The Observatory March 27

The Queensland Constellations Carnival is gathering momentum and has reached a milestone moment of 100 days until the Racing & Sports Rising Sun which will also signal the start of the 2025 Inter Dominion.

To coincide with the 100-day marker, the first invite to the Rising Sun has been issued and accepted by four-year-old star, Bay Of Biscay.

Trained by Emma Stewart, the ultra-talented stallion has already locked away a start in The Eureka, and will head to The Creek in July, looking to go one better than his second placing in the 2024 Queensland Derby.

Victory would also secure Bay Of Biscay entry into the $1m Ladbrokes Inter Dominion Final**

As July approaches, we will keep an eye on the performances of potential Constellations Contenders

Timmy Rictor

The four-year-old remains unbeaten since joining the powerful Jason Grimson stable, claiming the Autumn Gift Final at Menangle with an impressive 1.49.2 victory.

Oozing X-Factor, his record now stands at seven wins in eight starts, which includes a Group 1 as a two-year-old.

Dele Row

The Rising Sun remains a target for the talented Chantal Turpin trained four-year-old following his latest victory at The Creek when defeating some bona-fide FFA performers.

Settled in the 1×1 trail, the gelding powered home over the top of his rivals to make it four wins in five appearances this season and provides the Turpin stable a powerful one-two punch alongside The Janitor.

Cyclone Jordy

Unbeaten in Australia, with four of those wins coming this season, could the son of Art Major become the first West Australian based horse to contest a Rising Sun?

Stretching his Australian record to six from six with the latest Gloucester Park victory, it was an impressive performance from the Gary Hall Snr trained gelding.

Im Ready Jet

A multiple Group 1 winning trotter, the veteran mare made light work of her opponents, which included Queen Elida, when taking victory in the Sumthingaboutmaori Mares FFA.

Claiming her third win since joiing the Andy Gath stables last August, this will likely be the mares last racing season before embarking on a stud career, with the Trotters Inter Dominion on the radar.

Arcee Phoenix

Trained and reined by Chris Svanosio, Arcee Phoenix was back in winning form in the Scotch Notch Memorial.

Like Im Ready Jet, the six-year-old square gaiter is an ID prospect and will now head to New Zealand for the trot slot where he will tackle the Queensland trained Not As Promised.

Arcee Phoenix was runner-up to London To A Brick at The Creek in the inaugural The Great Square in 2023.

Don Hugo

Defeating Leap To Fame when adding the Miracle Mile to his bulging trophy cabinet, the five-year-old was super impressive at Menangle last Saturday.

Running another sub-50 mile on the big Menangle deck, Luke McCarthy’s stable star has a big month coming up in April with a trip to New Zealand and Perth booked in.

Leap To Fame

Larry brutalised his opposition at Albion Park on Saturday night, forced to sit parked in a small field when Catseye Beach held the front over the mile.

Putting them away at the 400, Leap To Fame was in a class of his own, pulling clear over the closing stages to an emphatic victory that took 0.5 seconds off the track record with his 1.48.6 performance.

Marketplace

The Regan Todd trained three-year-old is an exciting prospect and showed his speed with a win at Alexandra Park’s Harness Millions.

Could the excitement machine become the first three-year-old to claim a Rising Sun victory since it’s inception, with a potential invite hovering?