by Wayne Currall
The little champ is back. Chicago Bull, this season’s Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup winner, returns to the racetrack at Gloucester Park on Friday night and leading trainer Gary Hall is thrilled to have his star pacer back at the races. “He’s probably one run short, but one of his owners is over from Queensland and wants to see him run,” Hall said. “It’s not the ideal race to start him in first-up over 1700 metres but his class will take him a long way.”
Hall revealed he was lucky to have Chicago Bull back from a break in one piece. “He had trouble with one of his eyes and it turned out to be an eye ulcer,” he said. “He had an operation on the eye and the vets were able to save his eye. He’s been back in work for about 10 weeks now and will benefit from the run but you’d expect his class to help him against some race-fit opponents.”
Chicago Bull, one of the smallest pacers going around, was a revelation for the Hall camp last preparation. The “Little Bull” strung together 10 wins in a row last year, beginning his winning streak on WA Pacing Cup night when former stablemate My Hard Copy made it back-to-back cup victories.
He continually surprised his trainer and connections with his dogged determination and sheer ability with wins in three Group 1s – the McInerney Ford 4YO Classic, the Fremantle Pacing Cup and the WA Pacing Cup but he faces a daunting task first-up over the sprint journey in the Princi Smallgoods Free Range Salami Pace (1730m), drawn in gate eight and taking on some very handy pacers with race fitness on their side.
Polemarker Erskine Range will relish the inside draw and the trip, Natural Disaster (Gate 4) has been impressive in his two wins since returning from a spell, Soho Wall Street (6) has gone to another level of late with three wins and two seconds from his last five starts and New World Order (10) should get a lovely run just off the speed. However, it would take a brave man to tip against Chicago Bull. He’s got a heart as big as himself and knows where the winning post is.
“You know I always thought (Beaudiene) Boaz was better than the Bull,” Hall said. “But somewhere along the line the Bull has overtaken Boaz. I lost Boaz for a while there, but I think he’s starting to show some of his old ability. He was a little disappointing but then he finished third in the Inters final and hey you can’t be too disappointed with a horse who has won more than a million dollars in prize money.” Beaudiene Boaz clashes with Heez On Fire, a brilliant winner at his three starts since returning from a spell, in the Princi Smallgoods Capretto Pace (2536m). It promises to be one of the many highlights on a star-studded night of pacing.
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