SKY's Adam Hamilton joins the team at National Trotguide

Sky Racing’s expert ADAM HAMILTON shares his thoughts on all things harness racing, including this weekend's Breeders Challenge at Tabcorp Park Menangle:

THE delay to the NSW Breeders Challenge could be a blessing in disguise with a plethora of more mature young stars to collide at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night.

The draws were set for the two-year-old finals last week and the barrier draws for the three-year-old finals were live on Sky Racing on Monday.

Victorian trainer Mick Stanley is a key player in both two-year-old finals with flying filly SOHO ALMASI and powerful colt BAR ROOM BANTA, but he’ll be watching from afar because of COVID-19.

The semis of the three-year-old series provided quite a contrast at Menangle on Saturday night with the “boys” looking outstanding, but the fillies a very even bunch.

* PRIVATE EYE could not have been more impressive stretching his unbeaten record to four races for trainer Rob Xerri and driver Robbie Morris.

The son of He’s Watching was balanced-up early, worked around to take the lead from main rival JERULAS GRIN and never looked in danger, ripping home in 26.4sec at the end of a 1min50.3sec mile, seemingly with something in reserve. He’s very exciting.

The upset came in the second semi when the much-improved OUR MONEY ROCKS kept finding under pressure despite sitting parked and out-toughed leader and favourite CRUNCH TIME in a slick 1min50.2sec mile.

In the fillies’ semis, both guns PELOSI and JENDEN STRIKE were beaten as favourites after leading, showing almost anything could win the final. Both appeared to have their chance.

The eye-catcher from the semis was Jimmy Rattray’s DELIGHTFUL ANGEL, who came wide and flashed home late for second to KEEP ROCKIN.

* CHICAGO BULL’S “second coming” is something else.

It was two years ago to the day when a freakish accident, after a sparkling win in Auckland, almost ended his career.

Remarkably he defied all the odds and his age to bounce back, surge past $2 million stake earnings and return to at least as good as he was before the accident, which left him with several broken vertebrae.

Chicago Bull’s easy win in Friday night’s $50,000 G2 Mount Eden Sprint at Gloucester Park took his earnings to $2,002,531.

The rising eight-year-old has won a staggering 57 of his 86 starts with another 23 placings, only missing a place six times in his long career. More amazingly, four of his six unplaced runs came in his seven NZ starts before joining Gary Hall Sr’s stable in WA.

In 79 starts for Hall Sr he has  only been unplaced twice … and both of those times he ran fourth.

“He’s amazing on so many levels,” Hall Sr said. “I never imagined he’d be here, doing this now, after what happened in Auckland. It’s really a miraculous comeback.

“We were devastated at the time. He was just going to the next level and had everything in front of him.

“It was touch and go whether he’d ever make it back to the track.

“Even when he did, we didn’t know what to expect. You couldn’t really think he’d get back to his best, but he really does seem as though he has.

“People say he’s better than ever, but he’s not. They’re just forgetting how good he was before he got the injury.” Hal Snr added.

Chicago Bull led throughout, dictated and won well over a brave SHOCKWAVE with VAMPIRO catching the eye late in third spot.

“He may back-up next week, we’ll wait and see how he comes through it. The Fremantle Cup is five weeks away, so I’d say he’ll have one, maybe two more runs before then,” Hall Sr said.

• WHAT a smart move it has been for NZ’s dominant All Stars barn of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen to send some of their stars across to Australia for stints.

First it was ASHLEY LOCAZ, ONE CHANGE and AMAZING DREAM to Brisbane, where they all posted wins, and were superbly suited under the different handicapping system.

Now it’s Victoria with glamour mare OUR PRINCESS TIFFANY and IM ANOTHERMASTERPIECE, who both won impressively at Melton on Saturday night and talented trotter ENHANCE YOUR CALM will also step-out in Victoria soon.

Rather than race against themselves so often in NZ, thinking outside the square has created great opportunities and added excitement and quality to our racing.

• LAST mention of the week goes to the young trotting girl rapidly gaining a cult following.

Her name is PINK GALAHS and she made it two G1 wins in the space of seven days for trainer-driver Matty Craven when she easily snared the Victoria Trotters’ Oaks at Melton on Saturday night.

Just seven days earlier she created history by becoming the first three-year-old filly to beat Australia’s best open-class trotters in the G1 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint.

She’s fast, she’s flashy and she’s impossible not to love.

* Catch Adam Hamilton on Sky Racing’s harness racing coverage and guest appearances on In The Gig, Tuesday’s on Sky2 from 6pm.

Check out all the LIVE harness racing action on Sky Racing, the Sky Racing website and the Sky Racing Active and TAB apps.