Ballarat & District Trotting Club is again offering a golden ticket into Australia’s richest two-year-old pacing feature, the $500,000 Benstud Standardbreds Protostar at Albion Park on Saturday, July 11.
For the second year in a row the winner of the $20,000 Durham Park 2yo Rising Star at Ballarat’s Bray Raceway on Thursday, June 11, will secure a Protostar slot held by the BDTC and Durham Park’s Bruce and Vicki Edward.
BDTC chief executive officer Paul Rowse said it was a thrill to be again partnering Durham Park as a slot holder in such a prestigious race.
“Being selected to be part of the third running of the Protostar is a rare opportunity.
“It’s great to be able to give connections an avenue to getting a starter in such a big race.”
The Emma Stewart-trained and Team Zav-raced Cardigan Dan won last year’s Durham Park 2yo Rising Star, 1710m, in 1:53.6 and went onto start in the Protostar any Albion Park.
Rowse said while luck did not go the way of Cardigan Dan in the big one, it had been a memorable experience - from the running of the Rising Star to everything about the Protostar.
He said there had been some impressive performances by two-year-olds in this part of the country this season and like last year we were hoping for a high quality line-up in the Rising Star and ultimately a major contender in the Protostar.
Nominations for the Durham Park 2yo Rising Star close on Friday, June 5, with the field declared on Monday, June 8.
