Cardigan trainer Emma Stewart says the biggest logistical challenges in having 23 starters at Melton on Friday night are behind her.
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She said once it was race day most of the hard work – organising transport, staff, driving engagements and gear – had been completed.
Stewart said on race night it was just a matter of putting all the planning into practice with up to 10 staff members on deck and hoping for luck on the track.
Stewart has the 23 runners – two more than she had at the corresponding feature meeting last year – in Vicbred Super Series semi-finals for 2yo, 3yo and 4yo pacers.
She won five semi-finals last season, qualified 14 for group 1 finals and went on to take out three titles.
Stewart’s partner Clayton Tonkin said preparing for a meeting with so many starters was all about having the right system.
“We’ve always been ones for being well structured.
“You have to be organised and well structured,” he said standing in front of racks of race gear, piles of rugs and a checklist on a white board featuring each of the runners’ stable names.
Tonkin said as far as the racing preparation was concerned a full track workout early in the week provided the impetus.
The stable will have up to four starters in 11 of the 12 semi-finals.
4yo mares: Striking Beauty (first semi-final), Rocknroll Magic, Whirily School (second)
4yo entires/geldings: Rock Classic (second)
3yo fillies: Miss Graceland, Tell Me Tales (first), Nitro Nikky, Seaside Beauty (second)
3yo colts/geldings: Our Little General, Solid As A Rock, Form Analyst (first), Rocknroll Icon, All A Breeze (second)
2yo fillies: Nostra Beach (first), Nostra Villa, Pistol Abbey (second)
2yo colts/geldings: Liftntorque, Tapthekeg, Major Times, Concealment (first), Tam Major, Poster Boy, Big Bad Bruce (second)
Highly rated 2yo colt Poster Boy looms as Stewart's best on the 12-race card.
BURRUMBEET trainer-driver Michael Stanley will also be out to make his presence felt at Melton with five starters in the VSS semi-finals.
His team is headed up by champion 3yo filly Petacular, which took out last year’s 2yo final.
She has drawn the second of the two semi-finals in her age category after having three wins on end and will start from the favourable gate of four.
Stanley also has highly consistent 3yo filly Soho Angel engaged after spending most of this year racing in Western Australia.
Wayne Ronan (Ideal Lifestyle), Tim McGuigan (Walking Eagle) nand Colin Holloway (Delwyns Son) are other Ballarat trainers with runners.
