By Ken Casellas
Outstanding New Zealand-bred four-year-old Elegant Christian will contest a standing-start event for the first time when he begins off the 10m mark in the 2503m Suzuki Jimny Sierra Handicap at Gloucester Park on tonight.
Clint Hall will handle the brilliant gelding, who is on target to extend his winning sequence to six. Elegant Christian has not started since he raced three wide early and then set the pace and won easily from Mohegan Sun in a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park on May 1. His 13 starts (all in WA) have produced 11 wins, a second and a fourth.
“He’s had pretty bad leg injuries,” said trainer Gary Hall sen. “I’m not sure how quickly he’ll get away, but he’s forward enough to win.” Elegant Christian gave a sample of his class early last year when he won the group 3 Caduceus Club Classic and the group 2 Western Gateway Pace.
The clash between Elegant Christian, his talented stablemate Classic American, Chief Thundercloud and My Good Deed promises to one of the main highlights on the ten-event program.
Four-year-old Classic American, who has won 14 times from his 30 starts, will begin from 10m alongside the Ross Olivieri-trained Chief Thundercloud, who is in splendid form. My Good Deed, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start off the front and will have many admirers. He is a standing-start specialist and has won at 11 of his 29 starts.
Chief Thundercloud worked hard before winning narrowly from the fast-finishing Classic American at Bunbury two starts ago before he started from 20m and ran home solidly when second to stablemate Pembrook Henry in a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park last Friday week.
My Good Deed maintained his consistent form at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when he started from 50m and dashed to the front after a lap before finishing a close second to Major Rush over 2631m.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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