NEXT Sunday night’s Raider Stakes is being billed as the clash of the Titans with reigning Tasmanian horse of the year Beautide going up against his archrival Quastor Centurion.
Beautide and Quastor Centurion won their respective Raider Stakes heats in Launceston last night (Sunday) and while most pundits believe Beautide will win the final because he is the superior horse, the barrier draw could be a deciding factor in the outcome on the small Devonport Showground circuit
Beautide won his heat by leading all the way to defeat Drifting West and Cool Wharton while Quastor Centurion sat in the death throughout but was still too good for his rivals to score from Poker Storm and race leader Bettor Draw.
At their previous encounter Beautide emerged triumphant over Quastor Centurion in the 4YO Championship in Launceston on Easter Sunday but Quastor Centurion was rattling home at the business end of proceedings.
Beautide is prepared by Longford trainer Barrie Rattray while Quastor Centurion is trained by his brother Kent Rattray and there is no love lost between the pair when it comes to their horses.
The Raider Stakes field will be released late on Tuesday afternoon with both camps no doubt sweating on a decent barrier draw.
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