mmg.com.au

The babies and possibly some future stars of the industry take centre stage at Shepparton Raceway tonight with heats of The Lombo classic for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and fillies.

Some 17 district-trained youngsters will contest heats of The Lombo in a bid to make the $25000 finals to be run at Shepparton Gold Cup night on Saturday week, January 19.

Among those contesting heats tonight will be 14 debutantes.

The best performed pacer in the colts and geldings heats is the Leeton-trained Business In Motion who contests the second heat.

The Courage Under Fire colt has won all of his three starts.

He won the first race for two-year-olds in Victoria last month, followed by the heat and $25000 final of the time-honoured MIA Breeders Plate on his home track on New Year’s night.

With a favourable barrier three draw tonight, he is likely to start a short-priced favourite to continue his winning streak.

An interesting rival in Business In Motion’s heat is A Special Dream trained by veteran Bunbartha horseman Bryan Johnstone.

By Live Or Die, A Special Dream’s dam, Shadow Star, has left eight winners.

A Special Dream has been among the placegetters recently in trials at Shepparton and will be reined tonight by experienced horseman John Newberry.

The only other winners contesting the colts’ and geldings’ heats are in the first heat.

Impressive first-up Kilmore winner Viewpoint, trained and driven by Craig Turnbull, looks hard to beat in this heat, while another visitor from Leeton, Enjoyingthegoodtimes, who has drawn the inside of the second row, also has impressive credentials.

He was a heat winner and finished second to Business In Motion in the MIA Breeders Plate final.

Pole marker in the first heat, the Grahamvale-trained Dashing Dan Lombo, has had two outings for two seconds, including a second to Viewpoint, for trainer Matthew Barclay.

Barclay will be a busy player in The Lombo heats with Artista Lombo, who has been placed at her only two starts, and Nomore Tears Lombo contesting the first fillies’ heat and debutante Miss Mini Lombo tackling the second fillies’ heat.

The Metropolitan filly Tallulah Bay, who won brilliantly on debut at Kilmore on December 16 and who will have the services of master reinsman Gavin Lang tonight, is the only winner contesting the fillies’ heats.

There is a nine-race card tonight and some excellent supporting races to the heats of The Lombo.

First event kicks off at 5.55pm with the final race at 10pm.