Mount Gambier’s best 2yo pacer King Grin is on track to make another entry in the South Australian record books in his Friday night heat of the SA TAB Southern Cross for 2YO Colts and Geldings at Globe Derby Park.

The rising star has already collected the SA Golden Nursery trophy and victory this week will place him just one step away from what would be his most important success, the 2010 2YO C&G SA TAB Southern Cross Crown.

King Grin trained by Barry Finnis and driven by Barry's son Jayson will step out in the second Southern Cross heat and go up against the SA Graduate Pace winner, the Victorian Let Memphis Loose. King Grin has only had the four lifetime starts but has been impressive on each occasion, winning twice and placing second and a close fourth at his other two for stakes money of just over $11,000. The son of Grinfromeartoear has drawn in gate three for the heat, placing him outside the Jon Kingston-Mayne trained first starter One Baboon and fellow South East visitor Two Pot Screamer in the score up. On paper King Grin shouldl have no trouble in finding the front position as he has brilliant gate speed. Top young driver Finnis believes that the best is yet to be for King Grin.

“He has matured and improved a bit on his work lately,” Finnis said. “He is very quick out of the gate so he shouldn't have trouble in finding the front and if he does that he will be very hard to catch.”

The 10th foal of Roses in Paris, King Grin has proven bloodlines when it comes to big race success. A half-sister to King Grin, Thorninmyside won the two, three and four-year-old in Southern Cross Finals, rare among any race series for youngsters. Another half-brother in Petes Elect was able to win two heats of the Southern Cross in consecutive years but could never claim the top honours.

Petes Elect is now racing in the USA under the care of Aussie trainer/driver Darren Hancock and last Sunday, he was victorious at Saratoga in 1:55.0.

“King Grin is very similar to Petes Elect , he likes to run along in front where his sister Thorninmyside was different, she had a very fast sprint on her,” Finnis said.

The Finnis are aiming to take King Grin interstate after the Southern Cross.

“If all goes to plan after the Southern Cross Series we will take him (King Grin) to the repechages of the Australasian Breeders Crown,” Finnis said.

SA Graduate Pace winner Let Memphis Loose trained and driven by David Murphy has drawn awkwardly in barrier six and is likely to settle back in the field. This means he will be doing the chasing but Let Memphis Loose is renowned for a sharp closing sectional. The Village Jasper gelding has recently finished a Vicbred Super Series stint where he was beaten a distance behind smart performers in Devilish Smile and Royal Verdict in a semi final. In that semi final he was made to do a stack of work and was set a task by driver Murphy. With the right run in the Southern Cross heat Let Memphis Loose will get his shot to mow down the likely race favourite and leader King Grin.

In the first heat for the 2YO Colts & Geldings there is a battle looming between Darren Billinger’s Come On Frank and Bastille Crest, trained by Victoria's Steve O’Donoghue. Bastille Crest beat King Grin in the local heat of the 2010 Australasian Breeders Crown at Globe Derby only three weeks ago when he parked outside King Grin before wearing him down in the race to the line. Bastille Crest was the winner of the SA BOTRA Pace Final earlier this year and has only had the seven race starts for two wins and four placing’s, earning just under $30,000 in stakes money. Come On Frank is still new to the racing scene having only had the three lifetime starts, all in the last three weeks. He has won two of those races at Globe Derby and ran a close second in the other at port Pirie.

Following the Southern Cross heats this week, HRSA will races the repechages on Saturday 24 July with the $50,000 Final for the 2yo’s in two weeks time on Saturday 31 July at Globe Derby Park.

Courtesy of Harness Racing SA.