Harness racing: Catch A Wave and Ladies In Red tuning up for bigger targets at Melton

Catch A Wave is coming off a huge run in the Victoria Cup. Picture: Stuart McCormick

Two of Australia's biggest pacing stars Catch A Wave and Ladies In Red will sharpen up for major races at Melton on Saturday night.

Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave, who turned heads with a monstrous second in the Victoria Cup two weeks ago, will dominate betting in the Gammalite free-for-all (2240m) in preparation for the $50,000 Group 3 4&5YO Championship a week later.

Champion mare Ladies In Red will be looking to atone for a surprise first-up defeat when she takes on a similar field in the Angelique Club Pace (2240m).

The five-year-old will chase the eighth Group 1 win of her career in Saturday week's $150,000 Queen of the Pacific (2760m) at Melton.

Ladies In Red has raced only twice since winning the feature last year, spending 11 months on the sidelines with injury.

Driver David Moran was thrilled with her run in defeat when a close second in the Make Mine Cullen at Melton on October 14.

"There's just no substitute for racing and her condition gave out in the last bit, but that was after doing all the work on a windy night," he said.

"I know she'll have come on a lot from the run and the extra 500m will suit her, too."

Ladies In Red, who boasts 22 wins and six seconds from her 28 starts, looks a standout despite being the lone back row runner in a race where five of her seven rivals are her Emma Stewart-trained stablemates.

Ladies In Red will be out to make amends after a first-up defeat. Picture: Stuart McCormick

Kate Gath returns from a short but costly suspension to drive Catch A Wave on Saturday.

Gath was outed for seven days at last Friday night's Melton meeting and took the penalty immediately to avoid missing the drive on Catch A Wave this week.

It meant Greg Sugars replaced her on last Saturday night's Geelong Cup winner Mach Dan.

Trainer Andy Gath said he was still shaking his head at Catch A Wave's Victoria Cup run.

"It's as good as he's gone in a race," he said.

"That run and his win in the Chariots Of Fire when he sat outside Captain Ravishing, they are the two runs if you told before the race how well he'd go, I wouldn't have believed you.

"If he'd won, they'd still be raving about it and he would've won in another stride.

"He's come through it well and I decided to run him this week because it'll be strong race, probably against horses like Better Eclipse, Rock N Roll Doo, Beyond Delight and others the following week. He's fit and well and usually runs his best on the quick back-up."

Gath said Catch A Wave was also likely to tackle the Breeders Crown 4YO Entires and Geldings at Melton on November 18 before a freshen-up.

"He will stay in work with the big races early next year, but he might go to the water walker or something like that," he said.

"He will have a run or two in January before the Hunter Cup and then going back to Menangle for the Miracle Mile in March will be the main target."

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp