Gloucester Park preview 25th August

Gloucester Park harness racing review with Ken Casellas

WAVERIDER SET FOR PEARL TRIUMPH

Unbeaten colt Waverider (Downbytheseaside) looks set to maintain his perfect form by leading and proving too fast for his eleven rivals in the $100,000 Hoist Torque Australia Pearl Classic for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Ryan Bell-trained Waverider has drawn perfectly at the No. 1 barrier in the group 2 feature event over 2130m, and Kyle Symington will be aiming for an all-the-way victory with the exciting young pacer who has set the pace in all of his four victories.

Waverider was most impressive in winning his Pearl qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week when his gross time of 2min. 34.5sec. was significantly superior to the times of the other heat winners, Ten To The Dozen (2min. 36.6sec.) and Thelittle Master (2min. 38.4sec.).

“Kyle said that Waverider felt awesome,” said Bell. “Waverider is getting more and more mature and professional, and he does only what he has to. Kyle said that every time a horse got near his wheel, he grabbed the bit and wanted to go.”

Bell is hoping for a better result than when he trained and drove Shockwave in the Pearl Classic in June 2018 when that pacer started out wide at barrier seven, settled down in tenth position and surged home powerfully from seventh at the 500m to finish second to the hot favourite Franco Edward, who started from barrier one and set a fast pace.

Symington drove the Bell-trained Lucapelo, a $34 outsider from barrier one in the Pearl last August when he trailed the hot favourite Never Ending and finished fourth to that gelding.

Ten To The Dozen looms large as Waverider’s most serious rival on Friday night. Ten To The Dozen is prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who won the 2020 Pearl with Jett Star.

Ten To The Dozen, to be driven by Deni Roberts, has drawn awkwardly at barrier No. 7. But he started from the same barrier in his qualifying heat in which he began speedily and set the pace before holding on to win by a head from Menemsha after the final 400m was covered in 28.6sec.

It was an excellent performance from Ten To The Dozen at his first appearance since he finished seventh in the Australian final of the Gold Bullion at Menangle on April 29, following splendid wins at his previous four starts in WA.

Mrs Bond said that there were reasons for Ten To The Dozen’s failure in the $400,000 race in Sydney. “It was a bit of a rushed trip,” she said. “He left Perth on the Thursday and flew to Melbourne before travelling by truck to Sydney where he raced on the Saturday night.

“Ten To The Dozen has good gate speed, and we can use it if we need to. He is just as good coming from a sit.”

The Bond stable also has three other runners in the final — Thelittle Master (barrier three; Gary Hall Jnr), Thenu Came Along (four; Mitch Miller) and Golden Lode (six; Stuart McDonald).

Thelittle Master led from barrier five and was an easy winner in his qualifying heat in which he dashed over the final 400m in 28.4sec. and defeated Manhattan Moon by four metres.

“Thelittle Master is a super little horse,” said Mrs Bond. “We say he’s a little motor car; you put him in drive, you put him in reverse, you go left, you go right, and he’s just a lovely horse to drive. He can be really dangerous coming off some hot tempo.”

Bell also is well represented in the final. Apart from Waverider he will be hoping for strong efforts from Franco Encore and Heez A Vibe.

Franco Encore, to be driven by Maddison Brown, is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, while Heez A Vibe, will be handled by Mitch Miller from barrier two on the back line.

Capel trainer Aiden De Campo will be relying on Grevis and Menemsha. He will drive Menemsha, who will start from the outside of the back line. A winner at one of his eight starts, Menemsha gave a splendid performance in a qualifying heat when he started out wide at barrier eight and came from last early to race without cover for much of the journey when a fighting head second to Ten To The Dozen.

Grevis will be driven by Trent Wheeler, and he will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy an ideal trip behind the likely pacemaker Waverider.

Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has Cork Can Run in fine form, but the colt faces a tough task from the outside barrier on the front line. His second to Waverider in a heat followed smart wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park.

GALACTIC STAR’S REMARKABLE RECORD

Veteran pacer Galactic Star boasts a remarkable record. He has started from the coveted No. 1 barrier seven times in mobile events at Gloucester Park, has never been beaten for early speed and has recorded six wins and a head second placing.

He will start from the No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Hoist Solutions August Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and his recent form as a ten-year-old suggests that he should fight out the finish.

Galactic Star, to be driven by Mitch Miller for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, led from barrier one three starts ago when he set the pace and won from The Mustang and Prince Of Pleasure over 2536m. Three starts before that he began from barrier one over 2536m when he led and beat The Code Breaker and The Mustang.

The only time he has not led all the way from barrier one was when he showed the way in the first lap before relinquishing the lead to Mighty Conqueror and then finishing fast to beat that pacer over 2536m on November 5, 2021.

His only defeat from barrier one was on March 27, 2020 when he set the pace over 2536m and was beaten in the final stride by a head by Shockwave.

Galactic Star is one of four runners from the powerful Bond camp in Friday night’s August Cup, a group 3 event that has been won by the Bond stable with Mister Odds On in 2009 and by Vampiro in 2019 and 2021.

The other Bond runners — Tenzing Bromac (Deni Roberts), Patronus Star (Dylan Egerton-Green) and Himself (Kyle Symington) — all have winning prospects. Tenzing Bromac and Himself are last-start winners and Patronus Star is racing keenly, with his recent efforts including seconds to Mighty Conqueror and Prince Of Pleasure.

Tenzing Bromac, a winner at 15 of his 27 starts, is favourably drawn at barrier three and was a smart winner over Mighty Ronaldo and The Mustang over 2536m last Friday week when he dashed to the front 650m after the start and sprinted over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.4sec. He had a tough run in the breeze when a close second to Watching Our Coin over 2130m the previous week.

Patronus Star has won only once from his past 16 starts but he can never be underestimated. His recent efforts have been most encouraging. Himself won for the 14TH time from 32 starts when he led from barrier one and fought on grimly to beat The Mustang by a head over 2130m last Friday night.

One of Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice’s earliest successes in a group feature event was when as a 19-year-old he drove the Ray Grantham-trained Village Hero to victory over Trial By Jury and Tealsby Karita in the 2007 August Cup.

Village Hero began from the No. 2 barrier, and Prentice is hoping that barrier two will prove to be a lucky omen for Mighty Ronaldo on Friday night.

Mighty Ronaldo, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, resumed after a four-month absence when he finished second to Tenzing Bromac in a field of six over 2536m two Fridays ago. He raced four back on the pegs in the Indian file affair before Hall sent him forward with a fast move 580m from home.

Mighty Ronaldo got on to terms with Tenzing Bromac with 220m to travel and the sulky wheels became locked briefly on the home turn before Tenzing Bromac finished the stronger and won by a length.

Hall will be seeking his fifth success in the August Cup, following wins with Im Themightyquinn (2010), Uppy Son (2013), Northview Punter (2014) and Chicago Bull (2018 and 2020).

MY ULTIMATE BAXTER FANCIED ON DEBUT

New Zealand-bred four-year-old My Ultimate Baxter (Sweet Lou), a winner of five races in Queensland and four in New South Wales and a placegetter in Victoria, looks set for a win at his first start in Western Australia when he contests the opening event, the 2130m Hoist Torque Australia Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

My Ultimate Baxter, a winner at nine of his 20 starts, is prepared by Debra Lewis and is ideally drawn at barrier No. 2 at his first appearance for six months.

The Sweet Lou gelding has not been produced in trials, but he should be close to his peak, with Mrs Lewis showing her great ability to have her pacers in prime condition for first-up efforts. In the past couple of weeks she has produced Robbie Easton and Goodfellaz for superb victories when racing first-up after a spell.

My Ultimate Baxter, who will be handled by champion reinsman Chris Lewis, will be having his first start since he raced in the one-out, one-back position and faded to finish last in a 2300m event at Menangle on February 18 this year.

At his previous appearance, eleven nights earlier, he began out wide at barrier eight, was restrained at the start and charged home from the rear to win easily from Alta Equus at a 1.52.1 rate over 1609m at Menangle.

The highlight of his career was when he won the $50,000 group 2 Simpson Memorial for three-year-olds over 1609m at Menangle in January 2022. He raced three back on the pegs before finishing powerfully to beat the hot favourite My Ultimate Byron by a length, rating 1.50.9.

My Ultimate Baxter’s racing characteristics have been his strong finishing bursts, and it is certainly problematic whether he will be able to lead, opposed to fast beginners Lamandier (barrier one), Peligroso (three) and Ultimate Rocker (four).

Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive the Michael Young-trained Lamandier ahead of High Price, October Reign and Major Freeway. Stuart McDonald will drive the Hall senior-trained High Price, Maddison Brown will handle recent winner October Reign, and Busselton trainer Barry Howlett has engaged Deni Roberts to drive Major Freeway, who was a sound first-up second to All Is Well at Bunbury on Wednesday of last week after racing without cover.

Chris Lewis has chosen to drive Rodasi in preference to stablemate Major Overs in the 2130m HTA Setting New Standards In Hoisting Pace. Rodasi will start from the prized No. 1 barrier, while Major Overs will start out wide at barrier seven.

Four-year-old Rodasi disappointed when he enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before wilting to eighth behind October Reign over 2130m last Friday week. He raced wide early and then without cover when a fighting winner over 2130m three starts earlier.

Lewis drove three-year-old Major Overs to an easy victory over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week. The Art Major gelding will be handled this week by Jocelyn Young.

HALL CHOOSES CHAL PATCH 

Leading reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Chal Patch in preference to Mr Fantastic in the 2503m HTA Rent A Gen Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Chal Patch, trained by Nathan Turvey, and the Justin Prentice-trained Mr Fantastic will start from the 10-metre line and should figure in the finish.

Hall drove Chal Patch three starts ago when the New Zealand-bred five-year-old began out wide at barrier eight and dashed to the front after 1200m on his way to winning by five and a half lengths from Per Ardua Ad Astra over 2536m at Gloucester Park.

Chal Patch is an experienced standing-start performer, with four of his six New Zealand wins being in stands. He has not raced since he trailed the pacemaker in the standing-start BOTRA Cup on July 14 and was hopelessly blocked for a run in the final lap when a most unlucky third behind Carabao and Watching Our Coin.

Mr Fantastic, unplaced at his only appearance in a stand, will be handled by Aiden De Campo. Mr Fantastic has won at 12 of his 31 starts, with his most recent success being three starts ago when he burst to the front from barrier nine, set the pace and beat Master Publisher at a 1.57 rate in a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park.

An interesting runner in Friday night’s race will be the Jemma Hayman-trained eight-year-old Tartan Robyn, who will start from the 10m line with Chris Voak in the sulky.

Tartan Robyn will be having his first start for five months — since he raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning from Special Lady in a 2569m mobile event at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on March 25. That was his only win from seven starts in WA — after four wins in stands and three in mobiles in New Zealand.

He contested a 2150m mobile trial at Byford last Sunday when he trailed the pacemaker Bonstar before dashing to the front in the final 50m to beat that pacer convincingly.

Tartan Robyn’s stablemate Extraordinary Mary will have admirers following her two-length victory over Skippys Delight in a 2560m stand at Northam last Saturday. Extraordinary Mary, to be driven by Kyle Harper, will begin from the inside barrier on the front line.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park