Three rounds down and while our top coach has opened up a commanding lead, the chasing pack is now a congested group as squads get refined and selection strategies take shape.
Michael Manning moved 87 points clear at the top after a round that saw him finish fourth for the week.
But as we move into a round that contains more bonus races than the Fantasy Harness Racing game has ever seen before, everything could change by this time next week
For the third week in a row we saw a different driver emerge as the highest points-scorer. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the full double points allocation in the Murray Cup in Albury, Cameron Hart had a week to remember, with his four winners at Menangle on Saturday taking him up to a round-high 75 points.
Cam has now moved past James Herbertson and Nathan Dawson to be the season’s highest scoring driver. But with 20 bonus points races up for grabs at Queensland’s Ultimate Driver’s Championship this Friday and Saturday, that is no doubt about to change.
They’re not the only bonus points on the line though and there will be opportunities in New South Wales with the Paleface Adios at Menangle on Saturday and the Miracle Mile qualifier – the Newcastle Mile – carrying triple points on Friday. With Leap to Fame in the field, Grant Dixon is sure to be popular this week.
Western Australia has two double points races at Gloucester Park on Friday night. That gets even more intriguing given their highest ranked points scorer Gary Hall Jnr will be absent and in Queensland as part of the Ultimate Driver’s Championship. Who takes full advantage of Junior’s absence in the west?
There are also three double points races at Melton on Saturday night. But – and it’s a big but and I cannot lie – James Herbertson and Kate Gath will be out of contention for those. Kate will be driving in Queensland and Herbie is on standby as a UDC reserve.
What coaches do with Herbertson this week will be one of the most intriguing selection calls. He dropped in price for the first time this week and will only be driving at Thursday’s night meeting at Ballarat. He does however have eight listed drives and it wouldn’t be beyond him to put up a serious score with that full book.
It will be a week full of intrigue that will certainly have an impact on the competition leaderboard. Luck will play its part but coaches who have planned for this week should see the rewards in their points score – especially in Queensland.
As we look ahead to Round 4, here are some key observations from The Commissioner:
- We’ve got a relatively clean slate with regards to suspensions. But popular pick Jett Turnbull will be missing this week. In fact he’s so popular – he’s the sixth most selected driver in teams this season. The return of young gun Zara Fitzpatrick may help ease the pain for those looking for a trade option in a similar price bracket.
- Luke McCarthy is also back from suspension and we all know how prominent he is at this time of year. Just saying …
- There are bonus points galore up for grabs next week – in every state except for Tasmania. It would pay for coaches to keep an eye on what’s ahead and plan accordingly.
- Jack Callaghan has been quietly climbing the ranks and after another big week he’s now the sixth highest priced driver and behind only Cameron Hart in New South Wales.
- Ryan Sanderson went into round 3 with just 15 points to his name but he had a week to remember with a 45 point haul to add $200,000 to his price tag.
- Dani Hill also put $200k on her value in South Australia after her 40 points at Globe Derby. She will continue to rise and make you cash after that.
- Mark Yole is dominating in Tasmania. He scored 36 in round 3 to go up by another $200k.
- Toby and Amanda hyped up cheapie David Moran in last week’s podcast. He won the Murray Cup to earn double points and his 27 for the round saw his price almost double. Great cash generation which is ultimately the name of the game!
- Brad Hewitt was the third most traded in driver going into round 3 as coaches plan for his involvement in the UDC in Queensland. Expect something similar this week.
- James Herbertson remains the coaches pal when it comes to captaincy. He’s been the most popular choice to wear the skipper’s armband three weeks in a row. Will that change this week?
- Jason Lee was in the top 10 most traded in drivers this week. He delivered with a win in the Terang Trotters Cup and a runners-up cheque in the Terang Cup. Both carried double points but that was the bulk of Jason’s points for the round. He subsequently dropped by $200k in price. He’s now getting towards bargain territory for savvy coaches!
So much to consider when making trades this week. Don’t forget it all kicks off for round 4 at Redcliffe on Thursday afternoon. Make sure to keep an eye on the relevant times in your states to get your squad finalised before lockout.
As always there is a dining voucher at the Premier track in your home state available to the leading coach each week. Congratulations to Lorraine Hryhorec and her team Lorrys Legends who won the round 3 prize.
Don’t forget to tune in to the official Fantasy Harness Racing podcast live on SEN with Toby and Amanda at 12noon every Wednesday. You can also catch it on the Fantasy Harness Racing podcast channel by CLICKING HERE
