Heads up for Elkins ahead of Group 1 tilt

By Jordan Gerrans

This Saturday evening has the chance to become a monumental occasion in the career of Queensland reinsman Matt Elkins.

The 27-year-old has his maiden race drives at Menangle, a venue he has long dreamed of competing at.

He feels one of those drives – juvenile square gaiter Head Em Up – is his best chance in his career so far of breaking through the Group 1 barrier for the first time.

And, with his father Greg’s health condition on the improve of late, after he was kicked by a horse earlier this year, Matt can see everything lining up perfectly.

“Hopefully I can win a Group 1 on Saturday night to lift his spirits even more,” Matt said of his father Greg.

Prepared by Tayla Gillespie, Head Em Up is one of the leading fancies to claim the NSW Trotters Derby on Saturday evening at Menangle.

As of Thursday morning, the son of Waterloo Sunset was a $4.80 chance with bookmakers and is on the second line of betting alongside fellow Queenslander Ajay Volstead.

Greg is still in the Princess Alexandra Hospital but Matt says he is in good spirits and is doing plenty of talking with his condition on the improve in recent weeks.

Elkins heads to NSW on Saturday evening with two trotters to drive for Gillespie.

Head Em Up goes around at the elite level while stable mate Majestic Lavros tackles the Bulli Trotters Cup.

He has tasted Group 2 success in the bike before – driving My Ultimate Star for Jarrod Alchin in the APG two-year-old Championship back in 2019 – and Elkins feels Head Em Up can hand him his first win at the highest level.

“It has been something that I have dreamt of for a long time and I am really looking forward to it,” he said of driving at NSW’s premier harness venue.

“I would say this horse is the best chance I have ever had to win a Group 1.”

Gillespie’s gelding has put three wins in a line in the Sunshine State before heading south of the border this week.

A Group 3 winner across the ditch before coming over, Head Em Up has settled in perfectly to Gillespie’s Prenzlau barn after being purchased by one of the stable’s major owners in Mark Gurry.

“He has just gone from strength to strength and getting better with each run,” Gillespie said recently about her star trotter.

The team is likely to look to the Queensland Constellations following Saturday’s Derby tilt.

The $150,000 Group 1 Haras Des Trotteurs The Great Square could be an option for Head Em Up.

Reinsman Elkins has a serious opinion of Head Em Up after driving him in three of his five Australian starts while also being in the sulky in a trial ahead of the Group 1 assignment.

“He is probably the best trotter I have driven,” Elkins said on Thursday morning.

“I have pretty high confidence levels in him because everything we have asked of him; he has done with ease so far.

“He has got good versatility; he is pretty strong and can be driven pretty tough.

“In saying that, he also has a really good turn of foot – he has the all-around game as a three-year-old, which not many trotters do.”

Elkins will need to work his magic with the young trotter after he was handed a front row draw of nine over the 2300 metre journey.

He is unsure where he will get to in the run but believes regardless of the starting position, Head Em Up has enough in the tank to run a massive race.

“The draw does not help but I think the horse will take me a long way,” Ekins said.

“I think he would have been pretty short if he had a nicer barrier.

“It is hard to line up three-year-old trotters coming from three different states with form and gate speed.

“He has good natural speed and can do a bit of work so I’ll drive him however he wants to be driven I would say.”

Fellow NSW-bound trotter Majestic Lavros is also raced by Gurry.

The Gurry and Gillespie surnames have been linked for decades.

The long-time owner had horses with Tayla’s father – Shaun Gillespie – when he was training.

Shaun has stepped back from the training ranks in recent years to support his daughter in her journey.

Elkins has struck up a strong partnership with the stable in recent years.

“They do a really good job with them and Majestic Lavros is the same,” Elkins said.

“The stable have been great to me since I started driving for them a few years ago now. We have had really good results.”

As well as Head Em Up, Darren Weeks’ Ajay Volstead will be looking to continue his Menangle campaign in style, having won both starts at the venue.

Agent Black is the third Queenslander set for Saturday’s Group 1  event.

Agent Black was a feature race winner last season at Menangle and Shane Graham will take the big striding son of Sebastian K south for a shot at the Derby.