Trace ready to step up for National success
SATURDAY night's Group 1 National Distance Final shapes as the feature event of this year's GCA National Championships and trainer Gavin Harris is hoping his talented youngster Zinfandel Trace can cause an upset.
Zinfandel Trace has had just 10 career starts, with her first start over 730m coming in the SA National Distance Final where she won by 14 lengths in 43.10.
Now the October '22 whelping from Barcia Bale x Zinfandel Zara faces the biggest challenge of her career.
"I am very pleased with how she is progressing, obviously it is a big step up and it's only her 11th start and now she is in a National Final," Harris said.
"She is only a young girl, but she has been doing very well and whatever challenge I have given her, she has responded to it."
Despite battling strong headwinds in a trial last Saturday, Zinfandel Trace went 42.85, with the strong improvement having Harris optimistic ahead of Saturday night's final.
"I was happy with her trial Saturday morning, she ran a quicker time than she won the race in and there were some pretty strong headwinds," Harris said.
"I think the winner will have to run between 42.50 and 42.70 to win so she still has to improve a bit but having a home ground advantage certainly helps."
Despite having just nine career starts and never tackling the 730m journey prior to the state final, Harris had full confidence in Zinfandel Trace stepping up after strong performances over the 530m trip which included wins in the SA Champion Puppy and Gawler Produce Final.
"She was finishing very strongly over the 530m and even when she got interrupted in the run she was still able to regain her momentum and fly home," Harris said.
"My co-owners Cherylee and Stewart Barber wanted to put her in the sprint series. Her last start she went 30.46 and she came home in 12.67 but I thought she'd have more chances in the Distance because she lacks some box speed."
Harris has had success at the Nationals previously, with Springvale Brynne finishing third in 2016 but with a high-quality field assembled for the Distance final, he knows Zinfandel Trace would have to improve significantly to challenge.
"I'd be thrilled if she ran a place, obviously with the quality of dogs coming over from interstate, she will have to improve two or three lengths to be up there but I am happy with how she is progressing," Harris said.
"It's a quality field and it is exciting to be amongst those dogs. It's a big challenge for he at this stage in her career but its also very exciting."