Fate Awaits poised for higher honours

By Jordan Gerrans

Queensland star Fate Awaits has been backed to excel on one of the biggest stages in harness racing following his breakthrough triumph in The Rising Sun. 

The Grant Dixon-prepared and driven youngster created history in the Group 1 The Rising Sun in early July when he became the first three-year-old to win the event.

Since The Rising Sun’s inception in 2021, a three-year-old was yet to beat the older brigade before Fate Awaits landed the $300,000 prize by a neck over 2138 metres.

When harness racing participants were recently canvassed their opinion about who the rising star of the carnival was, Fate Awaits was a popular answer.

He claimed The Rising Sun in his three-year-old campaign and the year before, he nabbed the showpiece two-year-old event of the Brisbane winter, the rich Protostar.

The world’s richest harness race, The Eureka, in early September at Menangle is now on the horizon for imposing son of Always B Miki. 

High-profile harness racing scribe and broadcaster Adam Hamilton thinks he can compete in The Eureka, which offers a purse of $2.1 million.

“He won the Protostar last year and came back to win The Rising Sun this time,” Hamilton said.

“Can he go on and win The Eureka now?”

The Eureka is a feature that is restricted to three and four-year-olds and has never been won by the younger age bracket in its two editions so far. 

Leading Brisbane driver Brendan Barnes points to Fate Awaits winning nine of his 18 career starts, as well as seven minor finishes, as a marker that the colt had long been a pacer on the rise.

“He has shown for a couple of years that he will be the real deal once he evolves into an older stallion,” Barnes said.

In the TAB’s latest market for The Eureka later this year, Fate Awaits is a $10 chance with Bay Of Biscay the current favourite at $3.50.

Fate Awaits’ owners Kevin and Kay Seymour have a slot in The Eureka with their boom youngster every chance of being selected for their position in the race.

The Seymours raced their megastar Leap To Fame in The Eureka back in 2023 and he had to settle for second place behind Encipher.

While Fate Awaits was a popular choice when participants’ opinions were canvassed during the Inter Dominion series, square gaiter Gus was another who was backed for higher honours.

Gus is from the powerful Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen team and finished fourth in the ID decider for the trotters.

McMullen’s younger sister Taleah McMullen believes Gus can go on with it after a strong ID series.

“There has been a lot of superstars race but one that stands out to me is Gus,” Taleah said.

“He is starting to do things right and probably is a lot safer now.

“He is one to watch out for I think, for sure.”

Kiwi trotter Bet N Win, the Shannon Price-prepared Sure Thing Captain, Shane Sanderson’s Atua Magic and young reinsman Tom Callaghan were others who were selected as rising stars following the Queensland Constellations.