23 August 2018 | Wayne Currall
The consistent Vampiro has been earmarked as a special by three members of the WA Trotting Media Guild for Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park.
This season’s leading tipster Matt Young, GPTV’s Ken Casellas and Guild president Wayne Currall have all given the Greg and Skye Bond-trained pacer the thumbs up in the night’s only standing-start event.
“My best bet on the card is Vampiro,” Young said. “He is low flying and back to a stand should see him get a well-deserved win.”
Casellas agrees with Young’s take on the race.
“Richly talented four-year-old Vampiro drops massively in class on Friday night and the New Zealand-bred gelding is my star bet off the 20m mark,” Casellas said. “He gave an eye-catching performance last Friday night when he was sixth at the bell and thundered home to be a close second to Johnny Disco in a 1730m sprint. A week earlier, he worked hard in the breeze when an excellent third to Runrunjimmydunn and Motu Premier in the 3309m Marathon Handicap.”
Currall believes Vampiro has the ability to overcome his 20m impost.
“Vampiro is ultra consistent and hasn’t finished further back than fourth at his past 15 starts,” Currall said. “The horse resumed from a three-month break in June and has recorded three seconds and three thirds from his seven starts and is poised to break through on Friday night.”
Last season’s leading tipster Stuart Lowe and TABradio’s Matt McDermott are keen on another Bond-trained horse in the shape of El Jacko.
“My best bet is the speedy El Jacko, who has run three solid thirds since a good win at GP in July,” Lowe said. “Despite his wide draw here, he appears to have an edge on his rivals and looks the one to beat.”
McDermott agrees with Lowe.
“El Jacko is the class horse of the field and will appreciate the extra distance from his wide gate,” McDermott said. “He looks the best bet on the program.”
Longshot guru Pat Harding has labelled the prolific-winning Simba Bromac as his star bet.
“In a night likely to be dominated by the Bond and Hall camps, finding value for punters has not been easy,” Harding said. “However, in race three Simba Bromac should continue on his winning way. Again he has the advantage of barrier one and should be an easy drive for Chris Lewis.”
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning likes polemarker Hes Talking in the seventh race.
“Hes Talking looks hard to beat from the prized pole position in his 1730m event,” Manning said. “The Colin Brown-trained gelding is an established standing-start performer, however showed gate speed from the mobile last Friday night. He faced the breeze early and ran unplaced, but now gets a better chance to display ability which has enabled him to win twice from five Gloucester Park starts.”
Racing co-ordinator at The West Australian Ryan Havercroft believes the State’s best pacer Chicago Bull will continue on his winning ways.
“It’s impossible to go past Chicago Bull who has been in impeccable form since returning from a spell,” Havercroft said. “Trainer Gary Hall has signalled an intention to travel east with his star pacer next season and he should easily account for his six rivals here.”
VALUE BETS
Matt Young: Nothing In Between has so-so form but over the mile and the moderate field along with Kyle Harper guiding helps this horse and gives him a great each-way chance of going the trip.
Ken: For value, I suggest Just A Legend in race nine which appears to be an extremely open affair. He has a very modest winning record of just six per cent (seven wins from 108 starts), but his past couple of runs have been encouraging.
Wayne: Fizzing should find the front for new reinsman Chris Lewis in the opening event and could prove hard to catch despite the class of odds-on favourite King Of Swing.
Stuart: The value bet is Gonzos Shadow, who ran a good race at Northam behind Roman Aviator last week. Placed at two of his previous four starts. In a wide-open race he gets his chance to win in the metropolitan area.
Matt McDermott: Vampiro began safe at his first stand in the recent Marathon Handicap. He’s a versatile pacer and deserves a win.
Pat: I think Chris Lewis can bob up again in the ninth race with Aussie Jet. There’s not much exposed form in this race and Ausssie Jet from barrier six stands as good a chance as anything else in the race.
Ernie: Zara Whitby was getting beaten in outer country races at the end of her last campaign. But she has won at Gloucester Park and is capable of a bold first-up run for trainer Edwin Dewar.
Ryan: Pink Diamonds ran a nice trial when qualifying last Sunday at Pinjarra. Though not hunted out of the gate, she balanced up nicely and got to the leaders easily in the closing stages and that effort suggests she may have a bright future.
To view all of the Media Guild tips click here.
Good Punting
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