Impressive two-year-old Soaring Heart is set to take advantage of an unusual programming decision to give his veteran trainer/owner combination another stakes win.
Soaring Heart is one of only nine horses in the field for the Listed Winning Edge Presentations Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
The Winning Edge has had several names over the past 60 years and has been won by some outstanding horses ranging from the stars of the 1960s and 70s such has Prunda and Bengalla Lad to the Bart Cummings-trained subsequent Australian Cup winner Sirmione.
This year another two-year-old race, the Aquis Crystal Slipper (1200m) for fillies has been programmed for the meeting.
It carries a double QTIS bonus which means the winner could take home about $148,000.
Trainer Pat Duff said he wasn’t complaining about any race which gave owners a shot at nearly $150,000.
“It is great for the industry. But it has made things easier for my bloke as there appears to be a virtual split field and several of the obvious dangers have accepted in the other race,” Duff said.
“I have a lot of time for Soaring Heart. He should have three wins in a row instead of having a win and two seconds beside his name.”
“Two runs back he flashed home for second after getting pushed back from a wide barrier. Then he got narrowly beaten in a good race at Caloundra when his jockey dropped the whip.”
Soaring Heart is raced by former District Court Judge Wally Tutt and members of his family.
“Wally and I go back 40 years and we have had a lot of success with horses like Handsome Prince who won 21 races and Hard To Catch who ran second in a Stradbroke,” Duff said.
“It would be great for two old boys to share in another stakes win.”
