Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Another century for Hall

Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr notched his 100TH winner for the year when he drove Bromwich (Majestic Son) to an effortless victory in the Talking Trots Podcast Trot at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.

This completed a treble after Hall had won with Juggernaut and Henrik Larsson earlier in the night — and the 40-year-old maestro is confident of maintaining his wonderful form in the sulky by winning the $30,000 Harry Capararo Four and Five-Year-Old Westbred Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night with Acharne Girl (Alta Christiano).

“She is probably my best drive on the night,” said Hall, who has driven more than a hundred winners each year in 19 consecutive seasons.

Acharne Girl is favourably drawn at barrier two in Friday night’s 2130m feature event in which she will be popular with punters after winning at her first two appearances following a spell. She began from the No. 5 barrier in a field of seven at Pinjarra on Monday when she was restrained to the rear at the start.

Lukes Mistake was setting a fast pace, and Hall switched Acharne Girl three wide 500m after the start of the 1684m event, and the four-year-old raced without cover before moving to three back on the pegs in the back straight in the final circuit.

Acharne Girl went three wide on the home turn and finished strongly to get up in the final couple of strides to beat Jackie Daniels by a half neck, rating 1.55.8, with final 400m sections of 27.7sec. and 28.6sec.

“She went really good,” said Hall. “She won narrowly and beat Jackie Daniels who had enjoyed a perfect run behind the leader. We will come out and try to lead on Friday night.”

Acharne Girl, who finished third behind Taking the Miki and Little Darling in the group 1 WA Oaks last October, resumed racing last Monday week when she was not extended in setting the pace and winning by four lengths from Radiant Bay over 2185m.

One of her most serious rivals is likely to be the polemarker Shehadi, who will be driven by Maddison Brown for trainer Luke Edwards. Shehadi impressed three starts ago when she was eighth at the bell before finishing fast to win easily from Maddy Rocks.

A week after that Shehadi ran home strongly to finish second to Soho Dow Jones before she contested a standing-start event last Friday night when she shied at a barrier strand at the start and broke into a gallop before making up ground to finish seventh behind Middlepage.

Banjup trainer Dylan Egerton-Green is looking for strong efforts from his two runners — four-year-olds Allaboutlegs (barrier five) and Champagne Everyone (barrier seven). He will drive Champagne Everyone, who will be making her first appearance after a six-month absence.

Allaboutlegs, to be handled by Aiden de Campo, resumed after a spell when she set the pace and won easily over 2242m at Narrogin last Friday week.

Dontbesillychilli, a winner of eight races for Bunbury trainer Sarah Wall, has been placed at three of her past four starts and must come under consideration. She will be driven by Nathan Turvey from barrier six.

Dontbesillychilli raced four back on the pegs in an Indian file 2130m event last Friday week before finishing with a spirited burst out wide to be third behind Whos The Dad and Carabao.

Symington takes a break

Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington has taken a well-deserved holiday and will not be seen in action for almost a month.

He left for Broome early this week and will travel extensively in the Northern Territory with family and friends.

The 21-year-old Symington has driven 167 winners in a brief career, and he has landed 52 winners this season to sit in fourth position behind Gary Hall jnr, Deni Roberts and Shannon Suvaljko on the WA drivers’ premiership table.

Stepping into the breach this week and replacing Symington in the sulky behind smart Ryan Bell-trained pacers Swingband (Alta Christiano) and Hillview Bondi (Somebeachsomewhere) is brilliant Capel reinsman Aiden de Campo. Both have excellent winning prospects.

Symington has driven Swingband six times for two wins and two thirds, and he has handled Hillview Bondi in 17 races for six wins, four seconds and one third placing. De Campo drove Swingband four times as a two-year-old for three wins, and he has driven Hillview Bondi eight times for a win at Northam and three placings. The most recent time he drove Hillview Bondi was when the gelding finished sixth behind Jumpingjackmac at Gloucester Park on October 1, 2021.

Bell also trains smart pacer The Code Breaker, who will start from the inside of the back line in the Bridge Bar Pace. The Code Breaker, who has been placed at his past five starts, will be driven by Mitch Miiller, with de Campo choosing to handle the Ray Williams-trained Stamford.

Bell has high hopes of a Hillview Bondi win, saying: “His past two runs — sixth behind James Butt and fifth behind Swingband — have been better than his win three starts ago.

“He finally gets a good draw (barrier two), and it will be handlebars down at the start (in a bid to wrest the lead from the polemarker and brilliant last-start winner Whos The Dad).”

Whos The Dad, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Kevin Charles, was most impressive in a 1730m event last Friday night when he began from the outside of the back line and raced in tenth position before starting a three-wide burst 750m from home and bursting to the front 250m later and careering away to win by six lengths from the pacemaker Cheer the Major, rating 1.53 after final quarters of 27.3sec. and 27.8sec.

Whos The Dad has won at three of his past four starts, with the only defeat coming three starts ago when he led from barrier seven, dashed over the final 800m in 57.1sec. and was overhauled in the final stride to lose by a nose to Hillview Bondi, who trailed him throughout. Both pacers rated 1.53.4 over the 1730m, the distance of this Friday night’s event.

Four-year-old Swingband will start from barrier five in the Beau Rivage Open Through July Pace over 2130m. His three runs since resuming after a spell have produced thirds behind Arma Einstein and Prince Of Pleasure before he dashed to an early lead, set the pace and won from Blitzembye at a 1.55.9 rate over 2130m last Friday night.

“Swingband is stepping up a grade, but he is up to this grade, for sure,” said Bell. “He did only what he had to do last week, and he is backing up because he has come through his runs as good as a horse can come through.”

Swingband (barrier five) will be facing an acid test, particularly against the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Jett Star, who will start from the No. 7 barrier. Jett Star has been driven with great confidence by Deni Roberts in winning at his past four starts and is sure to take a power of beating.

The Code Breaker ruined his chances last Friday night when he set the pace and overraced badly before finishing third behind Prince Of Pleasure and Alcopony.

“I will put the Hidez hood back on him this week and he will be suited by following a helmet,” said Bell. “Despite racing fiercely last week, his run was super. Kyle (Symington) said he had a stranglehold on him from the 1200m to the 400m, and he has done a good job to hang on for third.”

Rockmyster set to roll

New Zealand-bred gelding Rockmyster (Rock N Roll Heaven) is poised for a strong showing in the opening event, the 2130m Follow @Gloucester Park On Twitter Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night after splendid efforts at his first three appearances on country tracks at the start of his four-year-old campaign.

He will begin from the prized No. 1 barrier, and trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green predicts a bold showing following the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding’s fast-finishing third behind Soho Firestone at Narrogin and all-the-way victories at Northam and Bunbury.

“It’s a good draw for him,” said Egerton-Green. “There is a bit of gate speed outside of him, but he is good enough to hold a prominent forward position. He steps up in grade, but I think he is up to it. He has led and won at his past two starts and he also led and won at Gloucester Park as a three-year-old.”

Rockmyster’s chief rival could well be trainer-reinsman Gary Hall junior’s eight-year-old Armed Reactor, who is the only runner on the back line and likely to take the trail behind Rockmyster.

“I’ll be looking to hold Rockmyster’s back,” said Hall. Armed Reactor resumed after a spell last Friday week when he overraced badly in the breeze on the outside of the pacemaker Cheer The Major before fading to finish last behind Tiger Royal.

Egerton-Green also has bright winning prospects with Otis, who will start from the 10m mark in the 2503m Xmas In July Handicap in which he will clash with the highly-promising four-year-old Soho Dow Jones.

Otis reappeared last Friday week after a 660-day absence while recovering from a fractured pedal bone — and he gave a superb performance to win in fine style from Taking the Miki after losing more than 50 metres when he galloped at the start.

“Otis should get away a lot better this week,” said Egerton-Green. “That was his first go at it (in a stand) and he got a bit scared. This week from barrier four on the 10m line he should get a safe beginning.”

Mitch Miler will drive Soho Dow Jones for trainer Kim Prentice, who said: “He has won a stand (at Pinjarra five starts ago) and at home he steps really quickly. But when he gets to the races, he gets a little bit agitated.

“If he gets away well enough to lead, he will give Otis something to chase. If we happen to lead and Otis misses the start a bit, we could make it interesting.”

Soho Dow Jones gave an excellent example of his ability at his latest appearance when he set the pace in a 2130m mobile event and dashed over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 28.4sec. to win by five and a half lengths from Shehadi at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.

Gary Hall jnr has given punters a lead by choosing to drive Yankee Lincoln in preference to Lamandier, who will be handled by Maddison Brown.

Eldaytona gets his chance

Speedy pacer Eldaytona (Somebeachsomewhere) has an ideal opportunity to end a losing sequence of twelve, according to his trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper, when he begins from the coveted No. 1 barrier in the 2536m Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He hasn’t been drawing well and he has been chasing all the time,” said Harper. “But from No. 1 on Friday night he gets his chance to bounce back. I think he will lead and prove hard to beat.

“Bad draws and chasing good horses is not an ideal recipe. Last week Swingband drew No. 1 and Eldaytona started from barrier twelve. You simply can’t give horses like that a start. However, I still got Eldaytona to run 2.26 over the final 2000 metres.”

Eldaytona has won 13 times from 47 starts, while leading at ten of those wins. He will need to be on his game to defeat several in-form pacers of the calibre of Classic Choice, Stamford, The Code Breaker, Moonlite Drive and Blitzembye.

“Eldaytona is a very good horse, but he has had some muscle issues over the past six months,” said Harper. “His muscle enzymes have been through the roof and have been restricting his performances.”

Harper is also looking forward to driving two-year-old filly Hunt the Magic for Byford trainer Ian Gossage in the 1730m Bridge Bar Pace in which she will start from the outside barrier (No. 9).

Hunt The Magic, a winner at one of her eleven starts, gave an excellent performance in a 2100m event at Bunbury on Wednesday of last week. She galloped badly in the score-up and lost about 50 metres. She was last at the bell and sixth with 350m to travel before being switched four wide on the home turn and running home powerfully to finish a half-length second to Purest Copper.

“She is a lovely filly and is still learning to race,” said Harper. “She stuffed up at Bunbury last week, gave the leaders 60 metres and was beaten a neck. It was a huge run.”

Blythewood trainer Kim Prentice also expects a strong showing from the polemarker Our Lililou, who will be driven by Corey Peterson.

“She has had a little break and from barrier one over 1730m we will be trying to hold up early,” said Prentice. “She should run a really good race. Her main dangers have drawn wide and will have to do a heap of work to get outside of Our Lililou. She is definitely not impossible.”

Brulee, Flametree, Fly To Fame, Jackie Daniels and Purest Copper are all racing in fine form and betting on the race is sure to be extremely keen.

Star pacer Magnificent Storm will be a long odds-on favourite when he starts from the outside barrier in the field of five runners in the 2536m Beau Rivage Pace. He should be untroubled to win from Sangue Reale and Babyface Adda.

Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will prepare the winner and placegetters in the final event, the 2130m www.GloucesterPark.com.au Pace for two-year-olds. The Bonds train all five runners, with Thenu Came Along, Thelittle Master and Golden Lode appearing to be the best chances.

For complete Gloucester Park race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park