Gloucester Park preview 23rd December

My Watchlist (Hes Watching) is set to thrill.

The exciting three-year-old, who showed outstanding harness racing ability in New Zealand early in the year, will make a much-anticipated Australian debut when he contests the opening event, the David Evans Memorial Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The gelding is trained by Gary Hall snr and will be driven by Gary Hall jnr in the 2130m event in which he is favourably drawn at barrier three on the front line.

If he is on his best behaviour he should prove the master of his eleven rivals, including several recent winners. That is a significant proviso, considering his rebellious behaviour in New Zealand where he contested five races for two wins, two seconds and a fourth placing.

My Watchlist was most impressive in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he started from the outside in a field of seven and Stuart McDonald refrained from pushing him out at the start.

My Watchlist settled in fourth position before McDonald sent him forward and took the lead after 550m. He then paced faultlessly and coasted to victory, beating Paster Tedesco by eleven lengths, rating 1.56.9. The quarters of the final mile were run in 31sec., 29.5sec. 28.6sec. and 28.6sec.

He was on his worst behaviour on debut when having his only start as a two-year-old, in 2400m event at Winton last December. He began from the inside of the back line and broke into a fierce gallop after 50m, losing 15 lengths. He was eighth at the bell, ten lengths from the leader Bender, before he dashed forward, three wide, at the 700m and finished powerfully to be a half-length second to Bender, a four-year-old gelding.

At his next appearance, over 2200m at Gore on January 12 My Watchlist raced in the breeze throughout in the field of ten and finished second to Bollinger.

My Watchlist was the $1.20 favourite at his third start, over 2200m at Invercargill when he galloped badly from the No. 2 barrier, losing twelve lengths. He was still last in the field of eight 300m from home and he went four wide on the home turn and was seventh at the 120m before he exploded into action and won easily from Livy Desma.

His fourth start was over 2200m when he began speedily, surged to the front after 150m and went on to win by three lengths from Sonny Maguire. He was not extended in sprinting over the final 800m in 55.9sec.

Then, at his final appearance in New Zealand, on March 12, he galloped badly and lost ten lengths at the start before battling on to finish fourth, six lengths behind the winner Street Hawk in a field of six.

One of My Watchlist’s rivals is the Annie Belton-trained Mister Montblanc, who has resumed after a spell in fine style and has scored impressive victories over 1730m and 2130m at Gloucester Park. He possesses excellent gate speed, but from barrier four he could find that the three geldings drawn to his inside — Speedwagon, Eton Rock and My Watchlist — difficult to cross.

Lewis seeks elusive victory

Champion reinsman Chris Lewis drove Pallaton into third place behind Captain Elect and Society Guy in the 1979 Christmas Gift — and this summer carnival feature event has continued to elude him ever since.

He has driven in the Christmas Gift 30 times from 1990 when 33/1 chance Nippy Rendina finished second to Smooth Kaden, and he has also had to be content with second placings with Downtown Boy (1992), Regunya Boy (1993), Grand Canyon (1995), Michael Leslie (1998) and Heez On Fire (2014).

The 67-year-old maestro, who has driven 140 winners this season, gets a wonderful chance at Gloucester Park on Friday night to break through and celebrate this festive season by driving talented four-year-old Sugar Street (Bettor’s Delight) to victory in the $50,000 group 2 Allwood Stud Farm Christmas Gift.

Sugar Street, prepared by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, has resumed racing after a spell in marvellous form with impressive victories at Gloucester Park this month. He is a versatile pacer with the ability to overcome the disadvantage of a wide barrier at No. 7 on the front line in the 2130m event.

Sugar Street was not extended when he set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and defeated Dont Bother Me None by more than a length, rating 1.58.4 over 2536m last Friday night when he dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec.

Those victories boosted his career record to 31 starts for ten wins, ten seconds, four thirds and $107,607 in prizemoney.

One of the main obstacles standing in the path of a Lewis triumph looms large in the form of star reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who has won the Christmas Gift five times in the past ten years — scoring with Livingontheinterest (2012), Tuxedo Tour (2014), Rub Of The Green (2016), Herrick Roosevelt (2017) and Jumpingjackmac (2021).

Hall will drive the Michael Young-trained Firerockfireroll, whose prospects soared when the five-year-old drew the prized No. 1 barrier. Firerockfireroll has raced eleven times in WA for three wins in stands. His four runs in mobiles at Gloucester Park have produced three fourths and a fifth placing.

Firerockfireroll is not generally considered a frontrunner, but Hall certainly is sure to be contemplating a strong bid to take full advantage of the draw by attempting an all-the-way win. It is interesting to note that five of his wins in Victoria (three at Melton and one each at Ballarat and Terang) were when he set the pace.

Two starts ago Firerockfireroll gave a splendid performance when he was ninth 600m from home and sprinted powerfully, going five wide on the home turn, to finish second to Himself, who followed that effort with his brilliant victory in the group 1 Golden Nugget last Friday night.

Ragazzo Mach, one of six four-year-olds in Friday night’s race, will be popular with punters, following his strong win in a 2536m Free-For-All last Friday night when he raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before finishing boldly with a three-wide burst to win by a neck from Prince Of Pleasure, rating 1.56.6.

That was Ragazzo Mach’s first win for just over ten months, but there is little doubt that he is capable of replicating last week’s effort this week for trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. He will begin from the No. 5 barrier.

Another four-year-old Machnificent has drawn poorly on the outside of the front line, but the Katja Warwick-trained stallion is a brilliant sit-sprinter, who cannot be left out of calculations.

Emily out to repeat the dose

Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko has high hopes of following her successful formula in the $50,000 Retravision Christmas Belles at Gloucester Park on Friday night — line up at barrier No. 2, set the pace and win the race.

That’s just what she did 12 months ago when the Nathan Turvey-trained Savvy Bromac started favourite at $1.50 from the No. 2 barrier and led all the way before holding on to win by a half-head from the 2020 Christmas Belles winner Balcatherine.

On Friday night Suvaljko will be hoping to lead from the No. 2 barrier with the Justin Prentice-trained Bettor Get It On, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old she has driven to victory over 2130m at her past two starts.

Bettor Get It On revealed commendable strength last Friday night when she started from barrier six and failed in an early bid for the lead before finally getting to the front after 600m. The lead time was a swift 36.1sec. and Bettor Get It On showed great spirit to dash away from her rivals with final quarters of 28.1sec. and 28.5sec. and win by 7m at a 1.56.3 rate from her stablemate Platinum Sparkle.

Prentice was full of praise for Bettor Get It On, a mare he described as being very tough. He also was more than happy with the run of Platinum Sparkle, who raced in the breeze and fought on determinedly. Platinum Sparkle will be driven by Aiden de Campo from the inside of the back line in Friday night’s event, and she has sound prospects.

Maddison Brown will drive Fifty Five Reborn, a speedy five-year-old who is prepared by her father Colin and will have an army of admirers after drawing the coveted No. 1 barrier. Fifty Five Reborn is a splendid frontrunner who has been placed at four of her past five starts.

Maddison Brown will be determined to win the start and attempt an all-the-way win — a result which would relieve the pain of finishing a half-head second to Savvy Bromac with Balcatherine in last year’s Christmas Belles.

Jocelyn Young finished fifth with $71 chance Has No Fear in last year’s feature event, and she is looking for a strong showing from The Amber Hare, who is racing enthusiastically and is fresh from her good performance when fifth behind Himself in last Friday night’s group 1 Golden Nugget.

Gary Hall jnr, who drove Balcatherine to victory over Queen Shenandoah in the Christmas Belles in 2020, will handle Eighteen Carat for trainer Michael Young, who will also be represented by talented four-year-old Nevermindthechaos.

Eighteen Carat, a winner at eight of her past 15 starts, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six, leaving Hall with many options. She is an excellent frontrunner, but she faces a stern test if Hall makes a bid for the early lead, with Fifty Five Reborn and Bettor Get It On drawn on her inside. Eighteen Carat’s best prospects could be if Hall is able to gain good sit in the one-wide line and then rely on the mare’s strong finish.

Nevermindthechaos will start out wide at barrier eight, with Deni Roberts in the sulky. She has been most impressive in her short career of 19 starts for seven wins, four seconds and one third. This will be her first appearance for eight months.

Busselton trainer Barry Howlett has three runners in the race — Three Rumours (barrier four), Star Of Diamonds (barrier seven) and Just For Love (barrier two on the back line), with Three Rumours, a last-start winner, expected to be his best hope.

Diego sure to test Magnificent Storm

Diego, one of the stars in the stables of Gary Hall snr, has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in the $30,000 NYE @Gloucester Park Free-For-All at pacing’s headquarters on Friday night, with Maddison Brown set to dictate terms in front in a bid to keep the State’s best pacer, Magnificent Storm (American Ideal), at bay

Magnificent Storm, a brilliant winner at his past two starts, in the group 1 Brennan Memorial over 2536m and the group 2 Village Kid Sprint over 1730m, will start from barrier two on the back line in Friday night’s 2130m event.

Diego excelled two starts ago when he began from the No. 5 barrier in a 2310m Free-For-All and dashed to the front after 550m, set the pace and sprinted over the final 800m in 55.9sec. to win from Gambit and Patronus Star, rating 1.57.3.

Then, last Friday week Diego began from barrier seven, settled down in ninth position and surged forward in the first lap to race in the breeze outside Magnificent Storm before fighting on solidly to finish third behind that pacer and Hampton Banner in the Village Kid Sprint.

Diego has led all the way and won at Gloucester Park eight times, with the latest occurrence being seven starts ago when he held on to beat Jumpingjackmac, rating 1.53.5 over 2130m. He is also a capable sit-sprinter as he proved when he raced three back on the pegs and won the 2692m Pinjarra Cup from Papinik in March this year.

It is interesting to note that Magnificent Storm has begun from the back line three times in his career for three wins. Star reinsman Aldo Cortopassi will have many options. He has always considered barrier No. 11 (two out on the back line) to be quite a favourable draw.

I am suggesting that the sheer brilliance of Magnificent Storm will prove to be the deciding factor in favour of Magnificent Storm.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for RWWA