Rules Dont Apply does Crossland proud in Great Southern Star

The five-year-old Muscle Hill gelding accounted for some of trotting's biggest names by winning the $50,000 first heat of Australasia's richest trotting race in exciting fashion.

That Rules Dont Apply finished ninth in the $300,000 Group 1 final later in the night after jarring up early in the race was no disappointment at all to Crossland.

He knew the format of running both a cut-throat heat and final in the one night would not be to the advantage of his relatively young and still only-lightly raced gelding, who is raced by a large group of owners, among them the members of the Mighty Burra Syndicate, managed by Eaglehawk premiership star and goalkicking great Matt Gretgrix.

As it was, the heat win nearly didn't eventuate.

"He wasn't really meant to be in it - I didn't realise that the nominations closed and they did the fields on the Monday night. I thought it was Tuesday," Crossland said.

"I was sitting there with the kids and one of the owners sent me a text and said we've drawn eight behind Tornado Valley, so I sent him back a question mark.

"He rang back and said Rules Don't Apply has drawn eight in the Great Southern Star heat.

"When I saw we were behind Tornado Valley, I thought he'd be a real chance, so I left him in.

"But I was always concerned the heat and then final wouldn't really suit him.

"He'd only had 22 starts (before Friday night) and his 21st was a win against the top class, but only his own age group.

"In the final, he just wasn't comfortable and he hadn't gotten through the run as well as I would have liked.

"I wasn't going to push him if he wasn't feeling right. I knew after about 200m he hadn't come through the (early) run."

The horse Rules Dont Apply relegated into second place in the heat, Tornado Valley was chasing his third straight Great Southern Star Final win and ended up seventh behind his stable-mate Majestuoso, who delivered Andy and Kate Gath their fourth win in the race and three in a row.

Third in that heat, Wobelee ran a brilliant final to be runner-up to Majestuoso, beaten by only a head.

Crossland is viewing the heat win as a bit of a coming of age for his prodigiously talented trotter, who captured his first Group 1 success in his Vicbred Super Series final on New Year's Eve.

"People can say his Group 1 win was against his own age, but this win was against plenty of the best - Wobelee, Tornado Valley and a bunch of well-credentialed horses," he said.

"Tornado Valley's won a million dollars and he got to walk and have his own way, but we were still able to get past him."

Potentially next up for Rules Dont Apply will be a tilt at the Australian Trotting Grand Prix on February 26.

"We'll have to sit down and go through it. Do we give him a month off and aim up again? Crossland said.

"Looking further ahead, sadly, I don't think the Inter Dominion will suit him because one of the heats is at Geelong and he is not going to handle that track at all.

"We'll just need to let a bit of water go under the bridge and make an educated plan.

"We have to keep in mind that he's still a puppy really. When you look forward and see how many starts a lot of them on Friday have had - like even Powderkeg is his own age and he's up at 50 starts.

"They have the ring-craft. He's still learning to put what foot where, but he's gotten to where he has so quickly."

Read more: Crossland celebrates Group One success with star trotter

Friday night's win was the ninth of Rules Dont Apply's career from 24 starts.

Bolstered by three placings, his earnings stand at $140,840.

The five-year-old was Crossland's second Great Southern Star finalist, following on from Our Dolly Would, who finished seventh behind Vulcan in 2013.

The mare was one of two runners for the Bendigo trainer in the heats that year where he was joined by Bellingham.

Read more: More Group race glory for Ashwood, French with La Serena

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