Final spots for the $2.1m TAB Eureka to be decided this weekend

The final spots to make up the TAB Eureka field are set to be confirmed this weekend with one slot holder cutting ties with The Lost Storm.

The Lost Storm won’t be running in the TAB Eureka. Picture: Stuart McCormick

The last two spots in the $2.1 million TAB Eureka will now be decided this weekend.

Slot-holders Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock today confirmed it had “released” The Lost Storm as its runner and were in talks with the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable about a replacement.

“They have a couple of good options racing on Friday night and we’ll make our decision then in consultation with the team,” Summit Bloodstock’s Jamie Durnberger-Smith said.

“It’s disappointing The Lost Storm won’t be our runner, we wanted him last year so we took the chance to snap him up this year but he’s not where we all needed him to be this year.”

The other “available” slot is that of TAB, who has decided to use Saturday night’s Racenet Discovery Stakes at Menangle to finalise its slot runner.

Star Victorian Captain Hammerhead is $2.30 favourite from gate five ahead of Queensland’s Sure Thing Captain (gate three) at $3.50.

Captain Hammerhead is the short priced favourite this weekend. Picture: Stuart McCormick

In another exciting first, two of the TAB Eureka’s most innovative slot holders are joining forces in the world’s richest harness race.

In a surprising move just days after announcing Major Delight as their TAB Eureka slot runner, Danny and Jo Zavitsanos revealed they had entered into a joint venture across two slots in the $2.1m race with Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock.

But how does it work?

Both slot owners have their “own” runner, but form a joint venture from a business and racing experience stance across both slots.

So, Major Delight will formally race in the “Team Zav” slot of Danny and Jo Zavitsanos, but Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock will be 50 per cent stakeholders in Major Delight.

Conversely, the same will apply when Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock finalise their replacement slot runner for The Lost Storm.

Danny Zavitsanos said the commitment he shares for the Stewart and Tonkin stable with Bain and Summit Bloodstock made the joint venture a “smart play.”

“Ultimately, we are both huge supporters of Emma and Clayton and were chasing the same horses for our slots, so by going into a joint venture, we get two bites at the cherry, so to speak,” he said.

“Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock do a fantastic job introducing people to the sport and by combining, we think we get two of the best horses from a stable which won the first running of the TAB Eureka last year.”

Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock used its slot for the Stewart-trained Encipher, last year’s TAB Eureka winner.

EUREKA!
The TAB Eureka-bound mare Encipher triumphs with a mighty run in the Garrards Westburn Grant Free For All. An all-girl victory with Emma Stewart the trainer and Kate Gath the driver. pic.twitter.com/mwFIyjOWy9

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) August 19, 2023

Bain echoed Zavitsanos’ comments: “It’s a win-win on every level. Winning with our slot last year was just the greatest thrill and we’ve boosted our chances of going back-to-back with an interest in two runners.”

Team Zav will actually have an interest in three of the 10 TAB Eureka starters after forming a partnership with Racing Queensland’s slot representative Free Thinker via his win in The Hayden at Albion Park last month.

“Jo and I partnered with Captain Ravishing to run third in the TAB Eureka last year and ever since we’ve been looking at ways to try and win it this time,” Danny Zavitsanos said.

Originally published as Final spots for the $2.1m TAB Eureka to be decided this weekend