TAB Eureka slot could be decided Sat night

LEVIATHAN owner Danny Zavitsanos is fighting his emotions as D-Day looms for his slot runner in the world’s richest harness race.

Zavitsanos and wife, Jo, have narrowed the decision to two of their own pacers, War Dan Buddy and Fox Dan, to fill their slot in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka.

That in itself is momentous because it has taken until the third running of the TAB Eureka for them to use their slot on a horse they own.

But this year’s decision runs emotionally deep.

Fox Dan, a three-year-old with six wins and three placings from just 10 starts, was bred by “Team Zav”.

“There’s even more to it,” Danny said. “Fox Dan’s mum, Jodila, is the first harness horse I ever raced. I paid $22,000 for her at the yearling sales and called her Jodila after my wife (Joanna) and we called our youngest daughter ‘Dila’.

“He’s such a special horse to us all. If Jo had her way, we’d have used our slot on our horses every year so far and this year would go to Fox Dan.

“But I’ve put emotion aside the past two years and will do so again this time. All I can say for sure at this stage is that we will use our slot on one of our own horses.

“This weekend will go a long way to deciding which horse we will go with.”

War Dan Buddy, a four-year-old with nine wins and almost $400,000 in earnings, and Fox Dan step-out for what could be their final lead-up races at Melton on Saturday night.

War Dan Buddy won impressively at Menangle last start and will be first out at Melton from an awkward inside back row draw (gate eight) over 1720m in the opening race.

Fox Dan will also have to overcome a back row draw, but over a longer 2240m trip in race three.

“As it stands right now, Emma and Clayton seem to lean to War Dan Buddy as the one we should take, but this weekend will tell us a lot more about where they’re both at,” Zavitsanos said.

“I think Fox Dan is a really exciting horse and on the rise, but we’ve got to weigh up how many three-year-olds will be in the TAB Eureka this year.

“It looks like there will be at least four, maybe even five, which reduces the potential to draw a really good barrier. And the preferential draw is one of the biggest advantages to the three-year-olds taking on the four-year-olds.

“There’s still three weeks until the race after this weekend, but I think we could be ready to make our decision next week. Ask me again on Monday.

“I’ve been a huge supporter of this race since day one and it would mean the world to win it, so I want to give myself every chance by making the right decision on which horse we run.”

While just one of the four confirmed TAB Eureka runners so far is a three-year-old (Hesitate in the John Singleton slot), there are at least five more three-year-olds in serious contention. They are Fox Dan, Fate Awaits, Path To Greatness, Seathestars and Go Miki.

Only three of the 20 runners across the two TAB Eurekas so far have been three and Bay Of Biscay is the only one to have performed well, finishing a luckless second to Don Hugo last year.

“I agree with most people that the three-year-olds look a really strong group this year and, if they’re ever going to win it, it could be this time,” Zavitsanos said.

War Dan Buddy with Emma Stewart and Cam Hart at Menangle. Club Menangle/Pacepix