Gloucester Park preview 22nd September

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Young seeks first feature success

Pinjarra trainer-driver Madeliene Young is delighted her filly Castella Dellacqua (Captaintreacherous) has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night and she plans to set the pace in a bid to notch her first feature race victory.

The 29-year-old Young hopes that her tactics will enable Castella Dellacqua to turn the tables on the brilliant August Moon, who has drawn out wide at barrier eight as she seeks to extend her winning sequence to six.

Castella Dellacqua and August Moon have clashed only once, at Gloucester Park on August 11 when Castella Dellacqua set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and finished second, four lengths behind August Moon. Castella Dellacqua was hampered by hanging out.

Then, at her next and most recent start the Victorian-bred Castella Dellacqua led from the No. 1 barrier when she overraced badly and won by a length from Catch The Red Eye over 2185m at Pinjarra last Monday week.

“She did take charge of me,” said Young. “But I have settled her down a lot, and hopefully she comes back to me and runs a good race. She has got really good gate speed and the plan will be to lead.”

Castella Dellacqua has won at three of her 13 starts — once from ten runs in New South Wales and twice from three starts in Western Australia — while the WA-bred August Moon boasts an impressive record of 16 starts for nine wins, four seconds and one third placing for stakes of $208,668.

Trainer Luke Edwards was philosophical when considering August Moon’s wide draw, saying: “She had a good draw (No. 3) when she led and won the Westbred Classic last Friday week. So, we will cop this one on the chin, and hopefully she draws a bit better in the big race (the WA Oaks) in a fortnight.

“I couldn’t be happier with August Moon. She did it well within herself last start and everything is trending very well with her. It is a good thing that she is so versatile. I think we will let it all unfold. We probably won’t have to get involved early and will come into the race later on.”

Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr admits that August Moon faces an acid test, particularly drawing outside Castella Dellacqua and Turn The Page. However, August Moon has overcome setbacks in the past and many of her wins have come after covering extra ground and racing without cover. She certainly has the class to emerge triumphant again this week.

Our Sandy Shore, trained by Colin Brown and to be driven by his daughter Maddison, has won only once from 18 starts (at Northam last December) but she has finished encouraging seconds at three of her past four starts (twice behind August Moon and once behind Castella Dellacqua). She is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2 on the front line.

The New Zealand-bred Turn The Page, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from barrier five. She raced in the breeze when a half-head second to Lombo Mitchinson at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week after winning at her four previous starts.

Deni Roberts would love to celebrate her 500TH career victory and her 150TH win for the season by winning with Turn The Page. She achieved those notable milestones when she was successful with New Zealand-bred three-year-old Blaze On at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.

Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green will be looking from a strong performance from Zephyra, who will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy an ideal passage. Zephyra has won at seven of her eleven starts.

Soho Seraphine here for WA Oaks 

Smart filly Soho Seraphine (Betting Line) has arrived in Western Australia on a mission to win the $150,000 WA Oaks on Friday fortnight.

Soho Seraphine, bred and owned by West Australian Rob Watson, has raced 23 times for seven wins, eight seconds and five thirds for stakes of $179,378.

She finished second to Windy Hill Tara in the New South Wales Oaks at Menangle in February after winning a qualifying heat by a head from that filly. Soho Seraphine began from the back line and raced in the one-out and one-back position for much of the way when a fighting fourth behind Sahara Breeze in the Vicbred Super Series final at Melton last Saturday night when the winner rated 1.53.6 over 2240m, with final quarters of 28.4sec., 27.1sec. and 28.1sec.

A week earlier Soho Seraphine started from the back line, settled in eighth place, began a three-wide move at the 1200m to go to the breeze and fight on determinedly to finish second to Sweet Bella in a semi-final of the Vicbred feature event.

She began very fast from barrier seven and then trailed the pacemaker Elysian Jay before taking the lead in the final 20m and winning a qualifying heat at Ballarat three starts ago.

On The Back Foot ready to fire

Star reinsman Gary Hall jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Artful Major (Art Major) in preference to On The Back Foot in the opening event, the $21,000 Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

But Mardella trainer Michael Young remains firm in his conviction that On The Back Foot will lead from the No. 1 barrier and win the 2130m event for two-year-olds. Artful Major will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line.

Young has engaged Emily Suvaljko to drive On The Back Foot, a WA-bred gelding by Lazarus who possesses excellent gate speed.

“He had no luck at his last start and had to drag back to last (when, as an $81 outsider, he finished sixth behind Grevis and Vegas Strip over 1730m last Friday week),” said Young. “He ran the fastest last quarter (27.9sec.) in the field of twelve.

“We will be holding the front and giving him his chance.”

Artful Major, trained by Justin Prentice, will be making his first appearance for almost eight weeks — when he raced in the breeze and finished second to Vegas Strip over 1609m at Bunbury on August 1.  He raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly to win from Grevis over 2100m at Bunbury a fortnight earlier.

“I like the horse and his second to Vegas Strip was a good effort,” said Hall. “He should get a good run from barrier eleven.”

Artful Major and On The Back Foot are sure to meet plenty of opposition from Kabochon and Arma Believer, who fought out the finish of a 2185m event at Pinjarra on Monday of last week, with the Colin Brown-trained Arma Believer setting the pace from barrier three and winning by a length from Kabochon, who was restrained to last in the field of seven and was in fifth place with 250m to travel before charging home out wide on the track.

That was an impressive performance at Kabochon’s second appearance in a race. “He has a lot of ability, but this is only his third run,” said trainer-driver Madeliene Young. “I’m not sure how much gate speed he’s got, and I think he has a bit of toughness.”

Hall will rejoin forces with Michael Young when he handles Lamandier from barrier two in the Running Camel Pace over 2536m.

“Lamandier should lead and be hard to beat,” said Young. “The last time he led, he won easily (when he beat Lucapelo over 2536m five starts ago).

My Little Big Man seeks six in a row

Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred five-year-old My Little Big Man will be attempting to score his sixth win in a row when he contests the $21,000 Book Your Event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He will start from the outside barrier (No. 6) on the front line in the 2503m standing-start race in which he will clash with New Zealand import Love On The Rocks, who will be making his Australian debut.

Chris Voak, who has driven My Little Big Man for the gelding’s five starts for Serpentine trainer Giles Inwood, said: “This looks his toughest test to date, but he is a really nice horse.

“I’m very confident that from the outside draw he will step (safely). This will give me time to swing him around and get him on the right rein. He galloped before winning at Pinjarra on Monday. I think it was my error.

“He has got a really good turn of foot and he doesn’t give up the fight. He has a strong will to compete.”

Gary Hall snr prepares Love On The Rocks, who has raced 37 times in New Zealand for seven wins and ten placings. His final five appearances in New Zealand were early this year and produced a win and four seconds.

Love On The Rocks has performed soundly in trials at Pinjarra and Bunbury, and reinsman Gary Hall jnr predicted that the gelding would be extremely hard to beat, particularly if he set the pace.

Love On The Rocks began safely in a 2550m standing-start trial at Byford on Sunday morning when he trailed the pacemaker for the first 550m before taking the lead. It was a casual trial, with opening quarters of 33.8sec., 31.9sec. and 30.9sec. before the final 400m was covered in 28.8sec. and Love On The Rocks won by two and a half lengths from The Running Camel.

In a mobile trial at Pinjarra eleven days earlier Love On The Rocks finished third behind Sangue Reale and Louie The Lip when the final quarter was run in 27.4sec. Love On The Rocks raced three back on the pegs before moving to the breeze 800m from home. He then took a narrow lead with 450m to travel but broke for a few strides and lost ground before finish five lengths behind Sangue Reale.

Hall snr and Hall jnr look set to end Friday night’s ten-event program on a high by winning the final event, the de Campo’s Golden Trifecta Pace, with Blameitonthenight, who appears capable of setting the pace from barrier two and leading his rivals on a merry dance.

Four-year-old Blameitonthenight warmed up for this assignment in fine style with an effortless all-the-way victory over Galaxy Warrior at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when he dashed over the final 800m in 56.6sec.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park