Full-sister to brilliant juvenile ready to roll

Well-bred filly Rockin Annareelin has shown good promise in trials at Byford on the past two Sundays and is poised to make a strong impression at her harness racing debut when she starts from the No. 1 barrier in the http://www.perthinterdominion.com.au/ Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Mach Three filly, trained by Gary Hall sen. and to be driven by Gary Hall jun., will attract particular attention because she is a full-sister to former brilliant juvenile pacer Gracias Para Nada.

Rockin Annareelin finished second to New Zealand-bred gelding Messi in a 2150m trial on Sunday morning after winning by a length from King of Cougars in a trail the previous Sunday.

“She’s a big filly who is green, but she gets out of the gate good,” said Hall jun. “She has come a long way in a short time and whatever she does this week she’ll improve on. If she leads, she will be a good winning chance, even though the experienced fillies in the race might have a bit of an edge on her.”

Her main dangers appear to be the Justin Prentice-trained Lady Luca (to be driven by Chris Lewis) and last-start winners Sweet Gina and Karlkurla.

Lady Luca is expected to be a warm favourite after she set the pace, sprinted over the final 400m in 27.3sec. and won by eight lengths from Whitbys Gamble at Gloucester Park on Monday of last week. She finished strongly to win a group 1 $100,000 Classic from Angel Bromac early in June.

The ill-fated Gracias Para Nada had only 15 starts for eight wins and four placings for earnings of $114,741. In March 2012 he won the group 3 Caduceus Club Classic from superstar Im Victorious.

After racing in the breeze outside Im Victorious in the WA Derby in April 2012 Gracias Para Nada was found to be suffering from a bone chip in a hock. When he was getting up after an operation to remove the bone chip Gracias Para Nada snapped his back leg and had to be put down.

Ken Casellas