Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Magnificent Storm’s acid test

Champion pacer Magnificent Storm (American Ideal) faces an acid test when he starts off the 60-metre mark in the 2503m Beau Rivage Buffet Dining Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will concede a 50m advantage to star standing-start performer Himself.

This will be Magnificent Storm’s final appearance in Western Australia before he travels to Queensland to contest three rich feature events at Brisbane’s Albion Park next month.

There was no other suitable event for Magnificent Storm at Gloucester Park this week, with trainer Ray Williams anxious to give the outstanding six-year-old a strong workout before leaving for Queensland.

With Magnificent Storm conceding his nine rivals big starts, opposing drivers are sure to make life as tough as possible for the backmarker by setting a fast pace.

Himself, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, is an up-and-coming star who has raced 27 times for twelve wins, six seconds and two thirds, with his 16 WA starts producing nine wins and four seconds. His eight stands in WA have resulted in seven wins and one second.

He is a brilliant standing-start performer who won twice in stands in New Zealand before coming to WA where his standing-start record is eight starts for seven wins and one second placing. He resumed after a spell in a 2130m mobile event last Friday week when he raced in the breeze and finished second to the pacemaker Finvarra, who rated 1.55.9 over 2130m with final quarters of 28.2sec. and 27.2sec.

Whether Himself will be able to get to an early lead is problematic, considering that the talented Soho Dow Jones is ideally drawn at barrier No. 2 on the front line. The Kim Prentice-trained Soho Dow Jones has had three starts in stands for two wins (when leading) and he is in peak form, winning convincingly at his latest three runs when driven with great confidence by Mitch Miller.

There is no doubting Magnificent Storm’s wonderful ability, but the 60m handicap appears an almost insurmountable problem. Aiden de Campo’s first task will be to get Magnificent Storm away safely, and then he will be looking for any slackening of pace during the race to provide him with the opportunity send the champion forward.

Magnificent Storm has contested one standing-start event, the 3309m Marathon Handicap in August 2021 when he began off 40m when he won by a half a length from The Tiger Army.

De Campo makes his choice

Outstanding trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo has given punters a valuable tip by choosing to drive San Remo Beach (Downbytheseaside) in preference to that filly’s unbeaten stablemate Maddy Lou in the 2130m Garrard’s Horse And Houd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

San Remo Beach is more favourably drawn at barrier No.2, with Maddy Lou to start from the outside barrier in the field of six. Both pacers were bred and are owned by Mike Howie.

de Campo drove Maddy Lou to comfortable victories over 1684m at Pinjarra in successive weeks in February this year before going for a spell. In both of those events Maddy Lou began speedily from a wide barrier and set the pace, with San Remo Beach finishing third and fourth behind her stablemate. Maddy Lou will be handled on Friday night by Stuart McDonald.

“Maddy Lou has a horrible draw this week in a small field,” said de Campo. “I’ll drive San Remo Beach, and hopefully she can lead and turn the tables on Maddy Lou. San Remo Beach’s first-up run (when third behind Nase Vira and Miss Hepburn in 1730m Western Crown Classic last Friday night) was good, and I expect her to improve.

“If she happens to find the front, she will take some beating.” San Remo Beach enjoyed a good trip in the one-out, two-back position last week before she finished doggedly. That was her first appearance for three months — since she led from barrier six and won easily from Alreddy Flyin over 1609m at Bunbury.

“Maddy Lou is not much of a trackworker, but her work has been good, and I’m looking forward to her return. She will probably need the run.”

Manea, who finished fourth, a length behind San Remo Beach last Friday night, will begin from the No. 1 barrier, and trainer-reinsman Chris Voak is looking for a strong showing from the Fly Like An Eagle filly.

Manea began from barrier seven last week and was restrained back to last in the field of twelve. She was in ninth place, five back on the pegs at the bell before getting off the pegs at the 600m and then running home solidly from eighth at the 400m to finish in fourth place.

“Manea has been plagued by bad draws, and her run last week was excellent,” said Voak. “She has good gate speed and should run a strong race.”

Princess Katie (barrier four) and In A Wink (barrier five) were unplaced in last week’s Western Crown but are capable of improvement. Princess Katie was a Gloucester Park winner three starts earlier, and In A Wink was a winner at Pinjarra three starts ago.

In-form Brown’s big hope

Richly talented driver Maddison Brown stole the show with a treble on a bleak, wet and wintry evening at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night, and she has good prospects of maintaining her excellent form by driving Beat City (A Rocknroll Dance) to victory in the Beau Rivage For Xmas In July Pace on Friday night.

Beat City, trained by Michael Young, will start from barrier four in the 2536m event. The six-year-old is a good stayer, having raced over 2536m nine times for one win, four seconds, two thirds and two sixth placings. He has also won twice over 2503m and over 2662m at Narrogin.

Brown has driven the gelding six times for a win, a second, two thirds, one fourth and one ninth.

She was in superb form on Tuesday night when she had five drives and was successful with her first three, scoring with $40.40 outsider Luke Attack, High Price ($5.10) and Malakie ($65.30). A theoretical $10 all-up wager on those three winners would have returned $134,544.

Beat City, a winner at 18 of his 78 starts, extended his losing sequence to nine last Friday night when he started from the outside barrier in a field of eight, was restrained to the rear, raced three back on the pegs and was still last 220m from home before surging home to finish an eye-catching fourth behind Faster Than Dad.

The Code Breaker, who led and finished third in that race, is among Beat City’s main rivals, who include his stablemate The Mustang, Eldaytona and the evergreen veteran Galactic Star, who should enjoy a perfect run from the No. 1 barrier.

Brown is also looking forward to driving American Arma from barrier six in the group 3 Kerry Clarke Pace for mares over 2130m. This will be her first drive behind the American Ideal five-year-old whose ten wins have all been at Gloucester Park when driven by her father Colin, who trains the mare.

Colin Brown will also be represented by six-year-old Fifty Five Reborn, a mare he has driven at 14 of her 15 wins. Maddison Brown has driven Fifty Five Reborn at her eight starts for five placings. Deni Roberts will drive her for the first time on Friday night. She will be making her first appearance for six months and faces a stern test in an event in which the brilliant Wonderful To Fly will be a very short-priced odds-on favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.

Four-year-old Wonderful To Fly, trained and driven by Shane Young, is in tremendous form and she should set the pace and prove too speedy for her eleven rivals. She set the pace and romped to victory, rating 1.54.3 over 2130m last Friday night. She beat another four-year-old in Steno, who trailed her after leading in the early stages.

Steno, to be driven by Jocelyn Young for trainer Cameron Ross, will be tested from out wide at barrier eight. The Michael Young-trained Eighteen Carat began from barrier eight and raced in the breeze for much of the way before wilting to finish eighth behind Wonderful To Fly last week. She will be much better suited this week from the inside of the back line.

Mister Smartee is extremely smart

Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred three-year-old Mister Smartee (Always B Miki) is poised to make a successful Gloucester Park debut when Gary Hall jnr drives him from the coveted No. 1 barrier in race one, the 2536m Beau Rivage @Gloucesterpark Pace on Friday night.

Mister Smartee, trained by Gary Hall snr, impressed at his Australian debut when he led from barrier one and was not extended in winning by three lengths from Colorado Banner at a 1.58.8 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.

All eight three-year-olds in Friday night’s event will be racing over 2536m for the first time, but the extra distance should not prove a problem for Mister Smartee, who raced twice in New Zealand as a two-year-old late last year.

Both of those events were over 1980m at Addington — when, on debut, he started from the inside of the back line, raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, and flashed home to finish a head second to the pacemaker Da Vinci, rating 1.57. The final 800m was covered in 54.6sec. and the last 400m was run in 26.7sec.

Then, at his next start, he began from the outside of the front line (No. 7), and raced in the one-out, one-back position before charging to the front with 200m to travel and holding on to win by a nose from the fast-finishing favourite Sinbad, with the last 800m in 56.7sec. and the final 400m in 28.4sec. Mister Smartee rated 1.53.1 to set a New Zealand record for a two-year-old.

Mister Smartee is one of four runners in Friday night’s field of eight who are prepared by Hall snr, the others being Franco Mecca (Aiden de Campo), Hes Never Been Beta (Maddison Brown) and Star Lavra (Stuart McDonald).

Hes Never Been Beta has won five races and Franco Mecca and Star Lavra have each won three times. However, Mister Smartee’s main opposition could well come from the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Fess Up and the Jocelyn Young-trained Skylord.

Fess Up (Deni Roberts) has been most impressive in winning at seven of his 18 starts, and Skylord (Madeliene Young) has shown considerable promise in winning at six of his eleven starts.

Mighthavtime has dazzling speed

New Zealand-bred four-year-old Mighthavtime (Betterthancheddar) broke through for her first West Australian success at her third appearance in the State when she finished with a powerful burst from eighth at the bell to win from the pacemaker Vintage Blu over 2130m last Friday night.

And she is sure to reveal her great versatility by beginning speedily from the No. 1 barrier and setting a fast pace in the $20,250 Steelos Restaurant Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mighthavtime won at her final appearance in New Zealand when she began fast from barrier four, trailed the pacemaker and surged home along the sprint lane to win easily at a 2.5.4 rate over 1750m on the grass track at Gore last February.

Four starts before that she won on the grass track at Wyndham when she revealed dazzling gate speed from the No. 7 barrier to charge straight to the front and then set the pace before winning by a nose from Netherton Franco, rating 1.59.5 over 1800m.

Mighthavtime, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will be driven by Deni Roberts, and is likely to receive the most serious opposition from another New Zealand import in five-year-old Watching Our Coin, whose six starts in WA on South-West tracks for trainer Michael Young have produced three wins and three placings.

Watching Our Coin, to be handled by Gary Hall jnr, raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning at a 1.55.7 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. The final quarters were run in 27.4sec. and 28.7sec.

Hall will also be looking for another win from six-year-old Prince Of Pleasure, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in a field of six in the 1730m Bridge Bar Pace. Prince Of Pleasure led easily from barrier one in a 2130m event last Friday night when he strolled to victory over stablemate Finvarra.

Finvarra, to be driven by Stuart McDonald, raced without cover in last week’s event. He will start from barrier two this week when McDonald will have the option of racing in the breeze or taking a perfect trail behind the pacemaking Prince Of Pleasure.

For complete Gloucester Park race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park