Two Forbes born and bred horses have clocked the fastest qualifying times for their Group 1 finals in Bathurst's prestigious Gold Crown Carnival.
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Local harness racing identities Lex and Sally Crosby and Phil and Denise Thurston live just a few kilometres from each other, and both households are buzzing with excitement ahead of this Saturday's main event.
"That two Forbes people could have a filly and a colt in the finals of the Gold Crown ... that we basically are neighbours is quite amazing really - it's pretty exciting for us," Phil Thurston said.
Lex Crosby, also president of Forbes Diggers Harness Racing Club, echoed those sentiments.
"It's just fantastic," he said. "I'm really proud Forbes harness racing can be on a big stage like this."
Crosbys' Sweet on Lexy will contest the Gold Crown for two-year-old colts and geldings, while Thurstons' Bittersweet starts in the Gold Tiara for two-year-old fillies.
These are the Group 1 feature events of the prestigious annual carnival, each carrying $150,000 prize money, and our local horses are real chances.
Bittersweet, who won her heat last Wednesday by 38m, has drawn Barrier 1 for the final, programmed to start at 9.25pm.
The filly is trained and driven by Brad Hewitt in Goulburn and has won three from three of her starts.
"She's looked very impressive at her three starts ... we're very excited to have her in the final," Thurston said.
Bittersweet's name reflects the rather remarkable story of her origins: she was born through embryo transfer, after her dam Gotta Go Jazzy Jet developed abdominal hernias carrying her first foal and vets advised he shouldn't carry another.
"She was an outstanding race mare herself, and her first foal was also very good," Thurston said.
Sadly, Gotta Go Jazzy Jet died some six months before her foal was born. The couple were thrilled to welcome her foal - and particularly a filly who will continue her legacy.
Sweet on Lexy, trained in Bathurst by Bernie Hewitt who'll take the reins, will start from Barrier 8. It's not ideal, but he is the holder of the fastest two-year-old time in the country this year.
He came from Barrier 8 in his heat, setting a blistering pace to win by 22 metres with the third place 67 metres behind.
With four successful trials and a first-start win at Bathurst to his credit, Sweet on Lexy unfortunately galloped at the start of his Menangle debut in the Group 2 Sapling Stakes.
"He made up an unbelievable amount of ground, it was an unbelievable run," Crosby said.
Sweet on Lexy also comes from a rich pedigree: he's out of Canola Cup-winning I'm With Lexy, who started in finals at the Bathurst Crown Carnival herself.
Better than Lexy ran third in the Gold Crown final, and Read About Lexy won the Gold Bracelet final in 2015.
"It's a really prestigious race to be in," Crosby said.
There are more local interests in the carnival's consolation races, with the Crosbys' Something For Lexy in the Gold Tiara Consolation for fillies.
Jason Gaffney's Mac Bon, who's in training with Luke McCarthy, is in the Gold Consolation for the Gold Crown.
"I'm really excited for harness racing in Forbes," Crosby said.
- The Forbes Diggers Harness Racing Club's Anzac Day meeting will be hosted at Parkes this year, with Forbes leading the commemorations.
