Stuart McDonald, the State’s leading junior reinsman, has been engaged to handle talented five-year-old Mynameskenny in the $21,000 Mt Barker Chicken Free Range Steaks Pace over 21230m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Byford trainer John Oldroyd called on McDonald’s services to make use of his claim, which effectively reduced Mynameskenny from an M2-class pacer to an M1 performer.
This claim enabled Mynameskenny to draw favourably at barrier No. 2 on the front line and he will meet several M1-class pacers on advantageous terms.
Mynameskenny, who has won at 17 of his 31 starts, has been freshened up since his latest appearance, when he covered a lot of extra ground and wilted to finish eighth behind Ricimer over 2130m on July 29. The WA-bred horse had won at each of his previous seven starts.
McDonald, who will be handling Mynameskenny for the first time in a race, is likely to be anxious to set the pace from his ideal draw. However, he could well face a tough task to get past the polemarker Blacknsweet Adda in the early stages.
Blacknsweet Adda, who is trained by Courtney Burch and will be driven by Morgan Woodley, possesses good gate speed and is a smart frontrunner. She has had a brief let-up since she gave an outstanding performance to finish a head second to Delightful Jade at a 1.56.8 rate over 2130m on July 29.
She was restrained from barrier eight and was 12th and last at the bell before sustaining a grand three-wide burst to get to finish a head behind Delightful Jade. Blacknsweet Adda’s past seven starts have produced four wins and two seconds.
Delightful Jade is in sparkling form and as an M4-classs performer is the highest-assessed runner in the field. She will be handled by Micheal Ferguson, who has been in the sulky at her past three starts for two wins (after facing the breeze).
However, trainer Gary Hall sen. said that Delightful Jade’s task appeared beyond her from the outside barrier. owever, she faces a stern test from the outside (No. 9) of the front line.She will be handled by Michae
“She has learnt how to relax and is going really well,” Hall said. “However, she has drawn too wide. My other runner, Ideal Justice, has also drawn too wide at No. 7.”
Greg and Skye Bond have two runners, Ima Tragedy (barrier three) and Bungalow Bill (four), and they will have admirers. Bungalow Bill worked hard in the breeze when third behind Say It Now and Lady Willoughby over 2130m last Friday night after a smart all-the-way win over Rycroft at his previous start.
Ima Tragedy, to be driven by Mitch Miller, caught the eye last Friday night when he was seventh at the bell and finished fast to be second to Delightful Jade.
McDonald will have an interesting and challenging tradition to uphold. Mynameskenny has been handled by claiming drivers only twice before —last December when Tom Buchanan was successful at Northam and Micheal Ferguson at Gloucester Park.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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