Gloucester Park preview 14th September

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Water Lou pleases her trainer

Outstanding filly Water Lou (Sweet Lou) has recovered from a debilitating virus, and a sparkling workout has boosted trainer Mike Reed’s confidence leading into the $215,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Water Lou has drawn awkwardly on the outside of the back line in the Group 1 feature event over 2130m, with Reed declaring: “I would be happy with a better barrier draw, but I wouldn’t swap her with any other horse in the race.”

Water Lou had won at her first seven starts when she was the $1.55 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week. She was restrained at the start and raced in sixth place in the one-out, two-back position and lacked dash when a well-beaten seventh, five and a half lengths behind the winner Grand Couteau.

Reinsman Shannon Suvaljko reported that Water Lou did not travel comfortably, and Reed said that a blood count had revealed the filly was suffering from a virus before a course of antibiotics had enabled her to make a full recovery.

“We hoppled her at Gloucester Park last Saturday morning and she worked the best she has ever worked,” said Reed. “Kevin Keys drove her, and she ran the last mile of the workout in 1.56, with a final 800m of 56sec. She beat Miki Diamonds by 30 metres.

“Then on Monday morning she was in a paddock, and there were two wild ducks out there, and she was galloping around, chasing them.” That was a convincing sign of her well-being.

Reed said that he would leave race tactics on Friday night up to Suvaljko. “He will work things out,” he said. “Water Lou is a capable sit-sprinter, and she will run a good 400m or 600m.”

The tempo of the race is likely to be determined by either one of Capel trainer Aiden De Campo’s two runners, San Remo Beach (barrier one) or Miss Hepburn (barrier two). Each filly possesses good gate speed, but San Remo Beach (to be driven by Trent Wheeler) has tractability issues, and there appears a strong chance that De Campo will set the pace with Miss Hepburn.

Miss Hepburn certainly has excellent winning prospects. Her only success from six starts was five starts ago when she led from barrier three and beat Princess Katie by a head over 1730m at Gloucester Park on June 9.

Miss Hepburn’s subsequent four starts have been sound — a head second to Nase Vira, a fourth behind In A Wink, a second to Water Lou in the Group 2 Diamond Classic and a third behind Princess Katie and In A Wink.

Princess Katie, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Michael Young, has won at two of her 11 starts, but faces a tough assignment from out wide at barrier No. 8.

Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green will be relying on a reasonable share of luck after his smart fillies Grand Couteau and Nase Vira fared poorly in the barrier draw. He will drive Nase Vira from the outside of the front line (No. 9), and Deni Roberts will be in the sulky behind Grand Couteau, who will start from barrier seven.

Grand Couteau finished strongly to win from Relatively Arma and Princess Katie over 2130m last Friday week. Nase Vira, who raced in the breeze in the middle stages and got to the front approaching the home turn, wilted to finish fourth.

“They both performed very well and I’m sure they will hold their own and be making good ground late,” said Egerton-Green. “Both have worked well since their latest runs, and I consider Nase Vira probably has a little advantage over Grand Couteau.”

Xceptional Arma is a smart filly, who is prepared by Colin Brown and has a record of five wins and three seconds from ten starts. She will begin from the inside of the back line and will be driven by Maddison Brown. She looks set to fight out the finish.

Draw favours Waverider

Smart colt Waverider (Downbytheseaside), who lost his unblemished record when he was surprisingly beaten into ninth place as a $1.26 favourite in the $100,000 Pearl Classic three weeks ago, has drawn perfectly at barrier No. 1 in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He also began from barrier one in the Pearl when he was beaten for early speed by Ten To The Dozen and then raced in the breeze before wilting to finish almost seven lengths from the winner Menemsha.

“He was disappointing,” admitted trainer Ryan Bell. “We thought that maybe he was out of his comfort zone. But his heart rate was high after the race and his blood showed that he had a bit of a viral infection.

“So, we are going to put that performance behind us, and he is now as good as I can have him. Based on the way he looks and the way he has worked I am pretty chuffed and happy that he has got real lucky with the barrier draw again. But he’s going to have to pull out all stops to hold up.”

Before that shock defeat Waverider had set the pace and won in good style, twice over 1730m and twice over 2130m, at his first four starts. He will be driven by Kyle Symington, who has handled him in all his five starts.

Looming large as serious rivals for Waverider are the Aiden De Campo-trained Menemsha and Grevis, each impressive last-start winners.

De Campo will drive Menemsha, who will begin from the No. 5 barrier, and Trent Wheeler will handle Grevis from his favourable draw at barrier No. 2.

Menemsha overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line to win the Pearl Classic when he raced in the one-out, two-back position and was still in sixth place 400m from home before he charged home with a final 400m of 28.4sec. to beat Grevis by a neck after that colt had enjoyed a perfect trip behind the pacemaker Ten To The Dozen.

Grevis then contested a 1730m event last Friday night when he trailed the pacemaker Vegas Strip before he finished strongly to beat that gelding by a neck at a 1.55.3 rate, with final quarters of 28.4sec. and 28.7sec.

Ideal Muscle, a winner at three of his seven starts, is the third De Campo runner in Friday night’s rich classic. He will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko and should enjoy a favourable trip after starting from the inside of the back line.

Gary Hall Jnr faced a tough decision in choosing his drive in the race. A more favourable draw at barrier No. 3 resulted in his choice of handling Thelittle Master ahead of Blaze Away at barrier seven.

Thelittle Master, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, impressed when he ran home strongly from eleventh at the bell to finish fifth behind Menemsha three Fridays ago. That splendid effort followed five wins in a row.

Blaze Away, trained by Justin Prentice, reappeared after a six-month absence when he raced in the breeze and finished fourth behind Arma Believer over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. His only other starts were early this year when a winner over Ten To The Dozen in a heat of the Sales Classic, followed by his well-beaten second placing behind Waverider in the final. Stuart McDonald will drive the Sweet Lou gelding on Friday night.

Apart from Thelittle Master, the Bond stable will be looking for a strong performance from the speedy Ten To The Dozen, who will be driven by Deni Roberts from barrier No. 9. Ten To The Dozen has won five races and he possesses brilliant gate speed.

The Colin Brown-trained Arma Believer, to be driven by Maddison Brown, will start from the outside of the back line. He warmed up for the race with an all-the-way win over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.

Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green is looking for an improved effort from Cork Can Run (barrier two on the back line) after the Sportswriter colt finished a well-beaten eleventh behind Menemsha three weeks ago.

“He got back in that race and had a chance to run on,” said Egerton-Green. “But he hung down badly. I have sussed out a few things, and his work has been a lot better. He should get a nice run.”

Hall opts for Captain Bligh

Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has made an interesting decision by choosing to drive the New Zealand-bred gelding Captain Bligh (Captaintreacherous) ahead of stablemates Im The Black Flash and Velocipede and the Justin Prentice-trained star three-year-old Rolling Fire in the opening event, the 2130m Allwood Stud Devoted To Breeding Excellence Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The more favourable barrier draw at No. 3 on the front line — and a runaway victory in modest company at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night — helped to sway Hall’s decision.

Captain Bligh, placed twice from nine New Zealand starts, made his Australian debut for Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr when he contested a 2185m maiden event against modest opposition at Pinjarra last Monday week. He began from barrier six and set the pace before winning by 15 lengths from Devilish Grin, rating 1.59.7. He dashed over the final quarters in 28.9sec. and 27.2sec.

Captain Bligh then lined up on the outside barrier in a field of seven over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when he began speedily but was unable to cross Spudmeister and Hotly Pursued.

After a fast lead time of 35.9sec. Hotly Pursued took the lead after 700m. Hall then dashed Captain Bligh forward and the gelding got to the front 1050m from home and went on to win by five lengths from Hotly Pursued, rating 1.57.5.

Whether Captain Bligh can get to an early lead on Friday night is problematic, with fast beginner Tantabiddi drawn on his inside at barrier two. Tantabiddi, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Kim Prentice, made most of the running when a comfortable winner over 2130m at Kellerberrin on Sunday, rating 2.1.8.

Rolling Fire is in outstanding form and is sure to prove extremely hard to beat, despite starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. He will be driven by Deni Roberts.

Rolling Fire has won in effortless fashion with Hall in the sulky at his past four starts to take his career record to 14 starts for nine wins, one second and $85,937 in prizemoney.

Hall also was impressed with Im The Black Flash when he drove him to an easy victory over Rocket City and Velocipede last Friday night when he raced in the breeze and covered the final 800m in 56.1sec. and rated 1.57.4 over the 2130m trip.

Stuart McDonald will handle Im The Black Flash from out wide at barrier eight, and Maddison Brown will drive Velocipede from the inside of the back line.

The Hall stable will also be looking for a strong first-up performance from the former Victorian pacer Ira Poole, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier in the 1730m Contact@Allwoodstud.com.au Pace.

The New Zealand-bred Ira Poole has raced 31 times for six wins, eight seconds and two thirds. “His work has been good, and he should run a good race,” said Hall Jnr.

Lusaka starts his WA Derby campaign

New Zealand-bred colt Lusaka (Sweet Lou) will take his first steps in a campaign aimed at the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3 when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $21,000 Bookings@Allwoodstud.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Sweet Lou colt, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will be driven by Deni Roberts, who is certain to use his sparkling gate speed in a bid for an all-the-way success.

Lusaka, a winner at his only New Zealand appearance, has won at seven of his ten West Australian starts. He has set the pace in all of his WA victories.

He is the youngest and least experienced runner in Friday night’s race in which his major dangers appear to be four-year-olds Lucca and High Price. Lucca, trained and driven by Bill Hayes, has wonderful potential and is sure to improve considerably on his record of 12 starts for five wins and six placings.

Lucca had a tough run without cover when a splendid neck second to Acharne Girl over 2130m last Friday night. He again looks likely to have a hard run, having drawn the outside barrier (No. 9) in the field of ten. High Price led before wilting to finish second to his three-year-old stablemate Im The Black Flash over 2130m last Friday night.

Acharne Girl has bright prospects of notching another win when she begins from barrier five in the 2130m Allwood Stud For All Your Breeding Requirements Pace. She resumed after a two-month absence in fine style last Friday night when she raced in fifth place, three back on the pegs, before getting clear 300m from home and finishing strongly to beat Lucca by a neck.

The Ryan Bell-trained The Code Breaker drops significantly in class when he runs in the 2130m Fly Like An Eagle Pace. He has been racing against pacers of the class of Tenzing Bromac, Mighty Ronaldo, Prince Of Pleasure, Patronus Star, Steel The Show and Finvarra, and should appreciate competing against weaker opposition.

“This is a winnable race,” said Bell. “The Code Breaker drops massively in grade. He has had a freshen up and we’re stoked with the way he is working, probably as good as he has ever worked for us. It’s a tricky draw (barrier five) with a bit of speed underneath him.”

The Code Breaker’s most serious opposition is expected to come from smart frontrunning five-year-old Rascal (barrier two) and Musztang (barrier eight), who did a good job to finish second to Kimble last Friday week after working hard without cover. He was a strong-finishing winner over Lamandier and Major Freeway a week earlier.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park