By Ken Warren
Local favourite Leap To Fame remains the lone undefeated pacer after two rounds of the Inter Dominion series and will have to overcome a wide draw if he is to complete a clean sweep of the heats at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Like all of his rivals he backs up from round two on Tuesday where he was forced to work hard from a back row draw to get home narrowly.
Leap To Fame had to dig deep there and may not get an easy time again from the outside of the front row in heat three but he should enjoy the longer trip and as the clear class runner is hard to tip against.
His half-brother Swayzee draws the ace in heat two after having his 10-race winning streak come to an end in the second round but his effort to place there after racing wide in the latter stages still had merit.
He may be crossed early but should get the favours and in his only try at this longer distance he beat Leap To Fame to win the Blacks a Fake at this circuit.
Better Eclipse looks his only real threat.
He landed a hat trick when he scored on night one and did a good job from a similar draw to this when a 1.4 metre second on Tuesday after working.
The opening pacing heat on Saturday looks the most competitive with two second round heat winners going head to head.
Nerano has really found form in the series so far, chasing Leap To Fame home as runner up on night one before working but proving too strong in his second heat here on Tuesday.
He has come from wider barriers in each of those outings so the ace draw gives him every chance to deliver again.
Speak The Truth was a big improver on night two when he worked to the front and kept going for a 1.6 metre win.
He draws well again and has raced just twice since a spell so can continue to build.
Spirit Of St Louis was much better in round two when just a head off Leap To Fame. He draws wider but he is good enough to be competitive from there.
Turn It Up has placed in both round of the series so far so can play a role again along with first round heat winner Future Assured who did well from this same barrier last start.
Two Victorians have gone through the first two rounds of the Inter Dominion Trotting series unbeaten and they go head-to-head on Saturday night.
Just Believe is three from three since returning to Australia and called on all his strength and quality to get home by a head in round two after working.
He continues to build towards his title defence and is hard to go past from the low draw.
Ollivici is hard to knock having dug deep to get home by narrow margins in the opening two rounds of the series. He draws a couple of spots lower than in round two and can make a race of it.
Queen Elida will be out to put a series win on the board in the other trotting heat.
She has been beaten into second as a hot favourite in both rounds but is still going well, missing by just a nose on Tuesday after being taken on in front and eventually handing up.
She will have to overcome her opening round conqueror Plymouth Chubb who steamed home and overpowered her that night before pushing defending champion Just Believe to a head when runner up on Tuesday.