Gloucester Park preview

Gloucester Park harness racing preview with Ken Casellas

Rock Artist draws perfectly

Star trainer-reinsman Chris Voak wears a constant smile, and he was unable to contain his glee when Rock Artist (Yankee Rockstar) drew the prized No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Christmas Gift at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Last Friday night Rock Artist was a $101 outsider who finished eighth behind Mister Smartee in the group 1 Golden Nugget -— on the surface hardly a convincing recommendation for this week’s 2130m event.

But there are two factors which suggest that Rock Artist will prove hard to beat. First, he was extremely unlucky in the Nugget, and second, he is a smart frontrunner who has set the pace in nine of his ten wins in a 36-start career which includes eleven seconds and three third placings.

Rock Artist began from barrier three in the Nugget and was not pushed in the early stages and he settled down in seventh position, four back on the pegs, before he was shuffled back to eleventh 400m from home and then was badly blocked for a clear run in the home straight.

From the ideal barrier this week Voak has high hopes of winning the Christmas Gift for the first time — after being placed five times in this event over the past twelve years.

His Gift placings have been Shamrock Tango (third in 2012), Red Salute (third in 2013), Ideal Tyson (second in 2016), Im Rockaria (third in 2017) and Gotta Go Gabbana (second in 2018).

Four-year-old Rock Artist has been unplaced at his past five starts, in which he did not set the pace. If he is able to lead on Friday night, against some smart beginners, including Chivalry (barrier two), Golden Lode (three), Frisky Styx (five) and Rockandrollartist (six) he should take plenty of catching.

Golden Lode, the only three-year-old in the event, is in top form, following smart victories at Gloucester Park at his past two starts. He will be driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, with the stable looking for its fourth success in this event, following the wins of Motu Treasure (2010), Russley Rascal (2011) and Saying Grace (2018).

Golden Lode impressed last Friday week when he sustained a spirited burst from the midfield to win from The Beaudster and Tualou.

Voak has a sound second string in Friday night’s event in six-year-old Caliente, who has won at three of his past five starts. He will be driven by Chris Lewis, who, quite remarkably has not won the Christmas Gift, which was first run in 1963 when Alan Woodworth was successful with Johnny Scott. Since 1990 Lewis has driven in the Christmas Gift 37 times.

Capel trainer Aiden De Campo has two runners in Friday night’s race, Frisky Styx (barrier five) and Rockandrollartist (six). He drove both geldings to smart wins at Gloucester Park last Friday night, and he has chosen to handle Frisky Styx, a winner at nine of his 24 starts, and Dylan Egerton-Green will drive Rockandrollartist, who has had 62 starts for eleven wins and 19 placings.

Rockandrollartist revealed sparkling gate speed when he charged to the front from out wide at barrier eight last Friday night and won over 2130m by four lengths from Joey James.

Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr will be represented by Ventura (barrier eight) and Dalvey Robyn (No. 3 on the back line). He will drive Ventura, whose easy all-the-way victory over Rockandrollartist last Friday week took his record to 31 starts for eleven wins and eight placings.

Maddison Brown will handle Dalvey Robyn, a New Zealand-bred gelding she brought home with a powerful burst to win from Tommy Waterhouse and Magnus Victory two starts ago. Dalvey Robyn followed that win with a strong effort when he finished powerfully to be second to Goodfellaz last Friday night.

Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, who has won the Christmas Gift with Nixons Creed (1993), Allioop (2004), McRaes Mate (2007), Livingontheinterest (2012), Toretto (2013), Herrick Roosevelt (2017) and Jumpingjackmac (2021), will be relying on New Zealand-bred four-year-old Im The Black Flash to improve his record.

Im The Black Flash, to be driven by Stuart McDonald, will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. He has won at eleven of his 30 starts.

Steno out to repeat the dose

Speedy five-year-old Steno (Sweet Lou) outclassed her rivals in the Christmas Belles 12 months ago, and her trainer-driver Jocelyn Young will be looking for the talented mare to win this group 3 event over 2130m once again at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Steno was a $5.10 chance last year when she flew out from the No. 4 barrier, set the pace and sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 27.8sec. to beat $101 chance Three Rumours by three lengths at a 1.55.5 rate.

She fared badly in the random draw and will certainly be tested from out wide at barrier No. 8, leaving Young with plenty to think about. She will have options, relying on Steno’s sparkling gate speed in a bid for the lead or restraining at the start and waiting for an ideal time to dash forward.

Ten of Steno’s eleven wins in WA have come after she has set the pace. She is also capable of unwinding a spirited finishing burst.

Steno, who will be making her first appearance for four weeks — since she began from the No. 6 barrier and raced in the breeze outside the $1.40 favourite Aardiebytheseaside before gaining an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, in the first lap and then finishing gamely to be a close-up third behind Aardiebytheseaside and Wonderful To Fly when the final quarters were run in 27.6sec. and 28.4sec.

Several runners on the front line possess excellent gate speed, and they include the polemarker Stormyskyes, Acharne Girl (barrier two), Soho Seraphine (barrier three) and Our Sandy Shore (six).

Stormyskyes, trained and driven by Shane Steele, has a losing sequence of 24, but she should relish her inside barrier, with Steele likely to make a bid for the early lead.

Acharne Girl, trained by Gary Hall snr, is a wonderfully consistent mare who impressed with her first-up effort last Friday week when she enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before finishing solidly into third place behind the pacemaker Little Darling and Penny Black.

Acharne Girl will be driven by Deni Roberts, with Gary Hall jnr opting to handle the Michael Young-trained Penny Black from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, and Stuart McDonald sticking with the Corey Peterson-trained Nullarbor Navajo, who will begin from barrier seven.

Nullarbor Navajo was far from disgraced last Friday night when she worked hard in the breeze and finished a close second to Montana Glory. At her previous start, a fortnight earlier, Nullarbor Navajo began from barrier nine and finished powerfully to be a head second to Whataretheodds, who rated 1.54.9 over 2130m.

Four-year-old Penny Black should gain a good passage from her backline draw, and she looks hard to beat. She had a tough run in the breeze when a half-head second to Little Darling two weeks ago. Little Darling also looks well placed from the inside of the back line.

Suvaljko reunited with Machnificent

Shannon Suvaljko, who holds a commanding lead on the leading drivers’ premiership table, will be reunited with six-year-old Machnificent (Mach Three), who looks ideally placed from the No. 2 barrier in the Yuletide Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Suvaljko has not driven the Katja Warwick-trained Machnificent at any of the WA-bred gelding’s past 24 starts. The last time he handled Machnificent in a race was when he finished fourth behind Himself, Jumpingjackmac and Tenzing Bromac in the Golden Nugget on December 16, 2022.

He has a splendid record in the sulky behind Machnificent, having recorded nine wins and four thirds from 25 drives.

Machnificent has been unplaced at his five runs in his current campaign in which all were from awkward barriers. He is capable of considerable improvement from barrier two in a race in which Lavra Joe and Jumpingjackmac look certain to dominate betting.

The Ray Jones-trained Lavra Joe, to be driven by Maddison Brown, will be strongly favoured to return to the winning list when he begins from the No. 5 barrier in the field of eight, with Jumpingjackmac at No. 8.

Lavra Joe began from the outside barrier in a field of eight last Friday night when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before wilting to fifth behind the frontrunning Tricky Miki, who sprinted the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 27.7sec. in a 2536m Free-For-All. The previous week he trailed the pacemaker Jumpingjackmac and fought on determinedly to finish a neck second to that pacer over 2130m.

Six-year-old Lavra Joe has won 33 times from 77 starts and has amassed $755,134 in prizemoney. He currently has a losing sequence of eleven, the longest lean run of his distinguished career.

Jumpingjackmac maintained his solid form last Friday night when enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before running home strongly to finish a close second to Tricky Miki.

Evergreen veteran Galactic Star will be driven by Deni Roberts from barrier six, and the Greg and Skye Bond-trained gelding should be prominent. Galactic Star trailed the pacemaker Jaspervellabeach before finishing strongly to win from Hampton Banner over 2130m three weeks ago.

Miller picks Soho Skyfall

Mitch Miller has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Soho Skyfall (Sweet Lou) in preference to Jimmy Rocks in the opening event, the $21,000 Merry Christmas Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Miller has driven Soho Skyfall for his six wins from 22 starts, and the Sweet Lou gelding has the class to overcome the disadvantage of the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.

Soho Skyfall warmed up for Friday night’s event in good style at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when he began out wide at barrier eight and raced in fifth place, one-out and two-back, before running home strongly to finish a close third behind Blazing Reactor over 1177m. He led and won from Me Flash at a 1.57.1 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park at his previous outing.

Aiden De Campo has been engaged to drive Jimmy Rocks for the first time, with the gelding handily drawn at barrier No. 3 on the front line.

Miller drove Jimmy Rocks at Pinjarra on Monday this week when the three-year-old began out wide at barrier seven and was in eighth place 1350m from home before dashing forward, three wide, to move to the breeze with a lap to travel.

Jimmy Rocks battled on gamely to finish second to the pacemaker Maximum Rock.

Maximum Rock, trained and driven by Chris Voak, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. He has won at his past two appearances, both at Pinjarra, and winning from Jimmy Rocks both times.

Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand in Friday night’s race in which they will be represented by Thelittle Master and Thenu Came Along.

Stuart McDonald will drive Thelittle Master from barrier four, while Deni Roberts will drive Thenu Came Along from out wide at barrier eight.

Roberts drove Thelittle Master when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before racing away to win by five lengths from Hengheng over 2130m last Friday night. That was his sixth win from 24 starts.

Thenu Came Along has raced 29 times for six wins and ten placings. He began from the outside barrier in the field of nine last Friday week when he finished powerfully with a three-wide burst from the 600m to be third behind the frontrunning Petes Honour.

Petes Honour, to be handled by Chris Lewis for trainer Jemma Hayman, will start from the inside of the back line. Petes Honour, Kabochon and Franklin Delano will have many admirers.

Jocelyn Young trains and drives Kabochon, who will be aiming to extend his winning sequence to four when he starts out wide from barrier seven. He is versatile and looks set for many more wins.

Franklin Delano, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, will begin from the No. 6 barrier. He disappointed when he covered extra ground and finished last behind Petes Honour at his most recent appearance. His form before that — three wins and two seconds from five starts — was excellent.

The Greg and Sky Bond-trained Street Hawk should be a star bet when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Christmas Camel Pace. He caught the eye last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier nine and was trapped wide early before being restrained to the rear. He was tenth at the bell and charged home, out wide, to finish third behind Rockandrollartist and Joey James.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park