Changing of the guard

THE changing of the trotting guard has further entrenched with Aldebaran Zeus winning one of the gait’s more renowned crowns and OIlivici readying to make his launch into the Group One spotlight.

The four-year-olds are enjoying outstanding seasons and at Tabcorp Park Melton last night Aldebaran Zeus  made it clear his time was nigh by registering a third Group One win whhen capturing the Australasian Trotting Championship.

The triumph for trainer Brent Lilley, reinsman Chris Alford and breeder/co-owner Duncan McPherson was registered with an Inter Dominion Champion breathing down his neck and was his third win from four starts this campaign.

“I was very happy with Zeus tonight,” Alford said, after the son of Muscle Hill started fairly from the stand and soon took over the lead from stablemate Robbie Royale.

“Didn’t know what was going to happen in the run, but once we found the front I thought we might have to take a trail if something come and put pressure on. But the runs didn’t come until 1000 out and he’d had a pretty easy lap.

“He felt great in the run and although he sort of looked like he was getting tired, he half switched off down the straight but he still had something to give at the finish.”

Maori Law lobbed outside of Aldebaran Zeus with a tick over a lap to go, which put speed into an otherwise modest tempo as Alford responded with a 27.6-second third quarter.

That made it hard for anything to mount a challenge and a 29-second run to the line was enough to hold Maori Law by two metres, with co-trainers Emmett and Richard Brosnan’s filling the third placing as well as second as Baltica well to the line.

“He’s just like driving a motor car, you just point him wherever you want – stop, start, turn left, right,” Alford said.

• HRV Media