{"id":231080,"date":"2025-07-02T04:30:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/231080\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T04:30:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:30:16","slug":"jess-frustrated-as-larajay-stars-set-to-clash-in-opening-id-heats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/231080\/","title":{"rendered":"Jess frustrated as Larajay stars set to clash in opening ID heats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Top\u00a0Victorian trainer Jess Tubbs is frustrated her two Brisbane Inter Dominion hopefuls Better Eclipse and Rakero Rebel have to clash in Saturday night\u2019s opening round heats at Albion Park.<\/p>\n

Rules vary across major races and different states, but often there are \u201cstable splits\u201d in feature events.<\/p>\n

Tubbs, another top Victorian trainer Andy Gath and prominent Queensland trainer Shannon Price all have stable clashes in the first of the three pacing heats on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Gath, who has three pacers in the series, has his two key pacing hopes Tango Tara and Catch Wave against each other.<\/p>\n

Like Tubbs, Price only has two pacers in the series \u2013 Sure Thing Captain and Speak The Truth \u2013 and they lock horns on night one.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating. It\u2019s a long way to go to the other end of the country and then have to find a second driver and even a spare sulky when the only two horses you\u2019ve got up there have to clash,\u201d Tubbs said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact there are only two (not three) rounds of heats adds to the frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m annoyed, but I\u2019d be a lot more annoyed if they hadn\u2019t both drawn so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Better Eclipse, who ran second to Leap To Fame in the 2023 Brisbane Inter Dominion final, has drawn gate one with Rakero Rebel right next door in two.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re drawn to get good runs and have their chance,\u201d Tubbs said.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s premier driver James Herbertson was to drive the pair through the series, but with the clash he will be aboard Rakero Rebel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to the owners of Better Eclipse and they wanted Josh Gallagher, so I\u2019ve popped him on,\u201d Tubbs said.<\/p>\n

As expected, Gath\u2019s wife, Kate, is down to drive their eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave (gate 11), with Robbie Morris on Tango Tara (eight).<\/p>\n

Tubbs\u2019 focus will be shared between Albion Park and Melton on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Her emerging star and stable sentimental favourite Fighter Command runs at Melton to continue his build-up towards the world\u2019s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka, at Menangle on September 6.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super happy with him. His last run was great and he\u2019s building well,\u201d Tubbs said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the fact he\u2019s drawn for a good trailing run (gate eight, inside the back row) this week so he can keep building.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about ticking him along until The Beautide in Hobart (August 2).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll have this run and one more to be at his top for Tassie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like he did last year. Fighter Command can secure the Tasracing slot in the TAB Eureka by winning the $80,000 Beautide.<\/p>\n

But last year, the then three-year-old was struck-down with a life-threatening bout of colic just days before the TAB Eureka and missed the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s certainly some unfinished business, but given what happened last year, we\u2019re all just going one race at a time for the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully we get to the Beautide, get the job done there, and then start to focus on the Eureka.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such is the boom on Fighter Command, he is $5 second pre-post favourite behind another Victorian star Bay Of Biscay ($3.50) for the TAB Eureka.<\/p>\n