Gloucester Park preview

It will be smiles all round if big, gangling gelding Sorridere maintains his unbeaten record and defeats his six rivals in the group 2 $50,000 DTS Farm Fence Made In WA Champagne Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Sorridere, the Italian word for smile, is following in the footsteps of his half-brother To Fast To Serious, who won at his four and only starts as a two-year-old, including the group 1 Westbred Classic, in May and June 2018.

To Fast To Serious, who has earned $195,180 from 16 wins and six placings from 33 starts, and Sorridere are out of the New Zealand-bred McArdle mare Smile With Me, who was successful at her first three appearances in Western Australia.

Sorridere, who is by the American sire Sunshine Beach, has been most impressive in winning at his two appearances, both over 1684m at Pinjarra, and he is ideally drawn at the No. 2 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m classic.

He is trained and driven by Capel horseman Aiden de Campo, a member of the renowned harness racing family which has a wonderful record in the Champagne Classic.

His late grandfather Ray de Campo (trainer) and his (Aiden’s) father Andrew (reinsman) won the prestigious event for two-year-olds with Perene Maverick in 1988 and Patmos in 1990.

Andrew de Campo went on to train and drive Pawnee Gold (1995) and Nowuseemenowudont (2000) to victory in the Champagne Classic before Aiden guided the Jesse Moore-trained Tricky Styx to her win over The Odd Lover, driven by Gary Hall jnr, in the 2014 classic.

Hall, who has yet to win a Champagne Classic, will drive Valedictorian, who, like Sorridere, has had two starts for two wins.

Valedictorian, trained by Justin Prentice, will start from the No. 3 barrier and is poised for a bold showing. The Art Major gelding was untroubled to win a heat and the final of the Sales Classic for colts and geldings last month, and then he scored a runaway win in a trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.

Valedictorian rated 1.58.9 when he won the 2185m trial by 17 lengths from Krafty House. He raced three back on the pegs before gaining the one-out, one-back trail at the bell and being sent forward, three wide, at the 650m to take the lead 150m later.

“He felt really good in the trial,” said Hall. “He had the trial just for a hit-out, but he certainly didn’t need it for his manners, which are great for a horse with his level of experience.”

Valedictorian was restrained at the start from the outside barrier (No. 9) in a heat of the 1730m Sales Classic and settled down in sixth position before dashing forward, three wide, in the first lap to race without cover and then he surged to the front 500m from home and won by 4m at a 1.56.7 rate from Crowd Control.

He began from the No. 1 barrier in the final four Fridays ago and was not fully extended in setting the pace, sprinting over the final two 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 27.2sec. on his way to his 5m victory over Rocket City.

“It’s a good field in Friday night’s race, and the draw has made it really interesting,” said Hall. “Valedictorian is certainly not a good thing. I have got huge respect for Sorridere, who has been ultra-impressive at both of his starts, and Valedictorian’s stablemate Rolling Fire is sure to have improved from his debut win at Pinjarra.

Rolling Fire, to be driven by Cody Wallrodt, has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier and is a capable frontrunner, like he showed when he led and beat Lord Titanium by a length and a half over 1684m at Pinjarra.

Other winners in Friday night’s race are Major Overs (Chris Lewis) and Lethal Edition (Micheal Ferguson). Major Overs, who will start from the outside barrier in the field of seven, set the pace when he won by eight lengths at a 1.55.3 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra two starts ago. Then he led and won easily from Zephyra and Travelban at a 1.59.5 rate over 1780m at Northam three Saturdays ago.

Lewis has won the Champagne Classic a record eight times. He has been successful with Pardon Me Boys (1987), Talladega (1999), Wirrpunda (2001), All Four Firing (2002), Slick Operator (2003), David Hercules (2009), Mister Jadore (2013) and Lavra Joe (2020).

Hengheng gets his chance

“He worked ‘lovely’ this morning, and if he leads, he will be a good each-way chance, said trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper on Tuesday when assessing Hengheng’s prospects after drawing the coveted No. 1 barrier in the group 3 $30,000 DTS Security Fence Specialists The Warwick Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Hengheng, A Rich And Spoilt five-year-old will be having his third start after a spell — since he set the pace and won the group 3 Preux Chevalier Pace over 2130m last October, beating smart pacers Finvarra and Machnificent.

He broke in running and was distanced behind Miss Mucho at Gloucester Park four Tuesdays ago, and then he started from the outside of the back line and raced three back on the pegs before finishing sixth behind Arma Einstein last Friday night.

“From barrier one he likes to keep rolling,” said Harper. “He has had a bit of a chequered preparation. He needed the run last Friday when he had a nice soft run and hit the line good. I think he should lead. Pradason, from barrier eight, could be a danger if he crosses us at the start. If he doesn’t cross, I think Hengheng will be a good chance.”

Friday night’s event is quite open, with several runners having winning prospects. They include Hittheroadjack (barrier seven), Orlando Blue (nine), Pradason, Macz Brother (four), Itsnotova (three) and Livy Jay (five).

Hittheroadjack, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, put up an excellent performance last Friday week when he galloped at the standing start and lost 20 metres before finishing determinedly from seventh at the bell to be a half-length second to Caveman. He looks set to fight out the finish this week.

Doc Holliday is in top form

In-form trainer Michael Young was delighted with Doc Holliday’s eye-catching fourth behind Lawrence last Friday night and he has no hesitation in declaring the New Zealand-bred five-year-old as the best winning prospect of his four runners at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He was superb last week when he ran home in very good sectionals,” he said. “I know that he has come a long way recently and I’m sure he will be hard to beat this week.”

Doc Holliday, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Get The Best Service Only @ DTS Pace, and his clash with brilliant last-start winner Arma Einstein and the highly promising Ideal Agent should be a highlight of the night’s pacing.

Doc Holliday was a $34 outsider from barrier seven last Friday night when he was eleventh at the bell before he produced a sizzling late burst of speed to finish a close fourth. He was badly cramped for room in the home straight and was certainly an unlucky runner.

Of the 101 horses who contested the ten races on the program Doc Holliday recorded the fastest last 800m (54.9sec.) and the fastest final 400m (27.1sec.).

“I’m not sure whether the one (nine-year-old Disco Under Fire) will hand up to Doc Holliday,” said Young. “But if he does, I expect Doc Holliday to go close to winning.”

Young is hoping that Doc Holliday reproduces his effort at his third Australian appearance last September when he started from barrier No. 2, set the pace and held on to win by a short half-head from Ideal Agent, who at his first start in Australia, began from barrier eight, raced wide early and then in the breeze.

“This week Ideal Agent faces a tough job from barrier nine,” said Young. However, Ideal Agent, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has the class to prove hard to beat at his first outing since he finished a head second to the fast-finishing Machnificent in the 1730m group 2 Nights Of Thunder on January 14.

And the Colin Brown-trained and driven four-year-old Arma Einstein must come under serious consideration after dashing victories at his past two starts. He was most impressive last Friday night when he set the pace and won easily at a 1.54.9 rate over 1730m.

Draw favours Jaspervellabeach

Jaspervellabeach has started at long odds when unplaced at his three outings after resuming from a spell, but trainer Gary Elson is confident that the five-year-old will return to the winning list by leading all the way in the 2130m www.DTSWA.com.au Search Online Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He gets his chance to get back into the winning list,” said Elson. “He has had a terrible run with barrier draws, but this week he’s got the barrier (No. 1) and the best driver (Gary Hall jnr), so he should lead and be hard to catch.”

Jaspervellabeach, who has won at 12 of his 50 starts, meets only moderate opposition and should dominate betting on the race.

Hall, who has a drive in the first eight events on the nine-event program, said he was looking forward to setting the pace with Jaspervellabeach and holding his rivals at bay. But he named Heez Our Perseus as his best winning chance, with the New Zealand-bred six-year-old ideally drawn at barrier No. 1 in the 2130m Farmlock Fencing At DTS Pace.

“He’s flying, he has plenty of gate speed and he loves the rail,” he said.

Hall also expects a strong showing from Vivere Damore in the $26,000 DTS All Your Civil And Construction Needs Pace for mares, saying: “She went super at Pinjarra on Monday when she was a close-up fifth behind Purest Silk in the Golden Girls Mile.

“If she had been able to get out and got clear and got rolling a little earlier, she wins,” he said. “Vivere Damore is each-way all day.”

Vivere Damore, trained by Peter Tilbrook, has a losing sequence of 20, with her most recent victory being 15 months ago when she led and beat Patronus Star in the group 2 Christmas Gift.

The Mike Cornwall-trained Sheez Our Hope is expected to be a short-priced favourite after drawing the No. 1 barrier. She is a brilliant sit-sprinter, but also possesses good gate speed. Whether Kyle Harper will attempt an all-the-way win is debatable.

With star reinsman Ryan Warwick in isolation for having been in close contact with a COVID-19 sufferer, trainers Greg and Skye Bond have engaged Dylan Egerton-Green to drive Booraa, who will start from barrier three.

Egerton-Green has driven Booraa three times for an all-the-way win at Pinjarra, a third at Gloucester Park and a second at Pinjarra. Booraa has resumed after a spell in sound form, and she impressed last Friday night when she sustained a strong three-wide burst from ninth at the bell to finish second to Eighteen Carat.

Gee Smith back to a stand

Gee Smith, a fast-finishing winner in a 2536m mobile event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week, will return to standing-start racing when he begins from barrier two on the front line in the Direct Trade Supply Maddington Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The former Victorian pacer is a standing-start specialist, with four wins in stands from his previous five West Australian victories.

Gee Smith’s part-owner and trainer Matt Scott concedes that Ima Fivestar General deserves to be a short-priced favourite, but he is hoping that a ten-metre advantage will help Shannon Suvaljko to guide Gee Smith to victory over his more talented opponent over the short 2096m journey.

“Gee Smith will have to rate about 1.58.5 off the front to beat Ima Fivestar General,” said Scott. “We hope that over the short distance Gee Smith can get a bit of a break on his rivals. He worked well last Saturday, and he has been consistent, having finished in the first five in his 24 starts in WA.”

Ima Fivestar General, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, galloped at the start at his only appearance in a stand in WA before he recovered and won from Just Wing It and Lawrence at Pinjarra early last month.

Scott is also looking for a strong showing from the evergreen Rock Me Over, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Direct Trades Supply We’ve Got Shedloads Pace. Rock Me Over notched his 23RD win three starts ago when he set the pace from barrier one and beat Illawong Mustang and Pocket The Cash over 2130m.

“He was going to run a place last week (before finishing fifth behind Alta Rhett),” said Scott. “Shannon said that Rock Me Over got pushed back in when attempting to ease off the pegs about 250m from home.

“I’ll leave the tactics up to Shannon on Friday night, but I’d say that we will probably attempt to lead. The horse is pretty bright and is running around at home which is rare for him.”

To view the fields for Gloucester Park on Friday click here.

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park