Interstate trip on the cards for Final winner

A TRIP south of the border is on the cards for underrated filly Arete Virtue.

Breaking her maiden with an upset win in last night’s $75,000 Yabby Dam Farms Final, Arete Virtue may find herself in Victoria in coming weeks, with trainer Grant Forrest weighing up the option of contesting the Redwood Classic.

One of Australia’s pinnacle events for two-year-old trotters, the standing start Classic is scheduled to be conducted in Maryborough on November 1.

“The Redwood is something I am giving serious thought to,” Forrest said. “Quite often race manners determine the winner and really good manners is something she has.

“She showed that to an extent last night when she had to navigate a bit of traffic when some of the others galloped.

“I’ve stood her up at home a few times and she flies away from the stand, but doing it at home by herself and doing it at the trials or races is another thing.

“I will trial her from the stand and see how she goes before I make a decision.”

As for Arete Virtue’s overdue success, the daughter of On A Streak was settled four-back along the pegs from barrier seven as Connect The Dots led from two.

Angled to the middle of the track at the top of the home straight, Arete Virtue reached the front in the shadows of the post to score by a neck from Connect The Dots, with Keayang Zabrina eight metres away third.

Having her eighth start, Arete Virtue stopped the clock in 2:00.7.

“That was a fantastic win…I’m over the moon,” Forrest said. “It is such a big thrill and brings a lot of joy to the whole family.

“I was pretty confident of finishing top three or four, it was just hard to get a gauge on the field as there were several first starters in it, but as Chris (Geary, driver) said before he went on the track, ‘we’ve raced here and been there while the others haven’t’, which gave me a bit more confidence.”