Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing review with Ken Casellas

Voak is out to end a trio of seconds

Star reinsman Chris Voak is determined to make it fourth time lucky when he drives veteran pacer Sangue Reale (Art Major) in the $35,000 Howard Porter Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He has finished second three times in this feature event, with Red Salute in 2015, Gotta Go Gabbana in 2018 and Fanci A Dance in 2021, and this year he prepares and drives speedy eight-year-old Sangue Reale, who has drawn ideally at barrier No. 1.

Red Salute was a $19.30 chance when he began from the No. 1 barrier and trailed the pacemaker Crusader Banner before finishing strongly to fail by a half-length.

Gotta Go Gabbana was a $43.20 outsider from out wide at barrier seven when she raced in the breeze and finished second to the polemarker Maczaffair, and three years ago Fanci A Dance was a $13 chance from barrier one when he trailed the $1.20 favourite Hurricane Harley and finished second to that speedster.

Sangue Reale will be having his third start after an absence of nine and a half months and is close to his peak after strong-finishing thirds behind Aardiebytheseaside and Talks Up A Storm.

In both those events Sangue Reale was beaten home by Talks Up A Storm, who looms large as his most serious rival on Friday night when he will start from the No. 2 barrier.

“First-up, I didn’t bustle Sangue Reale,” said Voak. “I got squeezed up and then took ground off Talks Up A Storm, who finished second. Then, a week later, Sangue Reale took ground off Talks Up A Storm when coming home in 27.7sec., out four deep.

“Now I expect Sangue Reale to be ready to show his best. I’ll put the rogue’s hood on him, and he should be able to hold the lead. The previous time I used the rogue’s hood Sangue Reale crossed to the front from barrier four or five.”

Talks Up A Storm, to be driven by Kyle Harper for trainer Murray Lindau, is favourably drawn at barrier two. His recent form cannot be faulted, a second to Never Ending, a third behind Tenzing Bromac and Never Ending, a splendid second to Aardiebytheseaside in the August Cup, and a brilliant last-start victory when he began with dazzling speed from the No. 6 barrier and set the pace and won by a length from The Miki Taker, rating 1.56.3 over 2130m, with final quarters of 28.1sec. and 27.7sec.

Harper has tasted success in the Porter Memorial, with Bettors Fire leading from barrier four and beating The Bucket List in 2016.

The Porter Memorial was first run in 1978 when Pure Steel beat Virgil Queen, and Gary Hall Jnr has the best record in the event, having driven five winners, Fletcher Christian (2003), Crusader Banner (2015), Chicago Bull (2020), Hurricane Harley (2021) and Prince Of Pleasure (2023).

Hall faces a tough assignment this year when he will drive eight-year-old Cordero for owner-trainer Trevor Wright. He has driven the gelding only twice in his 145-start career for a seventh behind Steel The Show last November and a third behind Talks Up A Storm in January this year.

This will be Cordero’s first appearance since he was a $201 outsider who finished last behind Jumpingjackmac in the Bunbury Cup on March 30.

Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be seeking their second success in the Porter Memorial when Deni Roberts will drive Steel The Show from the outside barrier in the field of seven. Steel The Show cannot be overlooked. He is racing in good form and his past 13 starts have produced two wins, four seconds, one third and four thirds.

Young contemplates leading

Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Shane Young is happy with super mare Wonderful To Fly’s  (Fly Like An Eagle) progress and he is contemplating making a bid for the early lead and setting the pace in the TABtouch Supports Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Wonderful To Fly will start from the No. 4 barrier in the 2130m event in which she will clash with nine geldings, including stylish last-start winner Star Casino and smart performers Solesseo Matuca, Chivalry and Rockmyster.

“If Wonderful To Fly can lead she will be hard to beat,” said Young. “She is quick enough out and I’m contemplating making a bid for the front. If she goes at her best, she is capable of competing against horses like Star Casino and Solesseo Matuca.

“Long-range plans are for her to run in the feature events for mares later in the year. She had a good spell before resuming racing last Friday night, and, hopefully, she has improved on her first-up effort.”

Wonderful To Fly was restrained to the rear from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line last Friday night. She settled down ten lengths behind the pacemaker Little Darling and was still last in the field of ten at the 600m before she went forward, out five and six wide, to finish a creditable sixth behind Little Darling.

She dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.18sec. and 28.7sec. the fastest last quarters recorded in the race.

Wonderful To Fly has already amassed $742,744 from her 30 wins, ten seconds and five thirds from 56 starts. She has set the pace in 21 of her victories.

Star Casino, trained by Ray Williams, reappeared after a spell when he raced three wide for the first 200m and then in the breeze for the next 500m before gaining a perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position. He dashed to the front 120m from the post and held on to win narrowly from the fast-finishing Flying Rumour.

That was five-year-old Star Casino’s tenth win from 48 starts and he appears set for a successful campaign.

Solesseo Matuca, trained and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is in excellent form and he kept up the good work last Friday fortnight when he began out wide at barrier eight and raced without cover before taking the lead in the home straight and fighting on to finish second to Whose The Dad, with a final 800m of 56.8sec.

Big test for Mikis Pride

Big, inexperienced and with the potential to develop into a star, that’s Mikis Pride (Always B Miki), who will make a considerable sacrifice in ring craft and racing dexterity when he lines up against several highly credentialled three-year-olds in the $21,000 The Spring Time Camel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

However, trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko are confident that the raw gelding will play a leading role when he clashes with rising star Blaze Away, fresh from placings behind Water Lou and Bet The House, Alta Tribute, unbeaten at his two starts, and multiple winners Prince Of Pain (five wins), Im Lightning Banner and Cork Can Run (each with four wins).

Mikis Pride had his second start after a debut failure 13 months earlier when he scored an impressive victory at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon this week. It was not without considerable drama.

Mikis Pride was smartest to begin from the No.1 barrier before breaking after about 15 metres and surrendering the lead to A Duke To Be. Suvaljko then steadied Mikis Pride who regained the lead 400m later.

After a smart lead time of 36.2sec. Mikis Pride covered the opening 400m sections in 30.2sec. and 30.7sec. before sprinting the final 800m in 58.2sec. and winning by four lengths from Money Time Madness, rating 1.57.3 over 2130m.

Suvaljko then revealed the reason behind Mikis Pride’s misdemeanour, saying: “At the start the nearside Murphy blind slipped and was over his eye, and he panicked.

“The Murphy blind sat over his eye for the rest of the race. So, once he got into a rhythm, I kept him running because I didn’t want to upset him. He is pretty smart, and I give him a good chance on Friday night.”

Mikis Pride will begin from the No. 1 barrier, and Reed said: “He is a big, strong horse who will hold his own. He was too big and gangly as a two-year-old, and he couldn’t pace and kept on galloping when he made his debut in a heat of the Pearl in August last year when he finished at the rear. Since then, he’s had a nice, long spell.”

Suvaljko said that at his latest track run Mikis Pride had finished just behind top-flight fillies Water Lou and Lion Queen. “He has been beating Covernote and Dark Eyes easily enough in trackwork, and over the past two to three weeks he has been the best worker with faster times than Water Lou and Lion Queen.”

Gary Hall Jnr has driven Blaze Away for trainer Michael Young at his past three starts but he has chosen to drive Alta Tribute (trained by Gary Hall Snr). Blaze Away is favourably drawn at barrier two and is sure to take plenty of beating, while Alta Tribute will begin from barrier four.

Ata Tribute has shown excellent gate speed to lead from barriers one and four at two recent starts at Gloucester Park when he went on to record easy victories. “This is a big jump in class for him,” said Hall. “But he seems quite tough and the 2536m won’t worry him.”

Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green is represented by Im Lightning Banner (barrier No. 8 in the field of eight) and Cork Can Run (barrier five). He has chosen to drive Im Lightning Banner, who faded from the breeze to finish seventh behind Storyteller over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. That followed convincing wins at his three previous starts, one at Northam and two at Pinjarra.

Aiden De Campo will drive Cork Can Run, whose 18 starts have produced four wins and six placings.

“This is an even field and Cork Can Run can do his best work late,” said Egerton-Green. “Im Lightning Banner is racing very well, and there were excuses for his last-start unplaced effort when he was caught in the breeze in a fast-run 2185m race (with final quarters of 28.5sec., 28.1sec. and 28.4sec.).”

Price Of Pain, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, is a smart and experienced campaigner who has had 20 starts for five wins and ten placings.

An inseparable pairing

Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has enjoyed an inseparable partnership with the wonderfully consistent six-year-old Otis (Sweet Lou), a gelding he has driven in all his 49 starts for 13 wins, 11 seconds and nine thirds for stakes of $168,326.

Otis has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in the $25,000 Book Your Event at Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and Egerton-Green will be anxious to use the horse’s excellent gate speed in a bid for victory.

“This is a good draw, and he is racing well,” said Egerton-Green. “It was a good run last week when he raced in the breeze and finished third behind Arma Xfactor and The Miki Taker.”

Otis began fast from barrier three last week but was unable to cross Arma Xfactor, who was drawn inside of him. He refused to give in and did very well to fight on for third after final 400m sections of 29.2sec., 28sec. and 28.2sec.

This week Otis should prove the master of Arma Xfactor, who will begin from the No. 3 barrier. Hampton Banner is a speedy beginner, but it is unlikely he will be able to muster sufficient speed to cross Otis, who has proved to be an excellent frontrunner throughout his career.

Miki Jet, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, adds spice to Friday night’s event in which he will be making his second appearance after a spell. The New Zealand-bred five-year-old, who’s past eight starts have produced six wins and two seconds, faces a stern test from the outside barrier in the field of seven.

He resumed racing last Friday week when he began from the inside of the back line, trailed the pacemaker All Is Well and did not get clear until the final 120m when he finished fast to be second to Soho Dow Jones.

“He was nominated for a stand, but that event fell over, and he was an acceptor for this 2130m mobile, with a random barrier draw — he and drew the outside barrier,” said Hall. “It will be tough beating these horses if he gives them a start.”

Egerton-Green has a drive in eight of the ten events on the program, and he said that his best prospects were Otis and Rockmyster, the solitary runner on the back line in race two.

“Rockmyster’s last-start seventh was when he raced three wide from the bell,” he said. “He is in this race with a chance.

“Of my other drives I give Zephyra an each-way chance (from the outside of the back line in the Steelos Pace). She should be able to get a good run through from the draw and run a good race. She was pushed wide on the corner when a first-up eighth.”

An unexpected drive for Egerton-Green will be the Hayden Reeves-trained Recover Lover from barrier six in the 2130m 7News Pace. Recover Lover impressed at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon when she was handled by Stuart McDonald and enjoyed a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to win easily from Rocknroll Sloy.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park