Northview Punter gets his chance

Enigmatic pacer Northview Punter, cursed by unfavourable draws at his past nine starts, finally has a reasonable barrier at No. 3 in the $23,000 Ross North Homes Spring Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, boosting champion trainer Gary Hall senior's confidence that the New Zealand-bred six-year-old will end an eight-month drought and a losing sequence of 12.

"I think he's back to his best and all he needs is a barrier draw," said Hall. "If he had drawn to lead in the Media Guild Cup last week he would have been unbeatable. But that's the sort of horse he is; if he leads, he wins or goes very close; if he doesn't lead, he's not that big a chance.

"He's quick out and Gary (Hall jun.) will try to lead."

In last week's 1730m Cup event Northview Punter was a 12/1 chance from the outside (No. 9) in a field of nine and was restrained back to last before finishing solidly from seventh at the bell to be fourth behind the pacemaking Tuxedo Tour, who rated a smart 1.53.9.

Northview Punter, a winner at 22 of his 65 starts and nominated for the TABtouch interdominion championship series later this year, certainly has the credentials to win this week's feature event, having finished second to David Hercules in the Fremantle Cup and third behind My Hard Copy and David Hercules in the WA Pacing Cup last January.

The Hall father-and-son combination is seeking to win the Spring Pace for the second year in a row. They were successful in last year's Spring Pace over 1730m when Machtu raced outside the pacemaker Blissfull Boy before defeating that pacer by almost two lengths.

Pacific Warrior looms as a major danger to Northview Punter in the field of eight in which all runners have each-way prospects.

Eight-year-old Pacific Warrior, a winner at 27 of his 80 starts, is unfavourably drawn on the outside. But he has the class to overcome this disadvantage at his second appearance after a winter spell.
Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams is looking forward to a much improved performance after Pacific Warrior wilted to finish a first-up fifth behind Bettors Fire over 2130m last Friday week. Pacific Warrior went to the front after 200m (after 10/1 on favourite Bettors Fire had galloped and lost a couple of lengths at the start).

"We were planning to have an easy run, but when Bettors Fire broke Kade (Howson) had to go forward and then Bettors Fire put the pressure on in the middle stages (when both middle quarters were run in 28sec.)," Williams said.

"That probably was what we didn't want and you are always disappointed when you don't win. But when you look at it, I don't think that Pacific Warrior could have gone much better. However, I'll be disappointed if he doesn't go well this week, even though I expect he needs another run (to get to his top). He's drawn the outside and will have to come from behind to get into the race.

"But he's working all right and he can win. He's older now and takes a couple of runs to come up. However, this is a race that will suit him. I'm expecting a good effort and whatever he does this week he will definitely improve on."

Williams said that he planned to keep racing Pacific Warrior up until the first set of heats of the TABtouch interdominion championship at Gloucester Park on November 27.

"I'll start him every couple of weeks," he said. "He's a big horse and needs to go around. He's a lot bigger than he was in his previous preparation. After his spell he was ridden for a month, giving him something different to do. And that thickened him out a fair bit."

Nine-year-olds Uppy Son and Lord Lombo have drawn barriers one and two, respectively, and will have admirers. Uppy Son failed to flatter when he drew out wide, raced at the rear and finished eighth behind Tuxedo Tour last Friday night. However, the Mike Reed-trained gelding is capable of considerable improvement from the inside barrier.

Lord Lombo, to be driven by Nathan Turvey, has a losing sequence of 17, but he gave signs of better things to come when he enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before finishing strongly to be second to Tuxedo Tour last Friday night.

by Ken Casellas