Gloucester Park preview

Harper lays down the gauntlet

Ace reinsman Lindsay Harper is bubbling with confidence about Bletchley Park’s prospects in the $50,000 RWWA Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, declaring: “I think he will run a hell of a race.”

Bletchley Park, a son of American Ideal trained in Bunbury by Stephen Reed, has drawn favourably at barrier two in the group 2 feature event, with the favourite Hurricane Harley not so well drawn as the sole runner on the back line.

“I was very pleased with Bletchley Park’s run the other night (when he started out wide at barrier seven and ran home solidly from sixth at the bell to be fourth behind Galactic Star, Mighty Conqueror and Back In Twenty over 2536m),” said Harper. “He gave me a really good feel.

“I think he can lead, and if he leads, he should be the one to beat. Hurricane Harley is the class horse of the field, but it’s a difficult barrier for him, and it looks like we will get an advantage on him.

“Bracken Sky (barrier one) has the speed to hold out Bletchley Park, but I think he should concede to a bit of class. Bletchley Park comes out good but is not blistering. However, I can’t see anything outside of him capable of crossing him at the start.

“I think Bletchley Park will lead, and he’s a very good frontrunner. He has gone 1.54.1 for 2536m when he led and just got nailed (by Vampiro last December), and he’s gone 1.52.4 for 1730m when leading (and winning the Village Kid Sprint from Vultan Tin last January). So, I reckon Bletchley Park is the horse for Hurricane Harley to beat.

“I don’t think that it will worry him if he is put under pressure mid-race; he’s pretty strong.”

Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr has a high opinion of the Justin Prentice-trained Hurricane Harley, who is in line to complete a hat-trick after finishing powerfully to win the 1730m Mount Eden Sprint and then setting the pace and winning the 2130m Howard Porter Memorial at his past two appearances.

“Without any other runners on the back line, we will come straight off (the pegs) and hopefully land somewhere handy,” he said.

This will be the eighth running of the RWWA Cup, and Hall has bright prospects of becoming the first driver to win the race twice. He was successful in the 2018 RWWA Cup with the $1.10 favourite Chicago Bull, who started from the No. 6 barrier, dashed to the front after 650m and won by four lengths from stablemate Ohoka Punter.

Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who prepared Our Jimmy Johnstone for his easy all-the-way victory over the fast-finishing Bronze Seeker in the 2017 Cup, hold a strong hand in this week’s event with Mighty Conqueror (Dylan Egerton-Green) and Galactic Star (Ryan Warwick) starting from barriers five and six, respectively.

Mighty Conqueror is sure to have derived great benefit from his first-up effort last Friday week when he raced four wide early, took the lead after 450m and finished second to Galactic Star, who finished fast after enjoying a perfect sit behind the pacemaker.

Gary Hall snr and Ross Olivieri each has multiple runners, with Hall represented by Diego (Maddison Brown; barrier No. 3), Wildwest (Callan Suvaljko; barrier seven) and Alta Intrigue (Aiden de Campo; barrier eight) and Oivieri by Motu Premier (Chris Voak; barrier four) and Perfect Major (Chris Lewis; barrier nine).

Those five runners will be at generous odds, with eight-year-old Motu Premier an interesting runner making his first appearance after a 14-month absence. He impressed when he won a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week. He burst to the front after 450m and set a fast pace, dashing over the final three quarters in 28.7sec., 28.5sec. and 27.5sec. to record a mile rate of 1.55.6.

Soho Broadway to make WA debut

Promising three-year-old filly Soho Broadway, a half-sister to former outstanding millionaire pacer Soho Tribeca, will make her West Australian debut when she contests the Bringing Home The Bacon Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A winner of four races in Victoria, Soho Broadway (by Bettors Delight) is a newcomer to the stables of Gary Hall snr and she should be prominent, even from the wide draw of No. 7 in the field of eight.

“She is a nice type, a solid sort of filly,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “I think she definitely will need the run, even though she seems pretty fit,” he said.

Also making her debut in WA will be another former Victorian performer Sahara Storm, who is being prepared by Nathan Turvey and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko from barrier No. 5.

Sahara Storm and Soho Broadway have clashed ten times in Victoria, with Soho Broadway finishing ahead of her rival eight time before Sahara Storm crossed the finish line in front of Soho Broadway on the past two occasions the fillies met — at Melton in May and June this year.

“Sahara Storm was a nice filly in Melbourne,” said Turvey. “I expect this week’s race to develop into a tactical battle between Sahara Storm, Soho Broadway and Three Rumours.”

Sahara Storm has had 22 starts for four wins and five placings. She finished solidly from fourth at the bell to win easily from Tay Tay over 2100m at Geelong three starts ago, on October 6, before finishing third at her next two appearances, over 1790m at Warragul and over 2080m at Cranbourne.

She started from barrier three and took the lead after 150m in the Cranbourne race before taking the sit behind the pacemaker Leer 250m later and battling on to finish third, three lengths behind Captain Bellasario.

Three Rumours, trained in Busselton by Barry Howlett, will be handled by Chris Lewis. She was a $21 chance from the No. 6 barrier in a 1730m three-year-old race at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when she settled in sixth place, out three wide, before Lewis restrained her to the rear 300m after the start. Then, 200m later, she met with interference and galloped, losing several lengths. She then raced at the rear and finished ninth behind Robbie Rocket.

At her previous outing, at Narrogin last Saturday night, Three Rumours raced in the breeze before winning by a half-length from King Memphis at a 2.3.5 rate over 2242m. Three Rumours impressed with second placings in consecutive starts behind the very smart filly Always An Angel at Gloucester Park in August and September. Those two performances showed that she is sure to prove very hard to beat on Friday night.

Three Rumours is a smart frontrunner, and from the No. 4 barrier she has a distinct advantage over Soho Broadway and Sahara Storm.

Soho Broadway is the seventh foal out of the unraced Tasmanian Art Major mare Pixel Perfect, the dam of seven winners, including the brilliant Soho Tribeca, who was retired to stud with earnings of $1,103,854 from 21 wins and 24 placings from 59 starts.

After nine wins in Victoria, Soho Tribeca won at his WA debut when he beat Franco Rayner and Chicago Bull in the $25,000 Four-Year-Old Classic at Pinjarra in November 2016. Then starts later he won the group 1 Golden Nugget, and in January 2018 he won the WA Pacing Cup, defeating Chicago Bull.

Big test for Royal Essence

Ravenswood horseman Nathan Turvey is enjoying a wonderful year and he has prepared 72 winners this season to sit in third place behind Greg and Skye Bond (158 winners) and Gary Hall snr (109) on the WA trainers’ premiership table.

He is looking forward to a busy time at Gloucester Park on Friday night when seven of his stable will be in action in the ten-event program.

He is setting his smart three-year-old filly Royal Essence a testing task by running her against eleven older and more experienced mares in the 2130m Giuseppe Raco Memorial Pace.

But he is full of confidence, declaring Royal Essence, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko and favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, his best winning prospect on the night.

“She led and won in 1.55.1 over 2185m at Pinjarra four starts ago, and a similar effort will take her a long way this week,” he said. “She is strong and tough, with really good gate speed. So, we will be aggressive — and she’s my best on the night.”

Royal Essence, who has raced 26 times for seven wins and 12 placings, has finished third from unfavourable barriers at her past three starts, following a first-up second and five consecutive wins in her current campaign.

One of Royal Essence’s rivals on Friday night will be her stablemate Mini Mine Yet, to be handled by Jocelyn Young from barrier six. It is likely that Royal Essence will meet stiff opposition from smart four-year-olds Star Of Diamonds, Fifty Five Reborn, Miss Limelight, My Sweet Deal and Suing You.

Turvey is also bullish about the prospects of former South Australian pacer Hesashark, who will make his WA debut when he starts from the No. 1 barrier in the opening event, the 2130m Pastrami Pace.

Hesashark, a four-year-old to be driven by Suvaljko, has had 35 starts for 11 wins and 13 placings. He has led and won three times, and Turvey said: “He will go good, and I think he is as good as any runner in the field. Emily will be trying to lead.

“He ran second to Mach Dan in the SA Derby (when he was sixth at the bell and fought on strongly to fail by a neck in the 2230m classic at Globe Derby Park in February 2020).”

At his latest appearance, Hesashark fought on from seventh at the bell to finish fourth behind The Kapiti Express over 2070m at Gawler on October 17. At his previous start, he raced in last position in the field of six before charging home, out four wide, to win over 1800m at Globe Derby Park.

Hesashark is sure to receive plenty of opposition, particularly from the Katja Warwick-trained three-year-old Machnificent (barrier four) and the Justin Prentice-trained Know When To Run (barrier five).

Machnificent, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, gave a fine display last Friday night when he was tenth at the bell and sustained a powerful burst, out wide, to finish third behind Back In Twenty and Typhoon Banner. It will be interesting to see how Machnificent performs against older and more experienced rivals.

Know When To Run, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr, set a fast pace for Cody Wallrodt when an encouraging third behind the brilliant Finvarra last week. He looks set to fight out the finish.

Tough task for punters

Pacing punters will be scratching their heads when they study the form of the 12 runners in the sixth event, the 2130m Italo-Australian Pace, at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with most of the contestants boasting lengthy losing sequences.

What is apparent is that the barrier draw will result in Machlani (barrier No. 1) and Tyler Brett (barrier three) dominating the betting.

Machlani, a five-year-old prepared by Michael Brennan, is likely to start at a very short quote, given that horses starting from barrier one have an outstanding record at Gloucester Park.

Machlani has a losing sequence of 27; he has been unplaced at his past six starts, including wilting efforts on the past two Friday nights when he finished eighth in a field of eight and last in a field of twelve. On the credit side is that he will be handled by Michael Grantham, who has formed a splendid association with the gelding, having driven him to eight of his ten career victories, as well as notching 18 placings. And Grantham is a wonderful frontrunning reinsman.

Tyler Brett has a losing sequence of 17 (which includes only two placings), but he warmed up for this assignment in encouraging fashion last Friday night when he began speedily from the outside barrier (No. 9), moved into third place (three wide) and then was restrained by Dylan Egerton-Green back to tenth.

He began a three-wide move with 700m to travel and was still ninth at the 300m mark before running home strongly to finish fifth behind The Kraken. That was his seventh unplaced effort in succession, but it hinted at better things to come.

That performance came at the horse’s first start for debutant trainer Chloe Brown, daughter of ace reinsman Colin Brown, and if her partner Egerton-Green can guide the seven-year-old to victory on Friday night it would be a wonderful achievement for Chloe to notch a winner at only her second attempt.

Another runner with a hope of winning is Peter Anderson’s Jesse Allwood, who caught the eye last Friday night with his strong-finishing third behind Walsh. Jesse Allwood, to be driven by Aldo Cortopassi from barrier five, has managed one win from his past 44 starts. Brett Smith’s McArdles Gem also has claims from the inside of the back line. He has been placed twice from his past three starts.

A change for Bettorstartdreaming

Part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper has decided on a change for smart five-year-old Bettorstartdreaming, who will make his first appearance in a stand in Western Australia when he begins off the 20m mark in the Meat Me At The Post Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Bettorstartdreaming has shown flashes of excellent form in his 27 starts in mobile events in WA that have produced four wins and eight placings. If he begins smoothly, he should fight out the finish with Glenledi Chief and Just Wing It.

Harper said he was hopeful that Betterorstartdreaming would be on his best behaviour at the start, explaining that the Bettors Delight gelding was an experienced standing-start performer in New Zealand.

Bettorstartdreaming raced 18 times in New Zealand for five wins and four placings. He contested seven stands for a solitary win, over 2200m at Alexandra Park in September 2019, and his only other top-three placing was a second over 2700m.

Glenledi Chief (10m) is racing keenly in stands for trainers Greg and Skye Bond and reinsman Ryan Warwick, with a close last-start second to Just Wing It last Friday week following narrow victories over 2116m and 2631m at Pinjarra at his two previous starts.

Glenledi Chief will start off 10 metres and Warwick will be anxious to keep his pacer well ahead of Bettorstartdreaming and his co-backmarker Just Wing It, who is an excellent standing-start performer with two wins and a close third in stands at his past three outings.

Just Wing It, driven by Chris Lewis, began safely from the 10m mark but was slow to muster pace when he settled down in sixth position, several lengths astern of the pacemaker Gee Smith. But he gained the one-out, one-back trail behind Glenledi Chief in the middle stages and impressed with his powerful finishing burst which took him to a decisive victory over Glenledi Chief and Gee Smith.

Trainer Ross Olivieri is impressed with Just Wing It’s strength, but he is hopeful that the six-year-old learns to muster greater early speed. “He has been effectively starting off 30 metres in recent starts,” he said. “So, hopefully, he will get away smartly this week.”

The Matt Scott-trained Gee Smith worked hard without cover before scoring an easy win in a 2636m stand at Narrogin last Saturday night, and he is capable of a bold showing off the front mark in Friday night’s race.

Olivieri is also looking for Thats Perfect to return to his best form when he starts from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Gold Medal Xmas Ham Classic Pace. The six-year-old has finished in last position at each of his latest three starts. However, he should appreciate a considerable drop in class and prove hard to beat.

“He is versatile, and he can lead or sit,” said Olivieri, who has engaged Chris Lewis to drive the Art Major gelding. Chris Voak, who has driven Thats Perfect at his past eleven starts and at 12 of his 13 WA starts, has opted to handle the Barry Howlett-trained Fanci A Dance, who will begin from the No. 4 barrier. Voak has driven the eight-year-old at his past 13 starts for two wins and seven placings.

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

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park