By Michael Cowley
Connections of Western Australian star Tommy Shelby have decided to stay, Flying Ricciardo has again come up with box 1, and leading Victorian trainer Jason Thompson will load up his trailer and bring an extra few to contest the heats of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg this Saturday at Wentworth Park.
Despite suggestions the numbers may dwindle, another 10 heats were drawn of Take Two of the Easter Egg heats - or Egg 2.0 as some have called it - after they were twice postponed last weekend.
Originally scheduled for last Saturday, then postponed to Sunday due to the torrential downpours in NSW over the past six days, the series was again washed out on Sunday, and new nominations called for.
Due to final of the Egg now clashing with the heats of the Perth Cup, many expected Tommy Shelby may return to his hometown for that event, but when fields were drawn, there he was, moving from box 8 last week, into box 7 for this week’s heats.
Tommy Shelby, the Australian Cup winner, has been drawn in heat 5, along with smart Victorian Mr Fix It, a winner at his past two starts at The Meadows including the Australian Cup Consolation, who has come up with box 3. Both would be expected to advance into the semi-finals which will now be held on April 3, Easter Saturday evening.
The Kristy Sultana-trained Flying Ricciardo has for the second straight draw come up with box 1, this time in heat 8, and this week it looks a more difficult assignment with talented Victorian Jim Zarr Dashian (box 3) now joining the series, the Bulli Gold Cup winner Barcia Blue Boy (box 6), Jason Mackay’s Avalanche (box 8) and National Derby finalist Tyler Durden (box 5) all engaged.
Shima Shine, considered by some as the best dog in the country, and runner-up in the 2019 TAB Million Dollar Chase, has drawn box 4 in heat 7 and lines up with Richmond Derby finalist It’s A Rush (box 2), Ebby Jet Power (box 3) and Paws Of Thunder runner-up Winlock On Top (box 6).
Also joining the series and in that heat in box 5 is Jason Thompson’s Nangar Rust.
Last week Thompson only nominated Aussie Secret which was scratched on Saturday morning from the heats. As well as Nangar Rust he will be bringing the smart chaser Catch The Thief and also Aston Silk.
Aston Silk has drawn box 7 alongside Wow (box 6) in heat 3. Also in a quality heat are Ava Wine (box 8), and Ice Cream Story in box 1.
Catch The Thief only recently joined the Thompson kennel and was a last start second to Ferdinand Boy in last Saturday’s Shepparton Cup Final. The clash of that race and the original Egg heats meant he could only chose one event, but the opportunity is now there to compete in both.
Catch The Thief - a finalist last year in the Vic Peters Classic at Wentworth Park - has drawn box four in heat 2 and hardest to beat is likely to be Bathurst Cup winner Zulu Warlord who has come up with box 1.
TAB Million Dollar Chase winner Handsome Prince has drawn box 2 - the same as he originally drew last Saturday - in heat 1 of the series.
Handsome Prince has been plagued with niggling injuries in recent months, but trainer Peter Lagogiane believes he is ready to go and has clocked some slick times in trials recently, including a nice final hitout at Goulburn on Monday morning.
Handsome Prince hasn’t started since being injured in the heats of the Melbourne Cup back in November last year.
He will meet the Brooke Ennis-trained Got The Torque (box 6) who is another new runner in the series, and has some handy form with wins at five of his past six starts, but this is the biggest test to date in this company.
Also in the field is another Victorian, the Ned McDonald Zipping Sultan (box 7) who missed last week’s ‘heats’ and the Andrea Dailly-trained Shima Jake.
Australian Cup runner-up Fernando Bluey has drawn box 6 in heat 6, and meets Ebby Infrared (box 1), and Temora Cup winner Mr Ticket (box 4).