Eureka and Dapto Megastar hype builds Across the Ditch
Across the Ditch • August 1st, 2025 10:41 AM • 5 min read
Harness Racing - Adam Hamilton
Two of Australia’s brightest young pacing stars headline another big weekend of harness racing action.
In a surprise move, premier Victorian trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin have whisked Chariots Of Fire winner Bay of Biscay up to Menangle on Saturday night for just his second start in four months.
It’s a crucial lead-up run for the world’s richest harness race, the $A2.1 million TAB Eureka, also at Menangle on September 6.
The fact this race is over 2300m, the same distance at the TAB Eureka, was a major reason for a 10-hour road trip to Menangle rather than less than an hour down the road for a 1720m free-for-all at Melton.
Fighter Command, considered Bay Of Biscay’s major TAB Eureka danger, will go even further afield.
Jess Tubbs’ four-year-old bundle of potential will be a commanding favourite to win Saturday night’s $80,000 Beautide (2090m) in Hobart.
Victory carries a golden ticket into the TAB Eureka through the Tasracing slot.
Bay of Biscay already has his slot, that of leviathan WA owner-breeder Rob Watson through his Soho Standardbreds business.
Saturday night’s Menangle race is certainly harder than Bay Of Biscay would have faced at Melton, especially from a wide draw (gate 10).
His rivals include the high-class Captains Knock (gate nine), recent Inter Dominion placegetter Cya Art (three) and former stablemate Kingman (four), who won by a stunning 35m at Menangle last week at his first run for Luke McCarthy.
At Menangle, one of the highlights will be the long-awaited return of 2024 Inter Dominion placegetter Keayang Stuka in race seven.
His major rival will be exciting stablemate, four-year-old mare Jilliby Ballerini, who is unbeaten in five runs this season.
They are both stablemates of the brilliant Keayang Zahara, who has won 14 of 15 starts, and is on target for a September return to racing.
Another of their Marg and Paddy Lee-trained stablemates, Keayang Chucky, will also return in September and is being set for the Group 1 Dominion at Addington in November.
Greyhound Racing - Jared Timms
The Dapto Megastar looms as the major target for star on the rise, Taormina, after the talented chaser recorded a sixth victory in succession at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Having only just missed in the Gr.1 National Futurity Final at the beginning of the year, Taormina has continued to improve throughout her 31 career starts, making a Golden Easter Egg Final notably in April prior to her recent run of success.
Boasting incredible box speed that has seen her lead all the way in the majority of her 14 victories so far, co-trainer Andy Lord believes that Taormina will be ideally suited to the conditions in the Dapto Group 1 feature race.
“Dapto will be made to order for a brilliant front runner like Taormina,” Lord told GRNSW.
An all-star cast is expected to target the 2025 Dapto Megastar series, the final of which is set to be contested on Thursday, September 11th.
AU$75,000 will go on the line in. what will be the final ever running of the race before the historic track is closed.
Early Dapto Megastar betting has Country Classic winner, Jungle Johnny, an early $5.50 favourite from reigning champion, Good Odds Cobber ($6)
Taormina remains shares the seventh line of Dapto Megastar betting with the likes of Canya Sapphire and Zipping Kristoff at generous odds of $21.
