Gloucester Park preview

Champion harness racing trainers Greg and Skye Bond are relying on their tried and trusted formula in a bid to win the $25,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound BOTRA Cup with Master Yossi (Bettors Delight) at Gloucester Park on Friday night (Jul. 15).

They have followed their procedure of giving the lightly-raced New Zealand-bred Master Yossi a diet of standing-start races before contesting the 2503m BOTRA Cup – a prescription which paid dividends when Ryan Warwick drove Fizzing to victory in the 2019 Cup.

Fizzing, the lone backmarker off 30m, defeated Cracka Star and Athabascan after he had been prepared astutely, with his previous six starts all in stands producing four wins and two seconds.

Master Yossi has had a similar lead-up, having run in four stands from his first five starts in WA since arriving from New Zealand where eight of his 14 starts were in stands. Master Yossi has won in convincing style at all of his WA appearances.

He will begin off the 10m mark and should make a bold bid for victory at his first outing for 53 days — since he began from 10m, dashed to an early lead and went on to win by two lengths from Over Armed over 2116m at Pinjarra on March 21.

The Bonds also won the BOTRA Cup 12 months ago when Minstrel, the 30m backmarker and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, raced without cover in the middle stages before getting to the front on the home turn and beating Awaitinginstructions, with final quarters of 27.8sec. and 28.7sec. Minstrel had warmed up with an easy victory in a stand at Gloucester Park a fortnight before the BOTRA Cup.

If Master Yossi wins on Friday night the Bonds will join Gary Hall snr and Michael Brennan as the only trainers to have won the BOTRA Cup (first run in 1981) three times. Hall has been successful with Spirit Of Shard (2008), Albert Jaccka (2010) and Classic American (2015) and Brennan has won the Cup with Naughty Maravu (2016), The Bucket List (2018) and Forgotten Highway (2020).

Brennan has high hopes of improving his record, with five-year-old Withoutthetuh warming up with an all-the-way win in a 2116m standing-start four-horse trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.

Withoutthetuh will start off the 10m mark and will be driven by Michael Grantham at his first appearance for just over four months. Withoutthetuh was driven by Aleesha Bynder in the trial in which set a slow pace before finishing with final 400m sections of 29.9sec. and 28.2sec. Grantham teamed with Brennan to win the 2020 BOTRA Cup with Forgotten Highway.

Copy And Pace, trained and driven by Corey Peterson, finished second in the trial in which he sat behind the pacemaker and was not extended in coasting to line. Copy And Pace, a last-start winner in a 2536m mobile event at Gloucester Park three Tuesdays ago, will begin from the No. 3 barrier on the front line.

Gary Hall jnr has been engaged by trainer Luke Edwards to handle Texas Tara, a standing-start winner at Gloucester Park last month. Hall has driven the winner of the BOTRA Cup a record five times. And Chris Lewis, who has won the Cup four times (with Village Kid in 1985, Elteei in 1986, Mach Ruler in 2009 and Tartary Gladiator in 2011) will drive Major Mucha for trainer Chris Voak.

Hall’s plans for Chicago Bull

Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr is excited to be reuniting with veteran superstar pacer Chicago Bull (Bettors Delight) when the nine-year-old will be attempting to end a losing sequence of eight by winning the $30,000 Call Garrard’s Horse And Hound Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“I’m looking forward to driving Chicago Bull, and I’ll be asking him to come out hard (from the No. 3 barrier),” said Hall, who has driven the champion pacer to victory 58 times in his glittering career of 62 wins, 20 seconds and 12 thirds from 109 starts.

Hall had little hesitation in choosing to drive Chicago Bull this week in preference to his up-and-coming four-year-old stablemate Jumpingjackmac. Hall has won with Jumpingjackmac at Gloucester Park on the past two Friday nights, with Chicago Bull finishing third over 2536m two Fridays ago and a head second over 2130m last Friday night.

Jumpingjackmac will start from the outside barrier on Friday night in the field of seven, and he faces a stern test with Chicago Bull favourably drawn at barrier three, Magnificent Storm at No. 6 and Handsandwheels at barrier four.

Callan Suvaljko, who has driven Chicago Bull at his past four starts, including his three runs in his current winter campaign, will be in the sulky behind Jumpingjackmac on Friday night.

Chicago Bull, trained by Gary Hall snr, has managed just one victory from his past 17 starts, and that was when he started from barrier six, raced wide early and then in the breeze before finishing resolutely to get up and beat Motu Premier by a half-length over 2536m on January 14 this year. That win ended a losing run of eight.

“Chicago Bull is due for a win at his fourth start back,” said Hall jnr. “He is ready to go, and you would expect him to be a bit better than he was last week.”

In last week’s race Chicago Bull started from the outside barrier in the field of six and he raced in last position in the one-wide line before finishing fast to fail by a head to beat Jumpingjackmac, who had set a solid pace.

The Ray Williams-trained Magnificent Storm had a tough run in the breeze last week, and he lost few admirers in finishing a close-up third. That followed smart victories at his two previous outings, after resuming from a spell. He raced without cover in the final lap when he won by a head from the pacemaker While They Pray over 2536m, and then he raced in the breeze before winning from Diego and Chicago Bull over 2130m a week later.

The return to racing of Handsandwheels after a 23-month absence adds enormous interest to Friday night’s Free-For-All. The eight-year-old, a winner of 28 races and $666,739 in prizemoney, has recovered from a leg injury and the winner of the 2017 WA Derby has impressed in two recent trials.

Handsandwheels finished strongly to win a 2100m trial at Bunbury three Wednesdays ago when he dashed over the final 400m in 27.7sec. and beat Sugar Street by three lengths. Then, at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week he took the lead after 900m and went on to win by just under three lengths from Freyja, rating 1.55.2 over 2185m, with the final three 400m sections being covered in 28.6sec. 28.6sec. and 27.9sec.

Rokorico’s speed is his asset

Veteran pacer Rokorico (Rock N Roll Heaven), who badly damaged a tendon at his second start in a race as a two-year-old when he broke in running and finished fourth behind debutant Handsandwheels at Pinjarra in February 2016, is ready to break through for his first city success.

The WA-bred eight-year-old is now trained by Jocelyn Young and was most impressive when he set the pace and won a 2242m event by 12 lengths at Narrogin last Saturday night.

He will begin from barrier No. 2 in the opening event, the 2130m www.horseadhound.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and Young is looking forward for a strong showing from the gelding.

“He has good gate speed and, obviously, leading would be ideal,” she said. “He led when he beat lesser horses at Narrogin. But if he doesn’t lead, he can still win if we get a good sit, and the race is run at a genuine pace. He has a really super turn of foot.”

After breaking down in the Pinjarra race in February 2016 Rokorico was off the scene for four years and ten months before trainer-reinsman Tim Stone produced him in a 2265m event at Albany in December 2020 when he set the pace and scored an easy victory.

Stone then won two more races at Albany and one at Wagin before transferring the horse to Young, whose six runs for the gelding have produced two wins at Narrogin and two seconds at his only two appearances at Gloucester Park.

Both Rokorico’s city seconds have been full of merit. He ran on from sixth at the bell to finish second to Cachinnation, and he came from three back on the pegs when beaten by the talented New Zealand-bred four-year-old Stamford two starts ago.

Young has a handy second-string runner in Friday night’s event in Alta Christiano gelding Master Leighton, who will be driven by Chris Lewis from out wide at barrier seven. Master Leighton charged home from ninth at the bell to finish an eye-catching fourth behind Hillview Bondi over 1730m last Friday night. That followed an excellent all-the-way victory over 2130m at his previous start.

Western Arterra, who will start from the No. 1 barrier, ended a losing sequence of 19 three starts ago when he set the pace for trainer-reinsman Corey Peterson and beat Captains Beachbabe by a half-head over 2242m at Narrogin. Much interest will surround Western Arterra’s ability to hold the early lead from Rokorico and fast beginner Longreach Bay (barrier six).

Last-start winner Hillview Bondi will start from the outside of the front line (barrier nine), but he is a strong four-year-old who is capable of overcoming his wide draw. Others who are sure to attract good support are the three back-line runners Markham Eyre, Robbie Rocket and Orlando Blue.

Trial points to Soho Confidential

A dashing win in a 2150m Byford trial on Sunday morning is a pointer to Soho Confidential’s (Art Major) prospects in the $20,250 Garrard’s Service with Integrity Pace for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Glenn Elliott-trained colt set a solid pace in the five-horse trial before careering away from his rivals in the final stages to win by eight lengths from Elwaddell, rating 2.0.3, with a final quarter of 28.1sec.

He was handled by Shannon Suvaljko, who is sure to be keen to get to an early lead from the No. 3 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event in which astute trainer Kim Prentice holds a powerful hand with three runners, Tantabiddi (Foreclosure), Crowd Control (Control The Moment) and Our Lililou (Sweet Lou).

Soho Confidential will be having his first start since his debut when he led from barrier three and won by four lengths from Sweet Vivienne at a 1.58.1 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on February 14.

His clash with the richly-talented Crowd Control should provide plenty of fireworks. Crowd Control resumed after a spell with a sizzling performance in a 2185m event at Pinjarra three Mondays ago when he was the sole runner on the back line, settled in fourth place on the pegs in an Indian file, moved off the inside after about 450m and then raced in the breeze before bursting to the front 650m from home and racing away to beat the pacemaker Cold Hard Cash by 12 lengths.

Crowd Control gave a sample of his brilliance with a scorching 26.5sec. third quarter of the final mile before coasting home over the final 400m in 29sec. That remarkable performance came after placings behind the brilliant Valedictorian in a heat and the final of the group 1 Sales Classic in February.

“Crowd Control has come back very good after a spell and he has trained on very well since his Pinjarra win,” said Prentice, who has engaged Mitch Miller to drive Tantabiddi, with Corey Peterson given the job to handle Our Lililou, an all-the-way winner in a 1730m event for fillies last Friday night.

Adding considerable interest to the race will be the appearance of Star Lavra, a half-brother to champion four-year-old Lavra Joe. Star Lavra (Captaintreacherous), trained by Gary Hall snr, will be driven by Gary Hall jnr from the prized No. 1 barrier.

Star Lavra is resuming after a spell, and he showed his fitness in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he began speedily from the outside barrier in the field of six, dashed to the front after 400m and fought on determinedly to win the trial by a neck from Morissette, rating 2.0.3, with a final quarter of 28.8sec.

“Star Lavra is very lazy, though he is not lazy out of the gate,” said Hall jnr. “Obviously, we intend to lead, and will take it from there. He is a laid-back horse who has a terrific motor. He is a lot better than he is probably going to show as a two-year-old.”

Capel trainer Aiden de Campo will be driving Magnus Victor (Sweet Lou), who will start from barrier five. Magnus Victor, a Sweet Lou gelding, impressed, first-up, when he finished strongly from the rear to win from Spinner Of Yarns over 2185m at Pinjarra a month ago.

Louie The Lip warms up in style

Inexperienced four-year-old Louie The Lip (American Ideal) warmed up for the 2130m Garrard’s Rio Cobra Sulky Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night in fine style with a powerful victory in a 2130m event on Tuesday night when he thundered home, out wide, from eighth at the 900m to charge to the front at the 100m and beat the odds-on favourite Linebacker.

The gelding, trained by Gary Hall snr, started out wide from barrier seven and Gary Hall jnr gave him plenty of time to settle down before setting him alight approaching the bell.

Hall jnr will employ different tactics on Friday night when Louie The Lip lines up from the No. 2 barrier. “We will try to lead,” he said.

Louie The Lip has made a splendid start to his career, with his five starts producing three wins and a second placing. His only serious rival appears to be his five-year-old stablemate Euphoria, a consistent performer who has raced 48 times for ten wins, 15 seconds and four thirds. Euphoria, to be driven by Callan Suvaljko, will start from the No. 4 barrier.

Hall jnr, who has a drive in all ten events on the program, is looking forward to handling brilliant mare Balcatherine (American Ideal) in race seven in which she will start from the outside in the field of seven at her return to racing after an absence of five months.

Balcatherine, a winner at 12 of her 32 starts for stakes of $296,138, will clash with in-form mares Angel In White (barrier one), Savvy Bromac (three) and Fifty Five Reborn (six).

“She is going to need the run,” said Hall. “But she probably has a chance because of the small field.”

Hall will start the program by driving pacers trained by Michael Young in the first four events. He gives all of them — Orlando Blue, Vespa, Beat City and Moonlite Drive — sound each-way prospects.

For complete race fields, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park