04 October 2018 | Ken Casellas
An eye-catching performance at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night by veteran pacer Lot Twenty One was a strong pointer to a return to the winning list.
The seven-year-old who has a poor winning record of just five per cent (six wins from 112 starts) will start from the No. 2 barrier on the front line in the final event, the 1730m GP Italian Fireworks Night Pace, has sound prospects of ending a losing sequence of 16.
He began from the outside of the back line on Tuesday night and raced in eighth position before Chris Lewis moved him into sixth position, three wide, at the bell. He sustained his effort and finished second to the pacemaker Whoswhointhezoo.
That was the gelding’s fifth start for Hopeland trainer Debra Lewis, with those starts producing four seconds and a third.
Hardest for Lot Twenty One to beat is likely to be Hes Royal Blue, a five-year-old trained at Busselton by Barry Howlett. He is the youngest runner in the field of ten, and has, by far, the best winning record of 25 per cent.
Hes Royal Blue will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from barrier five and will have many admirers. He was an all-the-way Gloucester Park winner from barrier three six starts ago and he drops considerably in class from, with his recent encouraging efforts including a third to Benhope Rulz, a sixth to Mitch Maguire and a fourth behind Bright Diamond. The more one studies the form, the brighter Hes Royal Blue’s winning prospects appear.
Estilo, a nine-year-old having his fourth start for trainer-reinsman Kristian Hawkins, will have friends after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier over the sprint journey. He has won at 12 of his 125 starts and has managed just three placings from 19 Gloucester Park starts. His losing sequence is 31, which certainly is considerably better than that of nine-year-old Dagati Image, who has not won at any of his past 57 starts.
Champion reinsmen Lewis and Hall should fight out the finish after appearing set for earlier successes on the ten-event program. Lewis should prove hard to beat with the Sonia Zucchiatti-trained Destined To Rule in the Maureen Clement Memorial Handicap, a 2503m stand in which Destined To Rule will start from the inside of the front line. His chief rivals are likely to be Always Arjay and Jason Rulz.
Hall has excellent prospects with Overboard Again (race two), King of Swing (race three), Speed Man (race five) and Chicago Bull (race six).
“I will be attempting to lead with Overboard Again from barrier one and he should be hard to beat,” said Hall. “And King of Swing and Speed Man are sure to appreciate a drop in class after last-start seconds.”
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