Harness racing: Top NSW driver Luke McCarthy to partner Victorian pair in dual Oaks bid at Menangle

Champion NSW driver Luke McCarthy will take the reins on two of Victoria’s major chances in the NSW Oaks and NSW Trotters’ Oaks at Menangle on Saturday night.

Luke McCarthy will drives two major chances from Victoria in the NSW Oaks and NSW Trotters’ Oaks at Menangle on Saturday night. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images for Club Menangle

Champion NSW driver Luke McCarthy is playing for “Team Victoria” at Menangle on Saturday night.

McCarthy will take the reins on two of Victoria’s major chances – Soho Americano (NSW Oaks) and Gatesys Gem (NSW Trotters’ Oaks) – on the stellar Group 1 card.

“They’re both terrific drives and strong winning chances,” he said.

“Just as importantly, they’re both drawn well, too.”

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McCarthy was particularly impressed with the Michael Stanley-trained Soho Americano’s win in her heat of the NSW (pacing) Oaks last week.

“She was super. I asked a lot of her early and wondered what she’d have left, but gee she hit the line well,” he said.

“She’s got the gate speed to really use the good draw (gate three). I think she’s one of the best chances in what looks like a really even Oaks.”

Remarkably, McCarthy has only won the NSW Oaks once, when he partnered the Dean Braun-trained Its Nosurprisesthere in 2013.

The Victorian flavour in this Oaks runs deep with six of 10 finalists trained down south.

They include Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin’s quartet – Luv The Nitelife (gate four), Iveseenheavenslight (eight), Ill Be Gone (10) and Beach Diamond (11) – and Miss Ari, who brilliantly won her heat last week for Gary and Deb Quinlan.

McCarthy is thrilled to snare the drive on the Glenn Hunter-trained Gatesys Gem for the first time in the Trotters’ Oaks.

She was a star last season with six wins and two seconds from just nine starts and returned with a good second at Geelong last Friday night.

“A bit like the pacing Oaks, it looks like an open race and there’s a few different formlines coming together,” McCarthy said.

“I’ve seen a bit of this filly and her best is right up with anything in the race, especially given she has the early speed to take advantage of the good draw (gate one). She’ll be as hard to beat as any.”

McCarthy likes his chance with Gatesys Gem, who he will ride for the first time, in the Trotters’ Oaks. Pictutre: Stuart McCormick

McCarthy’s other marquee drive of the night is his only stable star, Eye Keep Smiling, in the Australasia’s premier mares’ pacing race, the $200,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile (formerly Ladyship Mile).

“I couldn’t be happier with her and she’s certainly the class runner of the race,” he said.

“She’s right at the top of her game and she is just so versatile. When she’s against the mares like this, you’ve got so many options because you can do some work if you have to and she’ll still be hard to hold out.

“Sure I’d have liked to have drawn in a bit closer (than gate 10), but I just know she’ll run a mighty race.”

McCarthy will have four Victorian rivals in the Queen Elizabeth, headed by Jess Tubbs’ proven Group 1 performer Rakero Rebel, who is drawn better in gate five.

The headline Victorian at the meeting is unbeaten young trotting mare Keayang Zahara, who is chasing her 16th win and eighth at Group 1 level in the $100,000 Macarthur Mile.

She clashes for the first time with Emma Stewart’s untapped Susan Is Her Name, while another Victorian, Im Ready Jet, looks the other of the big three players in the feature.

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

Originally published as Harness racing: Top NSW driver Luke McCarthy to partner Victorian pair in dual Oaks bid at Menangle