Extreme Sea for Wayne Loader
THE $2.1mil TAB Eureka is the world’s richest harness race, but it’s still strongly connected to the grassroots of the sport.
Last year Kadina hobbyist Tyson Linke bred and owned four-year-old mare Encipher to upstage some of the biggest names in the game.
And, already this year, two of the first three slots confirmed in the September 7 feature have “gone bush”.
Goulburn father-and-son, David and Brad Hewitt, be opposed to each other in the TAB Eureka with Brad’s young star Captains Knock snaring the Cordina Racing slot and being joined today by David’s untapped gelding Extreme Sea, who will run in Wayne Loader’s slot.
The only other confirmed starter is young WA star Never Ending in the slot owned by Robert Watson’s Soho Standardbreds.
“It’s pretty unreal for the Goulburn area and our family. To get two in is great and I’m over the moon about Extreme Sea getting a slot, especially so early,” David Hewitt said.
“I’ll admit we had thoughts about the TAB Eureka last year with him because we’ve always known he’s had so much ability, but for it to become a reality is awesome.”
Hewitt said Extreme Sea basically forced his way in when the four-year-old posted his fourth win from just seven starts with a stunning victory in the $100,000 Riverina Championship final on March 31.
“Just the way he went gave him a great chance of getting a call up and it was terrific to hear from Wayne (Loader) straight after it,” he said.
“He’s a little firecracker and still learning, but we’re hoping going through races like the Regional Championship will give him the experience of it (TAB Eureka).
“The 2300m won’t be a problem, either. He hit the line full of power at Wagga and it was almost 2300m (2270m).
“Having a runner in a race like the TAB Eureka is definitely a career highlight for me.”
Hewitt may also do the driving himself given Brad, who has driven Extreme Sea in all seven starts, will be committed to Captains Knock.
“There’s still a while to the race, so we’ll let all that unfold as it goes, but I know him as well as anyone and he does have his quirks,” he said.
Extreme Sea’s exciting emergence has prompted the obvious question to Hewitt, who trained the immensely talented Red Sea to win 21 of his 24 starts from 1992-’98. Which one is better?
“Yes, some asked me that just recently,” he said. “I told them hopefully in six months time I’ll have no doubt who the better one is.”