Gloucester Park preview

Know When To Run is a bargain

Lightly-raced six-year-old Know When To Run has bright prospects of retaining his unbeaten record when enjoying the advantage of the No. 1 barrier by setting the pace and proving the master of his nine rivals in harness racing’s group 3 $30,000 Catalano Trucks The Clarke Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Roll With Joe gelding has started from barrier No. 1 twice in his 24-start career for two effortless all-the-way victories — beating Galante by two lengths in June 2019 and defeating Arma Einstein by 5m last December.

Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice will be anxious to use Know When To Run’s excellent gate speed to make life tough for the gelding’s chief rivals Orlando Blue, Valentines Brook and Ima Fivestar General.

Know When To Run, raced by the Trotsynd No. 11 syndicate, is proving to be a bargain. He was purchased for $13,000 at the 2017 APG Perth yearling sale and has earned $84,816 from eight wins and eleven placings. A win this week would boost his prizemoney to $102,951.

Know When To Run raced in the one-out, two-back position before finishing solidly to be third to Vespa and Hampton Banner over 2536m last Friday week.

In-form trainer Michael Young is looking forward to pitting his smart pacers Orlando Blue and Doc Holliday against Know When To Run. Maddison Brown will drive four-year-old Orlando Blue from barrier three, and Chris Voak will be in the sulky behind five-year-old Doc Holliday from the No. 2 barrier.

“Orlando Blue is flying, and his past three runs have been super,” said Young. “We will drive him for luck and will be looking to tuck him in. It looks tougher for Doc Holliday, who hangs a bit and is a bit sluggish. He needs to be up on the speed.”

Orlando Blue put in a tremendous performance last Friday night when he started from the back line and settled down in tenth position. He started a three-wide move approaching the bell and challenged the leader Franco Ecuador strongly 250m from home and fought on powerfully to finish a head second to that talented performer.

Ravenswood trainer Jocelyn Young has Valentines Brook racing in wonderful form, with his five starts for her producing a win, three seconds and one third placing. He will be driven for the first time by Young’s younger sister Madeliene.

Valentines Brook sustained a superb three-wide burst from eleventh at the bell to finish a half-length second to Hampton Banner last Friday night.

Henley Brook trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams also has Ima Fivestar General in sparkling form, with the New Zealand-bred five-year-old’s five starts this season producing four wins and a close second. He rated 1.55.1 when he raced in the breeze before winning the 1780m Village Kid Sprint at Northam last Saturday night.

C C Chevron capable of surprising

One victory from her past 81 starts is hardly the credentials of a likely winner. But C C Chevron, an evergreen ten-year-old mare and a veteran of 220 starts, is racing with commendable enthusiasm, despite starting at $126 twice, $101 twice, $91 and $61 at her past six starts.

Owned and trained by Matt Scott, C C Chevron will be driven by Deni Roberts from a favourable barrier (No. 2) in the 2130m Sefsolutions.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night — and she certainly has winning prospects, with little recent exposed form shining a light on any of her eight rivals.

C C Chevron warmed up for Friday night’s assignment in good style at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when she raced three back on the pegs in an Indian file affair over 2185m and was clocked at 27.27sec. over the final 400 metres. She ran home solidly to finish third behind Lawrence and Mister Bushido.

C C Chevron is one of three Scott-trained pacers in Friday night’s event, the others being Billy Mack (Shannon Suvaljko) and Euston Flyer (Mitch Miller).

“C C Chevron is racing out of her skin,” said Scott. “She will probably sit behind the No. 1 (Pierre Whitby).”

Billy Mack, an 11-year-old who has won at 12 of his 170 starts, and the eight-year-old Euston Flyer (14 wins from 100 starts) have shown glimpses of form in recent weeks and are capable of figuring in the finish of a race in which Pierre Whitby and Batavia On Fire are generally expected to dominate the betting.

Pierre Whitby, trained by Debra Lewis, has won at 14 of his 109 starts and has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier. Whether he leads is problematical. He has begun from the No. 1 barrier ten times — and has not been given the task of leading. He has never attempted an all-the-way victory at any stage of his career.

Those ten runs have produced a solitary win, three thirds, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, two ninths and a twelfth placing. His win from barrier one was over 2130m at Gloucester Park on July 17, 2020, when he showed good gate speed to lead for the first 550m before he surrendered the lead to Art Tutor and finished fast, out three wide, to snatch a last-stride win over that pacer.

Batavia On Fire is a nine-year-old trained by Giles Inwood who has been unplaced in all of his seven starts this season. Fourths behind Typhoon Banner, Gambit and American Bullitt in those outings have been good efforts, and he deserves favouritism on Friday night.

Batavia On Fire will be handled by Chris Voak, who said: “It looks the right type of race for him. He is one of nine chances in the race. At his best he could definitely win. But I’m not sure that he’s at his best, but you could say that about the rest of the field.”

Hello Gorgeous ready for her debut

Three sound trials in the space of 12 days have revealed that small filly Hello Gorgeous will be ready to produce a strong effort at her debut when she starts from the No. 1 barrier in the SEFS Asset Finance Specialists Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Hello Gorgeous has been beaten in all three trials — but her runs have been impressive when she has lowered her colours to the unraced Art Major colt Major Manhattan, a stablemate and highly promising member of Darling Downs trainer Aldo Cortopassi’s team.

“She is a very nice filly who can run,” said Cortopassi. “She could have won a couple of trials, but a good colt in Major Manhattan has kept beating her. Hello Gorgeous has trained on well after those trials, and I think she has a very good chance on Friday night. She has the perfect draw and has good gate speed.

“She is a tiny little thing, a real sweetheart, who is a full sister to Shandale. At her first trial (over 1684m at Pinjarra on February 9) she led when a one-length second to Major Manhattan, with a final quarter of 28.5sec.”

Four days after that trial, Hello Gorgeous trailed the pacemaker Major Manhattan in a field of five in a 1750m Byford trial and ran on solidly to finish second. Then, a week later in another 1730m Byford trial Hello Gorgeous set the pace and led until the final 400m when third in a field of three behind Major Manhattan.

Hello Gorgeous is already showing some of the ability of Shandale, whose career ended in a race fall at Gloucester Park in June 2018. Shandale raced 54 times for 14 wins, 15 placings and $305,028, with his most notable victory being in the 2017 Stratton Cup in which he defeated Soho Tribeca and Chicago Bull.

Sweet Vivienne (barrier six) and Flametree (barrier seven) have shown excellent form and will be popular with punters.

Sweet Vivienne, to be driven by Kim Prentice for breeder-owner-trainer Paula Petricevich, led early from barrier one and then sat behind the pacemaker when third behind Quartzz over 1730m at Gloucester Park on February 8 before finishing an encouraging second behind Soho Confidential over 1684m at Pinjarra three Mondays ago when the final 400m was covered in a brisk 27.6sec.

“Sweet Vivienne has given me a good feel in both her races,” said Prentice. “She’s got gate speed, so we might come out and see where we can slot in.”

In-form reinsman Mitch Miller has a high opinion of the Barry Howlett-trained Flametree, who was restrained from barrier seven and settled down in eighth position before running home strongly, out five wide, to finish sixth behind Cabsav in the group 1 Sales Classic last Friday night.

That followed a debut victory over 1832m at Albany on February 4 when she raced without cover before sprinting fast to take up the running after 400m and coasting to a three-length victory over Eastern Advance. Then, 11 days later she enjoyed a good sit in the one-out, one-back position before fighting on to finish third behind Temukas Girl in a heat of the Sales Classic.

The Tiger Army likes to lead

Five-year-old Sportswriter gelding The Tiger Army has not been dangerous at his past three starts, but trainer Michael Young is confident he will bounce back to his best form when he starts from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m SEFS, You Name It, We Fund It Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He really gets his chance to win,” said Young. “He has led once for me and has won. That was four starts ago when he led from barrier one and ran home in 57.1sec. He then was unplaced from unfavourable barriers at his following three starts. He just doesn’t try unless he is in front.”

Maddison Brown will drive The Tiger Army, and Dylan Egerton-Green will drive stablemate Zazu from barrier three. Zazu led from the No. 1 barrier and won from Pradason and Orlando Blue three starts ago and he performed strongly last Friday night when he came from seventh, three back on the pegs, at the bell to finish fourth behind Franco Ecuador over 2130m.

Starting from the No. 2 barrier and in between The Tiger Army and Zazu will be Will I Rocknroll, who is sure to appreciate a drop in class after competing against Mighty Ronaldo, Bletchley Park, Vultan Tin, Diego and Gambit in recent weeks. Will I Rocknroll was most impressive two starts ago when he was sixth at the bell before charging home, out five wide, to finish a close second to Diego.

Young is also looking for a strong performance from Vespa, who will start from the No. 1 barrier and be driven by Aiden de Campo in the 2536m SEFS Finance Kenwick Pace. Vespa maintained his excellent form when he surged home, out wide, from seventh at the bell to finish a well-beaten second to Double Up over 2130m last Friday night.

A week earlier Vespa set the pace from barrier three and won by just over a length from the favourite Hampton Banner, who raced in the breeze for most of the way.

This week Hampton Banner will start from the No. 4 barrier and Chris Lewis is expected to take full advantage of the gelding’s sparkling gate speed in a bid to burst to an early lead.

Hampton Banner began speedily from barrier nine last Friday night before getting to the front after 500m and then setting the pace on the way to his fighting half-length victory over the fast-finishing Valentines Brook, with a final 800m of 56.4sec.

“I would like Vespa to lead, but Hampton Banner might be a bit fast for him off the gate,” said Young. “The last time Vespa led Hampton Banner sat outside of him and couldn’t beat him over 2536m. So, if Vespa leads on Friday night, I think he will win.”

Rock Me Over is set to lead

Veteran pacer Rock Me Over has impressed with fast-finishing placings at his past three outings, but trainer Matt Scott is planning for Shannon Suvaljko to attempt an all-the-way victory in the 2130m Catalanotrucks.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Seven-year-old Rock Me Over has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier, and Scott said: “We will be trying to lead. He has led and won in the past.

“He has never been a good trackworker, but in the past week Kyle Anderson has driven him and said that it was the best he has felt for months. He has been coming home strongly, but in this field he will be trying to stay in front.”

Scott attributes Rock Me Over’s recent eye-catching runs to a change in his training routine. “For about the past month I have been taking him to the beach at Kwinana where I have been riding Billy Mack in the water while leading Rock Me Over,” Scott explained.

“If he leads and gets run over on Friday night it will be pretty disappointing.”

Rock Me Over has been a wonderfully consistent performer, earning $343,930 from 22 wins, 24 seconds and 29 thirds from 157 starts. He has a losing sequence of 27 stretching back to April 30, 2021, when he led for the first 60m from barrier one before $81 outsider Talkerup dashed to the front and then surrendered the lead to Rock Me Over 250m later.

That was the eighth occasion that Rock me Over had set the pace and won At Gloucester Park. He has also won when leading at Pinjarra, Bunbury and Northam.

One of Rock Me Over’s main dangers on Friday night is likely to be Valbonne, who will be driven for the first time by Chris Voak. Valbonne, owned and trained by Lisa Walton, has a losing sequence of 19, but has impressed with five placings from his seven starts this season, including his strong-finishing second to Robbie Rocket last Friday night in the race in which Rock Me Over finished fast, out wide, after enjoying an ideal passage three back on the pegs.

“It was a really good run,” said Voak. “And I give him a knock-out hope.”

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

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park