THE $1.5 million TAB Eureka is a special race to champion trainer Emma Stewart and she has a tattoo to prove it.
Emma Tattoo - courtesy Emma Stewart
In the euphoria of winning inaugural TAB Eureka at Menangle in 2023, Stewart had the name of her star mare Encipher tattooed on her forearm.
She might have to find some more space for another name given the strength and depth of contenders she has for this year’s race on November 21.
Although boom filly Bettor Beach, a dazzling last-start Victoria Oaks winner, is her only confirmed slot runner so far, Stewart and co-trainer Clayton Tonkin will unleash a star-studded “six-pack” on Menangle Saturday night in a quest to impress the remaining slot owners.
Six of the 10 slots remain, although it is understood several of them already have runners in mind.
Of Stewart’s Menangle raiders, last-start Group 2 South Australian Cup winner The Last Trip, the untapped Cigano and star mare The Art Of Success look the most likely to attract slot owners.
She also has four-year-olds I Am The Storm and Let Her Rock and three-year-old Most Exciting in action at Menangle.
The Last Trip, who has been a revelation with seven wins and a second from his eight starts this campaign, has been linked to a number of slots without any of them confirming him yet.
Stewart and Tonkin are essentially guaranteed at least one more runner through the slot held by their major owner, Danny Zavitsanos.
He has openly said he is weighing up his own horse Fox Dan, who ran second last year, or the likes of The Last Trip and Cigano.
Other remaining slot owners Team Lee (Levarg group), Mick Harvey (Go Racing) and Daniel Cordina (Cordina Racing) are said to be considering Stewart-trained runners.
Along with Encipher’s win, Stewart also landed the quinella in last year’s TAB Eureka with Bay Of Biscay beating Fox Dan and grabbed second and third spots in 2024 with Bay Of Biscay and High Above.
Along with Stewart’s team, the $2.20 TAB Eureka favourite Loucasso will cap his preparation for the race in a 2300m race at Menangle on Saturday night.
“He just came through last week’s (Group 1 NSW Breeders Challenge) win so well, I thought he could do with one more strong hit-out and then it’s two weeks into the Eureka,” trainer-driver Seaton Grima said.
Trainer-driver Jimmy Rattray will also push his exciting three-year-old Alert Bay’s quest for a TAB Eureka slot by backing him up in the last race at Menangle on Saturday.
Alert Bay has run second to Loucasso four times this campaign, including in last week’s Breeders Challenge final.
“He’s flying and getting better all the time. I’d love to get a crack at it,” Rattray said.
