Does Fate Await in Protostar

Already the race that many are looking forward to this Constellations Carnival, the Ladbrokes Protostar in its inaugural running has drawn together a quality group of two-year-old pacers.

Resuming from a spell in last week’s Wayne Wilson Paleface Adios Classic, the Grant Dixon trained and reined colt, Fate Awaits missed a placing for the first time in his brief career.

With Bittersweet the race favourite and Fate Awaits on the second line of the market, it proved to be somewhat of an upset with Sweet On Lexy claiming victory over a fast finishing Hesitate.

Since last Saturday’s unplaced run, Fate Awaits has been closely monitored by Dixon, with the master horseman telling Chris Barsby on Mobile Rolling, that everything appears to be on target.

“We’ve done a blood on him, we were happy with that and his work has been fine.

“I put it down to I gassed him a little bit too much getting to the lead, and I think he can bounce back Saturday night,” Dixon said.

In what shaped as an intriguing prelude to this week’s $500,000 Ladbrokes Protostar, it was the Bernie Hewitt trained gelding that gained bragging rights for this week, however those rights have been dampened when drawing the outside of the front line.

Owned by Lex Crosby, a long-time stable client of Hewitt, the wind in the sails from the Paleface Adios victory quickly subsided.

One horse that has drawn well is Forty Love, the Aaron Dunn trained colt coming up with barrier two, a horse that has a good record when pressing forward in his races.

“We’ve got a great barrier, there is a bit of form all around us,” Dunn said.

“We have the opportunity to press forward and keep rolling if I can and just play it by ear and see what happens as the race pans out.”

Forty Love had barrier seven in the Paleface Adios and also cast a plate 1200 metres from home, with his effort to finish 3 metres from Sweet On Lexy full of merit in his first start since June 14.

Fellow Victorian, Hesitate, was a real eye-catcher in the Paleface Adios, attacking the line once a gap opened in the latter stages.

Filling one of the Ladbrokes slots, Kate Gath will jet in to take the reins, with trainer Damien Burns happy with his gate where he looks set to secure a nice run in the early stages.

“Really happy with the barrier, number nine following out Dunny’s horse,” Burns said following Monday’s draw.

“Other than probably two or one, I will take that every day, so yeah, I’m rapt.”

Sanchez fills the slot for Terry and Ros Cluse, a Captaintreacherous colt that will be third up from a spell in the race, following a last start 2^nd in an NSW Breeders race at Menangle.

“Trailing draw was what we needed to be a chance,” Jack said.

“Hopefully the one horse (Fate Awaits) can produce his form like he has been.”

Stablemates, Cigano and The Highlight Reel arrived on Tuesday both boasting last start victories.

A long-time favourite since confirmed by slot holder Jamie Durnberger-Smith for the race, The Highlight Reel comes into the race fresh, but drew favourably in gate three, with Durnberger-Smith ecstatic with the barrier.

“I am absolutely pumped with the gate,” he said.

“A lot of the horses in it have had hard runs, while our guy is coming in fresh and ready to rumble.”

*Hoofnote- Bittersweet succumbed to a stable mishap and has been scratched.

Dance With Carmer takes her place and will run from barrier four with Luke McCarthy to take the reins.