by Ken Casellas
Star New Zealand-bred pacer Ohoka Punter was outstanding in defeat when third in the Easter Cup on April 13 and he should overcome the disadvantage of the outside barrier (No. 9) and win the $23,000 Gannon’s Flags And Banners Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He gave a sample of his class in the 2902m Easter Cup when he started off the 50m mark and started a three-wide move 1800m from home. He was kept out wide for the next 500m before getting to the breeze outside the pacemaker Galactic Star. Finally, he got his head in front with 350m to travel, but wilted in the late stages to finish a gallant third behind Assassinator and Galactic Star.
That followed his impressive first-up performance the previous week when he started from barrier nine, raced in the one-out, one-back position and burst to the front at the 450m mark before dashing away to score by two and a half lengths from stablemate American Boy, rating 1.55.5 over 2130m.
Trained by Gary Hall sen., Ohoka Punter will again be handled by Gary Hall jun., with Clint Hall taking the drive behind American Boy, who will start out wide at barrier eight. The stablemates will clash with the brilliant, but injury-plagued Heez On Fire (barrier seven).
Heez On Fire, nursed back to fitness by octogenarian trainer Bill Horn, made a wonderful return to racing with a dazzling victory at a 1.55.9 rate over 2130m last Friday week. He was 12th with 650m to travel when he started a three-wide move which ended with him surging past the pacemaker Erskine Range in the home straight.
Erskine Range began fast from barrier two to dash to an early lead in that race and Maddison Brown is likely to be keen to take advantage of the chestnut’s gate speed from the No. 3 barrier. However, the evergreen eight-year-old Bonze Seeker has sparkling early pace and Chris Lewis will be anxious to hold the lead from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
This will be the eighth time in 139 mobile starts in Western Australia that Bronze Seeker will start from the No. 1 barrier. His record from barrier one is two wins, two seconds, two thirds and a 12th placing (when shuffled back behind a tiring runner). Bronze Seeker was an all-the-way winner over 2130m from the No. 1 barrier eleven starts ago. He was unwinding a spirited burst before receiving severe interference 250m from home when he galloped and was distanced behind Shardons Rocket last Friday night.
Shardons Rocket is a remarkable 12-year-old trained by Tony Svilicich who will be having his 310th start in a race when he begins from barrier six on Friday night. He has won 44 races and has been placed 87 times.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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