Dubbo’s Tom Pay is one of the most exciting young drivers getting around the western region but even he may admit it will take something spectacular to topple the Shane and Lauren Tritton-trained Blue Moon Rising in Friday night’s Star Trek Final (2,260 metres) at Bathurst Paceway.
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The Santanna Blue Chip x Lady Moonlight three-year-old gelding will journey to Bathurst for the $13,000 final in the hopes of continuing a remarkable start to his career.
To say that his record is imposing would be an understatement.
Blue Moon Rising has won nine of 10 starts, including a dominant win at Bathurst in his Star Trek Heat, while he already boasts a Group-level success in the APCO Tatlow Stakes at Melton last season.
Prior to his heat win Blue Moon Rising produced a career-best 1:52.9 mile rate at Menangle in a dominant 23-metre victory.
The sole blemish on an otherwise perfect record was an eighth place in the Group 2 Rod Fitzpatrick Memorial in February.
A win in Friday night’s final at Bathurst will push his career earnings beyond the $90,000 mark.
Blue Moon Rising will again be driven by leading reinswoman and Tritton’s wife Lauren from gate two, while Pay is one of the nine other drivers hoping to cause an almighty upset.
“I think he’s probably scared a few horses out of this series,” Bathurst Harness Racing CEO Danny Dwyer said of Blue Moon Rising.
“I expect that he’s going to go out a very short priced favourite, especially since he’s drawn so well.
“He’s only a three-year-old and coming up against some older horses, which can sometimes be hard, particularly towards the start of a season, but he won his heat very easily.
“He did a 1:54 mile rate as a two-year-old. When you go off his times and form he’s been incredible. He will likely go on to bigger and better things after this series.”
Pay will be in the gig of the Monica Betts-trained Snoop Stride again after leading the gelding to victory in the heat at Dubbo last weekend.
Pay was made to work in the heat but Snoop Stride showed the kind of fight needed as he won by a half-head.
The six-year-old has won 11 times from 85 starts but has found some form in recent times and heads to Bathurst on the back of two consecutive wins.
Steve Turnbull’s Smithstars Lexus will start from gate seven and he shapes as one who may be a chance of stopping the Trittons.
“He’s a C3 class, so he’s been up against some stronger opposition,” Dwyer said.
Friday’s meeting gets underway from 6.23pm, with the feature at 8.33pm.
