer Greg Stella, as his dog has won twice over the Capalaba 366m out of the cherry box.
“He did the job and happy to get a nice clear run in the race,” Stella said.
“The box draw was always going to be important.
“The draw is OK but the 8 dog has superior times and is flying up Capalaba. Also, box 8 is what he (Valhalla) has been drawing in his wins.”
Not to be ignored is the Mark Saal-trained starter King Of Cool, who won from the 3 box and draws the 4 here.
He has won his past three and is a consistent runner having won over the Capalaba 366m twice from three attempts.
He won his heat in 19.66 by two lengths ahead of the other Cutlack qualifier in I'm Peakin.
“Very happy with the run,” Saal said.
“Box 4 in the final isn't terrible but the start will go a long way to determining the final next week.
“It's possibly the best fifth-grade final I've seen at Capalaba.
“It's full of class.”