Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Diego is a Cups specialist

New Zealand-bred gelding Diego (Bettor’s Delight) has strong claims for the title of the Cups King. The seven-year-old has had four starts this year — all in rich Cup events for three wins and a third placing.

Gifted driver Maddison Brown is looking forward for another big-race success when Diego contests the $50,000 Aaron Bain Racing Governor’s Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Diego, prepared by Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, will begin from the No. 3 barrier on the front line in the 2130m Governor’s Cup and his clash with such outstanding pacers as Jumpingjackmac, Minstrel, Magnificent Storm, Lavra Joe, Patronus Star and Glenledi Chief, and others, is sure to produce plenty of exciting action.

In January, Diego led and won the group 2 $100,000 Stratton Cup from Gambit and Mighty Ronaldo, he led and finished a close third to Mighty Ronaldo and Minstrel in the $300,000 group 1 Fremantle Cup, he set the pace and won the group 1 $450,000 WA Pacing Cup from Jumpingjackmac and Mighty Ronaldo, and last Monday week he led briefly early and then trailed the pacemaker Glenledi Chief before finishing strongly along the sprint lane to win the group 3 $50,000 Pinjarra Cup from his fast-finishing stablemate Jumpingjackmac and Patronus Star.

Brown drove Diego in three of those events but was unable to take the drive in the WA Pacing Cup after suffering concussion a week earlier in a race fall at Gloucester Park. Gary Hall jnr was in the sulky for the Pacing Cup victory.

Three is an awkward draw,” said Brown. “He is a great frontrunner, and I daresay that we will be coming out (fast) and if he leads I won’t be handing up.

“Whether he leads and races with cover in this strong field, he will be hard to beat. He has beaten all the other horses before, and he is in great form, leading into the $1 million Nullarbor Slot race on April 14.

“In the Pinjarra Cup Diego was racing first-up (for almost six weeks) and Senior (Hall snr) decided that it would be difficult to lead all the way over 2700m, so my instructions were to surrender the lead to either Minstrel or Glenledi Chief, whichever one was there (on my outside) first. We weren’t worried about not being able to get clear and sprint home because we would be able to take advantage of the sprint lane.”

Diego gave an example of his sit-sprinting ability when he dashed through along the sprint lane to surge to the front 130m from home before holding out Jumpingjackmac, who finished with a powerful burst.

Friday night’s Cup will be an important lead into the Nullarbor Slot race for Diego, Magnificent Storm, Jumpingjackmac, Minstrel and Lavra Joe.

Aldo Cortopassi, who will drive the Ray Williams-trained Magnificent Storm, said that the six-year-old who will be appearing for the first time since racing without cover and finishing fourth in the WA Pacing Cup on January 27, was thriving.

Magnificent Storm, a winner at 27 of his 41 starts, has drawn the outside barrier (No. 10) in the field of twelve. “In the random draw someone had to draw nine,” said Cortopassi. “I didn’t want it to be us, but it is what it is.

“Magnificent Storm is fit and healthy, and I was super impressed when I drove him at Byford last Saturday morning. I couldn’t fault his work; it was super. I’m not sure yet what the plans will be from the outside barrier. There is a nice race coming up in four weeks.”

Deni Roberts, fresh from a double at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening and trebles on the two previous Friday nights, said she was pleased with Minstrel’s effort when he raced without cover before winning a 1730m Free-For-All from Hampton Banner last Friday night, rating 1.54.

“Barrier five is an okay draw, and it should be a great race with horses getting ready for the Nullarbor,” she said.

Apart from Minstrel, champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be represented in Friday night’s Cup by Patronus Star (Dylan Egerton-Green, barrier eight) and Glenledi Chief (Gary Hall jnr, barrier four). Both pacers are racing keenly and are capable of figuring in the finish.

Hall snr is hoping that his runners Diego and Jumpingjackmac (Stuart McDonald, barrier seven) will continue their fierce rivalry after Jumpinjackmac had finished strongly to be a close second to Diego at his past two starts — in the WA Pacing Cup and the Pinjarra Cup.

Star WA-bred five-year-old Lavra Joe (a winner at 28 of his 55 starts) will be making his first appearance since he was checked and broke before finishing tenth in the WA Pacing Cup. The Ray Jones-trained gelding will start from the inside of the back line with Chris Lewis in the sulky.

Lavra Joe warmed up for Friday night’s event in a two-horse trial over 2100m at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Wednesday of last week when he began speedily, set a fast pace and dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.9sec. and 27.8sec. to beat his sole rival Batavia Reactor (an eight-year-old with three minor wins from 35 starts) by 182 metres, rating 1.55.8.

Trainer-reinsman Chris Voak was delighted when Sangue Reale drew the prized No. 1 barrier, saying: “He’s a good each-way hope. His Pinjarra Cup run (when eighth) was terrific. He ran home in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec.

“His form dipped when last at his two previous starts, when he had some issues. He is better now and he felt terrific when I worked him today (Tuesday).”

Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo said that he was pleased with the run of Handsandwheels when seventh in the Pinjarra Cup. “Barrier twelve is not a bad draw for him, but we will need a good, solid pace,” he said.

Miss Boudica set to lead

Miss Boudica (Mach Three) has begun from barrier nine twice and from barriers eight, six and four at her past five starts — and she looks set to break through for an overdue victory when she starts from the coveted No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Aaron Bain Racing Thank You To Our Owners Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Her prices at those past five starts have been $26, $41, $51, $126 and $101, and she is sure to start favourite this week, with reinsman Chris Voak confident of a strong showing.

“She gets her chance to lead and should be hard to beat,” said Voak, who was in the sulky last Friday night when the Michael Brennan-trained mare met with interference about 300m after the start and lost several lengths before racing at the rear and finishing last behind Roll Up.

“We made up a lot of ground after the early interference, and she hit the line strongly.

Miss Boudica is at her best when she sets the pace, and she has led and won four times, three times at Gloucester Park and once at Bunbury in her 31-start career of seven wins and nine placings.

Her main rivals appear likely to be Nullarbor Navajo, Bettors Destroya, Elli Mirando, Simply Shaz and Just For Love.

Nullarbor Navajo, who has a losing sequence, is racing in fine form for trainer-reinsman Corey Peterson, with her five starts this season producing two seconds, one third and two fifths. She impresses with her spirited finishing bursts and is sure to pay to follow.

She was eighth at the bell and caught the eye when she finished powerfully to be fifth behind The Amber Hare in a group 3 event for mares last Friday night. She ran home gamely from seventh at the bell when fifth behind Nevermindthechaos and The Amber Hare at her previous start.

Four-year-old Elli Mirando has struck top form for trainer Kim Prentice and reinsman Mitch Miller with strong wins at her past two starts. She led and beat Gypsy Dragon over 2130m at Gloucester Park before she finished strongly from eighth at the bell to win from Bettor Move Along and Bettors Destroya over 2185m at Pinjarra.

Voak is also looking forward keenly to James Butt returning to a standing-start event for the first timer for three years and eight months when he begins off the 30m back mark in the Join ABR And Summit At The Nullarbor Handicap.

James Butt, who has won at ten of his 49 starts, has appeared in only two stands — both at Pinjarra in July 2019 when he began off 20m and finished second to Twilight Saga and when he started from the 40m mark and raced in the breeze in the middle stages before fading to tenth and last behind Jus Livinthedream.

“He steps really well and is working strongly,” said Voak. “If he can catch them in the first 250 metres he would be a good each-way chance.”

James Butt trailed the pacemaker Valbonne before finishing fast, out four wide, to be third behind Whatabro and Rockaball in a 2536m mobile event last Friday week.

James Butt’s sternest opposition is expected to come from the Greg and Skye Bond-trained pair of Raven Banner and Aussie Scooter. Raven Banner, to be driven by Deni Roberts, impressed with an all-the-way victory over Blue Blazer in a 2536m mobile event on Tuesday of last week — a week after he finished boldly to be a head second to Manning over 2130m.

Raven Banner will start off the front line, while Aussie Scooter will begin from the 20m mark, following his smart victory in a 2503m stand last Friday night when he raced in the breeze for most of the way before winning from Arden Velocity after final quarters of 27.7sec. and 28.7sec.

Roberts opts for Steel The Show

Deni Roberts, who is enjoying a purple patch in the sulky, has given punters a vital lead by choosing to drive Steel The Show (Bettor’s Delight) in the $22,000 www.aaronbainracing.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

She opted to handle the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Steel The Show ahead of smart stablemates Jett Star and Vulcan Star, each of whom she has driven to victory in recent weeks.

“I know how good Jett Star is, while Steel The Show is still a bit unknown, and it will be nice to see something test him, and see how good he is,” said the 27-year-old Roberts, who has driven 35 winners this season and is in third place on the State’s drivers’ premiership table, behind Gary Hall jnr (41 winners) and Shannon Suvaljko (40).

Roberts has driven the New Zealand-bred Steel The Show at his first three Australian starts for three impressive victories when he set the pace from barriers five, three and one. He will start from the No. 6 barrier in a field of seven on Friday night, with Jett Star (Dylan Egerton-Green) at barrier two and Vulcan Star (Gary Hall jnr) at barrier four.

Jett Star produced a powerful performance last Friday night when he raced in the breeze before surging to the front in the home straight to win by 5m from Vulcan Star, rating 1.54.6 over the 1730m trip, with final quarters of 28.7sec. and 27.8sec.

Vulcan Star ran on from the one-out, one-back position when he finished second to Steel The Show over 2130m the previous week. He was an all-the-way winner from Ifeel Sikdarl at his previous outing.

Roberts and the Bonds also have bright prospects with Minstrel in the Governor’s Cup, Street Hawk in the in the Eighteen Carat Pace, Dont Bother Me None in the www.summitbloodstock.com Pace and Raven Banner in the Join ABR And Summit At The Nullarbor Handicap.

Hes Never Been Beta’s smart trial

Promising black colt Hes Never Been Beta (Hes Watching) is poised to make a successful return to racing after a spell when he contests the $20,250 Aaron Bain Racing, Ownership Opportunities Available Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night following an impressive trial at Pinjarra on Thursday of last week.

He is prepared by Gary Hall snr, who produced him in fine fettle for the trial in which he was handled by Gary Hall jnr. The New Zealand-bred colt set the pace in the three-horse trial, and after a moderate early pace he ran the third quarter of the final mile in 29.8sec. before sprinting over the final 400m in 27.1sec.

Hes Never Been Beta beat his talented stablemate Star Lavra, who was driven by Stuart McDonald and ran home solidly to finish a half-length behind his stablemate.

Star Lavra possesses good gate speed. He will begin from the No. 2 barrier, but it is problematic whether he will be able to win the start from the polemarker Runningonempty, who impressed at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon when he began brilliantly from barrier six and set a solid pace before finishing an excellent second to Magnus Victor.

That was Runningonempty’s fifth start in his current campaign of two wins at Albany followed by three seconds. Hes Never Been Beta will be making his first appearance for four months, while Star Lavra will be resuming after an absence of eight months.

Adding further considerable interest to the race will be the Murray Lindau-trained gelding Hotly Pursued, who will be driven by Kyle Harper from the outside barrier in the field of six.

Hotly Pursued began speedily from barrier No. 3 when he set the pace and finished a splendid first-up second, a head behind the brilliant Im The Black Flash over 2130m last Friday night. He certainly cannot be left out of calculations.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park