Need For Speed: Daytona On Track For Cup Test

VICTORIAN race caller James Van de Maat will find himself on the opposite side of the microphone in Saturday morning's Richmond Straight Cup heats (324m).

Van de Maat and father Bert prepare aptly-named comeback sensation Daytona, which is motoring towards his sixth straight win in the third of three Cup heats (race 12, 11.49am).

FIELDS AND FORM RICHMOND SATURDAY

While Van de Maat will have handling duties on Saturday, in an extremely rare crossover of responsibilities, he's broadcast three of Daytona's past five wins.

"To be honest, I just try to call it like any other race," he said.

"If the dog is impressive, I say he's impressive, and if he starts $1.20 and is ordinary, then I say he was ordinary.

"But I don't know if I could do a Bryan Martin and call a Cox Plate (Fields Of Omagh). 

"I would probably stand down if it was a Group race."

A well-related son of Bernardo and Veetee Saharrah, a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Deliver, Daytona is a prime example of the enormous benefits of straight track racing.

Back in September 2022, Daytona underlined his potential with a 12-length 25.15sec maiden success at Shepparton at his third start.

Four trainers, 16 months and a career-threatening injury later, he finally finds himself on the feature race stage in the heats of the $25,000 to-the-winner Richmond series.

The Van de Maats have resurrected Daytona's career after he was sidelined for the majority of 2023 with a "serious front leg injury" that without the straight track option would have in all likelihood signalled an end to his racing days.

"Our property is only about ten minutes from the Healesville track, so we focus on taking dogs that are suited to the straight," Van de Maat explained.

"We tend to get dogs that aren't able to race around the circle anymore, mainly because of injuries, and give them a second chance.

"Daytona is a prime example of that. 

"And we don't have a dog that loves racing more than he does. He gets so excited when you're getting ready to go. He can't wait!

"It just shows how important straight racing is."

Daytona has indeed been given a new lease of life with his transition to straight course specialist.

He hit ‘top gear' late last year, earning an interstate expedition with seven wins from his past nine starts at his home track.

The Van de Maats have left nothing to chance ahead of their Cup tilt, making the 20-hour round trip to trial at Richmond, with Daytona clocking 17.82sec.

"It was a long drive for an 18-second trial!" Van de Maat quipped.

"We were happy with how he went. They'd had 100mls of rain in the two days prior, so we didn't expect him to go that fast.

"It was his first go out of a box onto a drag lure too. 

"We've given him another trial behind a drag lure back at home and he absolutely flew, so he's really taken to it.

"I'm confident he's going to improve on Saturday. I'd expect him to get down to the 17.40s in the right conditions.

"The 324m is probably a bit short for him, but we can't move the boxes!

"My concern about box five is avoiding the four (Awesome Ethics), but if he does he'll run home very, very strongly."

The headline act in the series is local star Shall Not (heat 1, box 3), trained by Darren Sultana and raced by rugby league great Terry Hill, which boasts an incredible 21 from 23 record at his home track.

Shall Not brings a picket fence form-line of his own into the second staging of the Straight Cup, winning his past six on end.