The Last Trip Chasing a TAB Eureka Dream.

IT was two years ago when Ben Said drove The Last Trip in trackwork for the first time and fell in love with him.

Now he’s the managing owner of the buzz four-year-old pacer and dreaming of winning the world’s pacing race, the $1.5 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on November 21.

A lot has happened in between.

“I was working for Freddy Taiba (trainer) when I drove this horse a few times and he’s one I never forgot about,” Said recalled.

“A year or so back I heard he was for sale. I remembered him straight away, told a mate (Stuart Randall) and we bought him.”

At that stage, The Last Trip had raced just five times for three different trainers (Taiba, Dean Atkinson and Vince Vallelonga) for two wins and a third.

“But the potential was there. He was big, raw and just needed time,” Said said.

“I was working for (trainer) Tammy Langley down in Tassie at the time and I brought him down so I could pre-train him myself, which I did for four or five months and then sent him to Taylor (Ford) to do the rest.

“We got to decision time what to do with him and Jodi (Quinlan) was kind enough to ring Clayton (Tonkin) and asked he and Emma (Stewart) would take the horse.”

It has been an inspired move with The Last Trip unbeaten in five starts for the stable, including his first two by aggregate of 74.4 metres.

“It’s got harder each time, but he’s just kept stepping up and we don’t know where his bottom is yet,” Said said. “I guess we’ll find that out on Saturday night.

“I can’t thank Emma and Clayton enough. They’ve done an amazing job, but I guess that’s why they’re the best.”

The Last Trip faces by far his biggest test yet from a back row draw (gate nine) in the $100,000 Group 2 Vicbred 4YO Entires and Geldings final at Melton.

The importance of the race runs much deeper.

A win or huge performance on Saturday night would significantly boost The Last Trip’s prospects of landing a slot in the TAB Eureka.

“We’re aware of that,” Said said. “This is one of the key form races for the Eureka horse so just about every slot owner will be watching to see which horses grab the eye.

“The Eureka is the dream. It would be unbelievable to have a runner in a race like that and we know he’ll need to go well this week to keep that dream alive.”

The race also provides 28-year-old former Tasmanian driver Taylor Ford with her biggest winning opportunity yet. Five of her 154 career wins have come on The Last Trip.

“Taylor did such a terrific job with him when she got him ready before going to Emma and Clayton and when we made the move, we told them as a group it was our wish for Taylor to keep driving the horse,” Said said.

“I’m a big fan of Taylor’s driving. I think she’s a great example of someone just needing the right opportunities or horse to show their talent.

“She’s a real talent and hasn’t put a foot wrong on this horse.”

The Last Trip is one of a staggering six runners in the 12-horse Vicbred final for Stewart and Tonkin.

The others are Storms Collide (gate one), Apollostorm (three), Fairplay (foukr), I Am The Storm (six) and Fox Dan (eight). They also train the emergency, Schwarz.

That comes off the back of Stewart and Tonkin winning all four Vicbred pacing finals for two and three-year-old pacers at Melton last Saturday night.

And they also have the two key runners – The Art Of Success (gate 11) and Let Her Roll (13) – in the Vicbred final for 4YO mares on Saturday night.

By Adam Hamilton