by Adam Hamilton

The $500,000 Protostar — by far Australasia’s richest race for 2-year-olds — will be contested for the first time on Saturday (July 27) at Brisbane’s Albion Park.

Like so many new races, the Protostar is a slot race and has driven plenty of talk since it was launched late last year.

Some slot owners went early to lock-in their starter, while two of them — leviathan owners Kevin and Kay Seymour and Terry Cluse — are without a confirmed pacer just days out from the race.

Kevin, a huge owner, breeder, sponsor and administrator in Queensland, is one of the Protostar’s most outspoken fans.

“I think the Protostar is going to change the face of the industry,” he said. “We’ve been crying out for a half-million dollar 2-year-old race. It’s the richest in the country and will bring together a fantastic field.

“All those with slots in the race, including myself and Kay who jumped at the chance to be part of it, will endeavor to get the best horses in the country to race at Albion Park.

“Looking at the horses already confirmed for the race, it’s the best group of young horses we’ve seen come together in a long, long time. Certainly, the prize money has brought the best out in the country.”

The Seymour slot is a fascinating one. Their best juvenile, Fate Awaits, will race in a rival slot, filling one of the two slots wagering giant and race sponsor Ladbrokes has in the 10-horse race.

Fate Awaits, a son of Always B Miki, won his first three starts and was the first confirmed slot starter in the Protostar.

“We’ve got some nice 2-year-olds, but he is the best of them,” Kevin said. “We were happy to do an early deal with the offer Ladbrokes presented and it gives us the chance to take another one of ours to give us a second runner, if that’s what we think is the best move. We’ll know more after this weekend.”

Maybe Seymour is referring to his Bettors Delight gelding Fire Raiser, who has raced four times for three wins and a second?

He tackles the last of the lead-up races and clashes with Fate Awaits — and some other exciting contenders — in the $52,000 Paleface Adios Classic (1660m) at Albion Park on Saturday night (July 20).

It will be another huge night for Seymour as he also owns Down Under’s champion pacer Leap To Fame, who will be a hot favorite to win his second successive $200,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint.

And so much interest will be around Fate Awaits, who won his first three starts and then made the long trip from Brisbane to Melbourne where he finished third to current Protostar favorite, The Highlight Reel, in the $250,000 Nutrien Classic sales final on April 20.

Although Fate Awaits hasn’t raced since that Melton race, he smashed the clock with a mile rate of 1:51.4 winning a 1660m Albion Park trial on July 12.

“He really is exciting,” Kevin said. “I think the trip to Melbourne has made him a little better and his trial probably showed that.

“It’s amazing how fast these 2-year-olds are going now. And Grant [Dixon] said he still had plenty left in the tank, too.”

Parked right on Fate Awaits back in the trial was boom NSW filly Bittersweet, who looked to hit the line as strongly as the winner and with plenty still to offer.

Bittersweet, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, won her first three starts including the $150,000 Group 1 Gold Tiara at Bathurst on May 30, lost no fans with a close second at her only race since at Wagga on June 28.

But Bittersweet will have to beat the boys on her merits. Unlike most of the new slot races Down Under, there is no preferential barrier draw advantage for a filly against the colts and geldings in the Protostar.

We get a much better guide where the Brad Hewitt-trained filly lines up against the boys when she starts from gate 3 in the Paleface Adios on Saturday night.

The Highlight Reel, a bargain $20,000 yearling purchase by exciting first season sire Poster Boy, is one of four Victorian-trained youngsters already locked-in for the Protostar.

The Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin-trained colt is unbeaten in three starts and brilliantly won the best juvenile race contested so far this season, that Nutrien final at Melton.

That night he zoomed clear in a mile rate of 1:54.7 for the longer 2240m trip and ripped home in :56.2 and :27.7.

The Highlight Reel, who will race in the Jamie Durnberger-Smith slot, hasn’t raced since May 24 win, but clocked a brisk mile rate of 1:55.1 winning a 1720m Melton trial on Monday night.

“He’s a real natural,” Stewart said. “He’s been our best since early on, he’s a real runner. Very fast.”

Stewart, who has dominated Australia’s juvenile races for much of the past decade, will have a second starter with the emerging Cigano.

The other Victorian pacers — Damien Burns’ Hesitate and Forty Love for trainer/driver Aaron Dunn — both head to Brisbane a week early to clash with Fate Awaits and Bittersweet in the Paleface Adios on Saturday night.

Hesitate, who has won three of five starts, grabbed the eye when he finished strongly in a :26.9 last quarter to get close to The Highlight Reel in last Monday’s Melton trial.

This hobbyist trainer Damien Burns will take the reins himself this week, but has booked premier driver Kate Gath for the Protostar.

Two-year-old racing may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no arguing the Protostar has been a great addition to Australia’s harness calendar.

It’s yet another example of the innovative nature of Racing Queensland and the Albion Park club.

They are also behind the recently unveiled Ultimate Driver Challenge, which has sparked great interest around the world, especially in North America.