TOP Bendigo region trainer Glenn Douglas is excited to see what Ima A Lister produces in his debut for his new stable at Bendigo on Tuesday night.
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Douglas, fresh from his success with Rocknroll Eyes at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night, has had the former Tasmanian pacer under his care for just a few weeks.
The four-year-old mare's first run for his new trainer will come on a big night for the Bendigo Harness Racing Club, which will host two heats of the Breeders Crown Series for two-year-old fillies.
The club will also host the series semi-finals on August 17.
Victoria's leading trainer and number two nationally Emma Stewart is expected to dominate Tuesday night's heats, with five starters engaged, including the early favourites in both heats, Maajida and Jemstone.
Douglas, who sits third in the state trainers' premiership with 103 winners, but does not have a starter in the Breeders Crown heats, is among those who expects Stewart to dominate.
"They (Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin) do a wonderful job, they've got their horses racing well at the right times and the numbers," he said.
"Like a good football team, they've got depth in their stable, and if one has a poor night, another one stands up.
"It becomes a game of numbers and they certainly have numbers to win these juvenile races. You would think it would be a matter of just which horse puts its best foot forward on the night."
Like a good football team, they've got depth in their stable, and if one has a poor night, another one stands up.
- Glenn Douglas
Douglas will have three runners on the night, headed by stable newcomer Ima A Lister, who until recently had been racing in Tasmania, after starting her career in New Zealand.
"She was a horse, who showed a bit early on, and probably hasn't lived up to her potential - it will be interesting to see how she performs," he said.
"We also have Jayedgar (in the same race) as Ima A Lister and Chinook Winds, they;re nice country horses that are always thereabouts, but never win out of turn.
"They will make the night interesting for me."
The Strathfieldsaye-based trainer said he was rapt to score another win with Rocknroll Eyes, a five-year-old, who has been in and out of his stable since his race debut in 2016, and a pacer he believed had 'exceeded expectations'.
"He's been a wonderful horse over the journey," he said.
"He lacks a bit of pace, as in high-speed pace, but he's a dour horse, who gives his best every week.
"Sometimes they beat him for a bit of speed, but when he finds the top like that he does take a lot of rolling. He can peel off some good sectionals when he is able to make the pace and is not chasing.
"We do like him. The owners purchased him from the yearlings sales and I worked him early on before he went back to Mildura, where the owners are form.
"From time-to-time he's made his way back here with me and he's won 14 races.
"He did the bulk of his racing up there, but he's in the class now where he can come down and race at Melton.
"He's probably exceeded all expectations. He'll never been an out-and-out star, but he will run through his classes nicely enough."
Rocknroll Eyes was one of two Bendigo region winners at Melton on Saturday.
Douglas was joined in the winners' circle by Sutton-Grange trainer Graeme Dalton, who continued his good recent run of winning form with stable star Animated.
The seven-year-old notched up career win number 17 from 77 starts, with James Herbertson in the sulky - his first since his success at Ballarat in December.
One of the more intriguing runners on the card on Tuesday night will be the Dylan Marshall-trained first-starter Plukka, who will be making his debut as a five-year-old, in the Gold Central Victoria Pace (NR 48 to 51).
Plukka will have the services of star driver Kima Frenning, who partnered the horse at his trial, when he worked home solidly to finish second, after finding trouble during the run.
Marshall conceded surprise with his horse's short $2.40 odds in early betting.
"I'm not convinced that the trial was all that strong; there were probably only two in it who did much," he said.
"He trialed nicely enough, but he's not the best betting proposition.
"She (Frenning) will likely drive him the same way as in the trial, just sit-up and get sucked along, and see what happens from the 400m peg on. Driving them like that you are counting on a bit luck.
"He's been in work about eight or nine months; he came to us with bad feet and it took about three months to get them right before we could do anything with him."
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