Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas.

The Miki Taker enjoys a rise in class

Five-year-old The Miki Taker (Always B Miki), the youngest and least experienced runner in the $31,000 Rotary Club Of Fremantle Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night, has excelled since graduating to open-class company and he looks a major hope in the 2536m feature event.

“He has taken to the rise in Free-For-All company in super style,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo after landing four winners at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.

“Free-For-Alls over 2536m suit him, especially when there is no stand-out. It should be an up-tempo race, which he enjoys. His work this morning (Tuesday) was good, and he will run another honest race. Hopefully, he can work his way somewhere on the speed.”

The Miki Taker produced another outstanding performance when third behind Never Ending and Tenzing Bromac in the 2536m Winter Cup last Friday night when the margins in what was almost a triple dead-heat were a head and a nose.

He raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, before getting into the clear 550m from home and finishing with a powerful burst.

The previous week he impressed when he raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, and was switched three wide with 250m to travel to win from Mighty Conqueror and Hampton Banner.

The Miki Taker will start from the No. 3 barrier is unlikely to have enough speed to take an early lead, particularly with fast beginners The Code Breaker (barrier one) and Talks Up A Storm (two) drawn to his inside.

Mighty Conqueror, who will begin from the outside barrier in the field of nine, looms as a major threat to The Miki Taker. The Greg and Skye Bond-trained nine-year-old made a wonderful return to racing after a 12-month absence when he enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before finishing determinedly to finish second, a neck behind The Miki Taker in a 2130m Free-For-All last Friday week.

Mighty Conqueror will again be driven by Deni Roberts, who is confident of a stout-hearted effort from the veteran pacer. “In-form horses have drawn inside of him,” she said.

“It’s a long trip and he has had one run under his belt. Being driven sit-sprint first-up wasn’t really his go. He will be doing the work (in the breeze) at some stage, I’d say. I think he is better up there, rolling, and it looks like he will be able to do that on Friday.”

Champion trainer Gary Hall snr will have two runners — Wildwest and Diego, who are recent winners over 2130m, and will have admirers.

Wildwest will start out wide at barrier seven, with Stuart McDonald in the sulky, and Maddison Brown will handle Diego from barrier No. 5.

The Kim Prentice-trained Soho Dow Jones, who is 13 days older than The Miki Taker, will start from the No. 4 barrier and will be driven by Mitch Miller. Soho Dow Jones reappeared after a four-month absence when he raced in eleventh position, six back on the pegs, and made up a lot of ground to finish seventh behind Never Ending last Friday night. He is sure to have derived plenty of benefit from that effort.

My Ultimate Chevron resumes

New Zealand-bred five-year-old My Ultimate Chevron (Sweet Lou), who has finished last at his past three starts, but impressed in a recent trial, will attract considerable attention when he reappears after an absence of 19 months.

He will resume racing in the $20,000 Moonstream Information Services Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will line up from barrier seven in the 2130m event.

My Ultimate Chevron is trained by Michael Young and will be handled by Maddison Brown, who drove the Sweet Lou gelding in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.

He was restrained at the start from barrier four in the trial field of seven and settled last about 30 metres behind the pacemaker Soho Santorini. He was sixth in the one-wide line at the bell before being switched three wide 300m from home, and he ran on solidly without being extended to finish third, five lengths behind Soho Santorini. The final 400m was run in a slick 27.8sec.

His previous public appearance was in a 2150m trial at Byford in January this year when, driven by Gary Hall jnr, he raced in fourth place in a field of six before finishing powerfully to be a close second to the pacemaker Ideal Tomado, rating 1.59, with a final quarter of 27.6sec.

My Ultimate Chevron has a good record of 42 starts for ten wins, eight seconds and four thirds for stakes of $132,197. He made a dream start to his career when he won the group 3 Sapling Stakes for two-year-olds at Ashburton in February 2021.

He began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and was restrained to the rear. He was still last 300m from home before finishing strongly to hit the front 80m from the post and beat the pacemaker Tide And Time, rating 1.56.5 over 1609m.

My Ultimate Chevron raced 12 times in New Zealand for two wins and two placings before being sent to Australia where he won seven times in New South Wales and once in Canberra, as well as having three starts in Queensland for one second placing.

At his final start in eastern Australia My Ultimate Chevron began from a wide barrier over 2300m at Menangle in August last year when he raced at the rear and finished last in the field of ten.

His first appearance in Western Australia was over 2130m at Gloucester Park last December 22 when he began fast from barrier four and made an unsuccessful bid for the early lead before dropping back to finish last in the field of twelve.

Then he began out wide at barrier eight over 2130m on December 29, enjoyed a favourable trip in the one-out, one-back position and wilted to finish last in the field of eight.

Young has shown exemplary skill at producing pacers in top condition to win first-up at Gloucester Park, and punters are sure to rally behind him and My Ultimate Chevron on Friday night.

One of My Ultimate Chevron’s most dangerous rivals is likely to be the Mike Reed-trained Flying Rumour, who is the only runner on the back line. Flying Rumour was most impressive in a 1730m event last Friday night when he began from the outside of the back line and sustained a powerful three-wide burst from tenth at the bell to finish fourth behind My Ultimate Baxter.

Leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko has given punters a strong lead by choosing to drive Flying Rumour ahead of the Debbie Padberg-trained State Of Heaven and Classic Choice.

Brown chooses Mandown

Maddison Brown has given punters a good lead by opting to drive Mandown (Vincent) in preference to Ideal Tomado and Lamandier in the Santosh Contact Care Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mandown is trained by Gary Hall snr, while Michael Young trains Ideal Tomado and Lamandier.

Mandown, a winner at two of his 17 starts in New Zealand, has had one start in Australia when Gary Hall jnr drove him to an easy victory over Rockability at Gloucester Park three Tuesdays ago.

Brown has driven Lamandier 17 times, including at his latest three runs for a third to Youre So Fine and a second to My Ultimate Baxter. She has driven Ideal Tomado seven times for two wins at Pinjarra.

Mandown has shown excellent potential, and what also influenced Brown’s decision was the fact that Mandown has drawn barrier No.4, while the Young runners drew wider barriers.

Another good drive for Brown is Velocipede, who has drawn perfectly at barrier one in the Cash Converters Pace for Hall snr, who has bright prospects at landing the trifecta with Velocipede, Captain Bligh and Coney Island Lou.

Brown drove Velocipede to an all-the-way victory over the brilliant Whataretheodds three starts ago. However, the four-year-old faces a stiff test on Friday night against Captain Bligh, who was most impressive last Friday night when he set the pace and won effortlessly from Blaze Coops and Bellezza Nera at a 1.54.6 rate over 2130m.

In-form reinsman Stuart McDonald said he was confident that Captain Bligh would repeat the dose by leading and winning again on Friday night.

Trent Wheeler will handle Coney Island Lou from the outside barrier in the field of eight. Coney Island Lou set the pace and won over 2130m at his first two starts at Gloucester Park in late June and early July before he disappointed at odds-on when he had a tough run, three wide early and then in the breeze before fading to ninth behind Sorridere over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night.

Capel horseman Aiden De Campo looks set for a profitable night, during which he has bright prospects with The Miki Taker in the Rotary Club Of Fremantle Free-For-All, Rajah Rocks in race one, Machs Bettor (race four) and Swagger Man (race seven).

“Rajah Rocks went super at Bunbury last Saturday when he was able to lead and ran good time (1.56.78 over 2100m) and I’m sure he will run another good race,” said De Campo.

“Machs Bettor has a horrible draw (No. 9). It’s an even field and he is probably the best horse in the race. Swagger Man went super last week (when running home strongly to be second to Elwaddell), and if he can find the front (from barrier three) on Friday night he should be able to win. He looks my best of the night.”

Aardiebytheseaside is Deni’s best

Outstanding driver Deni Roberts, fresh from a double on Tuesday evening, will have a big following on Friday night when she has a drive in all ten events at Gloucester Park.

Although she gives Mighty Conqueror, Steel The Show and Captainshavtime excellent winning prospects she had no hesitation in declaring Aardiebytheseaside as her best drive.

“She is a classy mare and I’m excited to have her back,” said Roberts.

Aardiebytheseaside, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old, will be having her first start for eleven weeks when she begins from an awkward draw at barrier six in the $27,000 Rotary Club Of Fremantle Free-For-All for fillies and mares over 2130m.

Aardiebytheseaside, who is prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has been most impressive in winning at her first two appearances in Western Australia, beating the brilliant Steno in the 2536m group 2 Empress Stakes on April 19 and then beating Acharne Girl and Nullarbor Navajo in the group 3 Breeders Stakes on May 3 before going for a spell.

Aardiebytheseaside has the raw ability to prove too strong for talented and in-form mares Three Rumours (outside barrier in the field of seven) and Little Darling (barrier two). Also in the field are Aardiebytheseaside’s stablemate Sista Sammy, smart four-year-old Soho Seraphine and speedy mares Sovrana and Blaze Coops.

Three Rumours, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko for trainer Nathan Turvey, is tough and in excellent form, having worked hard in the breeze at her past three starts for two wins and a half-head second to Acharne Girl.

Little Darling, to be driven by Chris Lewis for trainer Barry Howlett, is in fine form and she impressed last Friday night when after an unsuccessful challenge for the early lead she gained a good sit in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to be second to Penny Black over 2130m.

Sista Sammy, a lightly-raced six-year-old who has had 21 starts for six wins and nine placings, will be reappearing after a three-month absence when she begins from the prized No. 1 barrier.

Captainshavtime will make her Australian debut when she begins from barrier No.6 in the 2130m Rotary Ending Polio Pace for two-year-old fillies. She has raced three times in New Zealand for a win and a third placing in April this year.

“Her New Zealand form is pretty good, and she gives me a good feel at home,” said Roberts. “I think I’ll learn more about her on Friday.”

Captainshavtime will race against her WA-bred stablemates and last-start winners Twilight Tango and Crunchee.

Trent Wheeler has been engaged to handle Twilight Tango from barrier two. Roberts drove Twilight Tango when she set the pace and beat her fast-finishing stablemate Belly Up over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.

Stuart McDonald will drive Crunchee from the No. 5 barrier. Crunchee was a first-up winner when she raced without cover for Roberts and defeated Twilight Tango over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.

Trainer Mike Reed is looking for a strong showing from Ruby Lou, who will start from the outside in the field of seven with Shannon Suvaljo in the sulky.

Ruby Lou notched her third win from nine starts when set the pace from barrier five and beat Jaxs Ideal over 1730m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.

“She’s got a chance,” said Suvaljko. “She is working well and will improve on her latest run. She can go forward or sit back and run home.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park