Bettors Fire was a warm 9/4 favourite when he finished a close third in the Howard Porter Memorial 13 months ago. But he is in better form now and should make amends for that defeat by proving too fast and strong for his rivals in the $35,000 Porter Memorial over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old showed that he would be one of Western Australia’s major hopes in the TABtouch interdominion championship in December when he revealed sparkling gate speed from barrier four and then set a fast pace to win the August Cup, rating 1.57.4 over 2536m last Friday week.
Bettors Fire will again start from the No. 4 barrier this week and trainer Kyle Harper is likely to make use of the gelding’s early brilliance. Victory would take the gelding’s earning past the $500,000 mark.
A win would give Frank Ranaldi’s strikingly handsome brown pacer’s seventh success in a group feature event. He has won three group 2 events, the 2013 Mount Eden Sprint and the 2014 and 2015 Bunbury Cups, and three group 3 features, the 2013 Navy Cup, the 2014 Parliamentarians Cup and the 2016 August Cup.
Bettors Fire will need to be at his best to beat stylish last-start winners Tricky Styx and Phoenix Warrior. But he should be up to the task.
Phoenix Warrior, to be driven by Ryan Warwick for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the prized No. 1 barrier. However, it is problematical whether Phoenix Warrior is capable of mustering sufficient speed to prevent Bettors Fire dashing to an early lead.
Phoenix Warrior was restrained to the rear from the outside barrier (No. 9) in last Friday night’s 2130m New Season Pace before he moved to sixth, three wide, at the bell and took the lead on the home turn on his way to easily defeating El Machine and Change Gear. A week earlier he charged home from tenth at the bell to be an eye-catching fourth behind Bettors Fire in the August Cup.
In 38 starts in WA, the New Zealand-bred Phoenix Warrior has started from the No. 1 barrier only once. That was in the final of the 1730m $50,000 Nights of Thunder last January when he was favourite at 2/1 and was easily beaten out by Better Than Money.
He raced three back on the pegs before moving to the one-wide line at the bell. He moved up to be fifth at the 400m and was four wide 250m from home when he was inconvenienced and broke into a gallop, dropping back to finish last, 31 lengths behind the winner Mohegan Sun.
Tricky Styx, the only mare and youngest runner in Friday night’s race, will be the only runner off the back line in the field of ten. The Jesse Moore-trained five-year-old will be driven by Nathan Turvey and she can never be underestimated.
She notched her 18th win from 40 starts when she proved far too strong for moderate opposition in heavy rain over 2536m last Friday week. Tricky Styx can unwind a brilliant finishing burst and Turvey is likely to rely on this wonderful attribute this week.
The Michael Brennan-trained The Bucket List is favourably drawn at barrier two and Michael Grantham should have the seven-year-old in a prominent position throughout. The Bucket List has come from behind and finished full of running to win at his past two starts.
He charged home from tenth at the bell to win by a half-head from Our Ideal Act over 2692m at Pinjarra on August 1 and then 18 nights later he started from 20m and sustained a powerful burst, three wide without cover, to hit the front on the home turn and go mon and win by a length from Flyalong Falcon over 2503m.
Brennan will also be represented by Naughty Maravu, who has been racing keenly and most consistently in stands. Naughty Maravu (Gary Hall jun.) will start from barrier three and will be at liberal odds as the least successful of the ten runners.
Our Sky Major, trained and driven by Justin Prentice, is racing with commendable heart and is capable of a strong showing from barrier six.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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