The race for the remaining spots in the world’s richest harness racing is heating up

Things are heating up in the jostle to claim the few remaining spots in The TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 7.

Perfect Class winning at Melton in November last year Picture: Stuart McCormick

EVERY race matters now for the remaining $2.1 million The TAB Eureka contenders.

In the case of Group 1 winner Perfect Class, victory in Saturday night’s free-for-all at Melton would do wonders for his quest to grab one of the few remaining slots in the world’s richest harness race at Menangle on September 7.

The events of recent weeks have muddied the waters rather than established a clear pecking order for The TAB Eureka.

Officially, just three of the 10 slots remain, but another flop from long-time TAB Eureka favourite Frankie Ferocious at Albion Park last Saturday and growing queries around multiple Group 1 winner The Lost Storm have added much intrigue.

As it stands, TAB has Frankie Ferocious in its slot, while The Lost Storm is with the Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock slot.

Frankie Ferocious’ campaign is in limbo at best, while trainer Emma Stewart said plans remained with The Lost Storm, but added “we won’t run him unless we’re absolutely happy with him closer to the race.”

The Lost Storm, a stablemate of Perfect Class, drew poorly but failed to beat a runner home at his most recent run in a free-for-all at Melton on July 13.

Of the three “actual” remaining slots, one of them, Tasracing’s slot, will be taken by the winner of Saturday night’s $80,000 The Beautide in Hobart where the major players are Fighter Command (gate two), De Goey (seven) and Nyack (eight).

The Jess Tubbs-trained Fighter Command, which is $1.70 favourite in The Beautide, adds plenty of interest as the only genuine three-year-old contender for this year’s TAB Eureka. Should he win on Saturday, he would be guaranteed barrier one in The Eureka.

Perfect Class is one of several runners still in the mix for trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, which won last year’s inaugural TAB Eureka with star mare Encipher.

Others include last year’s Victoria Derby winner Petracca, star mare Major Delight and boom four-year-old High Above, which won a trial at Bendigo on Monday night.

Tonkin and Stewart have a strong relationship with Danny and Jo Zavitsanos, who have the Team Zav slot, and you would expect them to partner.

Alabar Breeders Crown winner Major Delight Picture: Stuart McCormick

The Zavitsanos’ own Petracca, but two defeats in two runs this campaign have cast doubts over his credentials for such a strong race.

Perfect Class and Major Delight, which has impressed winning her past two starts, must be pressing hard for the Team Zav slot.

Perfect Class, a $10 shot in latest TAB Eureka markets, doesn’t have the hype of some of his more glamorous stablemates, but the gelding has raced 26 times for 10 wins, 10 seconds and three thirds.

He finished second to Petracca in last year’s Victoria Derby and followed it with a second to the then flying Frankie Ferocious in the 4YO Bonanza at Melton on February 3. He’s since won two Melton free-for-alls.

The biggest unknown is where leviathan Queensland owners Kevin and Kay Seymour will land with their slot. They had their champion pacer Leap To Fame run second in last year’s TAB Eureka.

And they already have a guaranteed runner this year with their classy four-year-old Free Thinker snaring the Racing Queensland slot by winning the recent The Hayden at Albion Park.

“We’re in no rush. There’s a lot to weigh-up at the moment and still some good options out there,” Seymour said. “We’ll cast the net far and wide before locking in our (slot) runner.”

TAB Eureka favourite Never Ending continues his preparation for the race in a free-for-all at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He’s then booked to fly to Melbourne next Tuesday and we’ll take him up to Sydney by road,” trainer Justin Prentice said.

Never Ending heads latest TAB markets at $3.50 from Don Hugo ($6) then Captains Knock, Frankie Ferocious and High Above at $8.

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Originally published as The race for the remaining spots in the world’s richest harness racing is heating up