The eyes of our regions Trotting community will be firmly fixed on one horse in particular when the green light flashes in Saturday night’s prestigious Victoria Cup Final at Bendigo.
Locally owned pacer Torrid Saint earned his spot in the $300,000 Group 1 Pryde’s Easifeed Victoria Cup with a slashing second in last Saturday’s Smoken Up Sprint at Lord’s Raceway in Bendigo.
After drawing the pole at this week’s barrier draw, Torrid Saint’s Swan Hill owner and breeder Noel Watson was suitably excited, while also hoping for a strong showing when he spoke to The Guardian.
“It’s a huge thrill to even be invited to be honest – we’re in elite company and it’s just a huge feather in the horse’s cap to even get an invitation,” Watson said.
“There were 24 nominations and the final field is by selection, so whoever from Harness Racing Victoria selected us, thank you very much, because we’re now one of the 12 that they’ve picked for the Victoria Cup.”
It’s just fantastic for Julie, Glenn (Douglas) and the team – and just as an owner-breeder, it’s an absolute thrill to just be in it,” Watson said.
While drawing barrier number one gives Torrid Saint it’s best chance of winning one of Harness Racing’s most famed races, the gelding will be up against some of the world’s best pacers, including the dual Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing and the Nathan Purdon trained, Anthony Butt driven Amazing Dream.
“Hopefully we’ve got enough early speed to hand up to whoever we want to hand the lead up to; that probably looks like being Amazing Dream,” Watson said.
“From there, we’re either behind the leader or three back on the fence and either of those positions in the race will at least give us a chance.”
Win or lose, Watson is as proud as punch that one of his progenies from broodmare Torridon has gone on to so far reach the heights he has.
“She (Torridon) has left eight or nine winners now; I bought her specifically to use her as a broodmare because I thought she had all the right ingredients to be successful,” Watson said.
“As a young horse, he (Torrid Saint) was not super strong but was always quick – he took a long time to mature body wise, which was good, because he did a lot of racing but it didn’t burn him out.”
“He wasn’t punching the death seat or anything like that, he was always sitting back and getting home.”
“Earlier this year, in consultation with the Douglas’s, we decided we’d put him out for three or four weeks and that was the absolute making of him because he came back bigger and stronger.” Watson said.
