Bright Energy focus in hectic weekend for Elder stable

The exciting three-year-old, though, is quickly blazing his own trail to what Elder hopes will be a Victoria Derby final on Saturday night at Ballarat. Bright Energy won the group 3 Simpson Memorial at Menangle on January 6 to book his trip to 2200m heats of the group 1. 

“It’s a really good race, they are hard heats but he deserves his shot,” Elder said.

“He won the Simpson sprint the other day. He went 1.52 and beat some nice ones, so we thought we’d give it a shot.”

Elder’s son, Brad, headed to Victoria on Wednesday to oversee preparations and will drive Bright Energy from gate five in heat one.

Also Saturday night, Darren will drive Shannonsablast in race one at Menangle and take the reins of Ashark for his daughter, Melanie, in the $20,000 Evolution Series 3YO colts and geldings final.

Melanie started her training career after a three-month apprenticeship under Lou Pena in Pennsylvania last year and had her first winner at Newcastle on January 9 with Days End.

She has three in work and Ashark will be her first metropolitan starter.

“He’s not a bad little horse,” Darren said. “He’s a good eachway hope.”

Brad will travel back Sunday morning and head straight to Tamworth, where heats of the Golden Guitar feature a host of Hunter-trained pacers.

Brad will drive First Fleeter and Alta Surreal for his father, Derringer for Mitch Chapple and Vincent Van Oro for Narrabri trainer Jarred Hetherington.

As for Shannonsablast’s chances at Menangle, Darren said: “The old warhorse has been going really good. He likes Menangle and his last run [for third] was as good as any of his runs. He sat parked and they went 1.50 and they only got him in the last couple of bounds.”