WA Media Guild Friday’s thoughts

It’s a “no-clash evening”.

Guild president Wayne Currall believes punters can lock in I Will Rocknroll as a banker in the second race on the 10-event card.

“Champion trainer Gary Hall is on record as saying wait until this bloke draws a barrier,” Currall said. “Well, I Will Rocknroll has drawn gate two and leading reinsman Gary Hall Jr should be able to spear him to the front over polemarker Machs Gold. From there, he’s the one they all have to run down. Will be short, but little fish are sweet.”

Veteran journalist Ken Casellas, a clear leader in this year’s tipping competition, is keen on Glenledi Chief.

“The adage of winning form is good form certainly rings true for the ultra-consistent Glenledi Chief,” Casellas said. “And even though he rises considerably in class when he starts from barrier six in the third event on Friday night, I’m happy to make him my best bet this week. Outstanding trainers Greg and Skye Bond have produced the New Zealand-bred five-year-old in superb condition for his 17 WA starts for 11 wins, four seconds, one third and one fourth placing, and I’m confident he is capable of maintaining his winning form.”

Longshot guru Pat Harding has opted for Double Up as his star bet for the evening.

“Looks like favourites will be the name of the game at GP this week,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race four with the Bond-trained Double Up from barrier two. He has been very consistent and should win well in this small field.”

The West Australian’s Ernie Manning is a fan of Ezana.

“The Ray Williams-trained four-year-old Ezana, with a barrier one bonus, can confirm he is a leading long-term contender for the $200,000 Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park on December 16,” Manning said. “The gelding has won at eight of his past 11 starts and was most impressive in a hat-trick of victories last month. He then faced the breeze and ran a fighting second. Williams will also set him for other four-year-old feature events in the weeks leading up to the Nugget.”

The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft has a high opinion of Might As Well in race seven.

“Might As Well broke through at her second local start last week after doing all of the work in the run,” Havercroft said. “That win followed on from three New Zealand starts in which she was undefeated. Might still be on the improve from her Pinjarra win and the daughter of Well Said looks to have a bright future.”

TABradio’s Hayden King rounds out the best bets and the young man has thrown out one at odds in race nine.

“I  think Mcardles Gem can burn past Rocknroll Whitby and then will take cover on Soho Gigolo over the long trip,” King said. “The well-named Soho Gigolo, for The American Gigolo fans, was a comfortable all-the-way winner last start in quick time and would be hard to beat from the front.”

VALUE BETS

WAYNE: I thought the run of Heez Our Perseus last Friday night was full of merit. He’ll get out to double-figure odds in the third and could surprise at a juicy price.

KEN: For value, I suggest Between The Thorns in race eight in which she is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven at her first outing after a spell. She overcame the wide draw at No. 8 to score an impressive victory on debut in February.

PAT: My double comes up in race six with Bettor Be Lively coming out of barrier one. The Olivieri/Voak combination should see him get home with a good return for punters.

ERNIE: Five-year-old Altas Angel, trained and driven by Colin Brown, has not won in her past 12 starts and only two wins have resulted from the mare’s 21 appearances at Gloucester Park. But she drew attention when placed in her past two races. She ran third after starting from the second line last Friday night.

RYAN: Machs Gold will get a suck along from the inside draw and could run into the placings at a liberal each-way quote.

HAYDEN: Valbonne was devastating when saluting first-up and then was unsuited from a handicap last start. He draws perfectly to receive the softest of trips over the distance and should be hard to hold out.

Good punting.

To view all of the Media Guild tips for this week, click here.

For complete race fields, click here.