16 July 2020 | Ken Casellas
Star Of Diamonds has only an eight per cent winning record (two wins from 24 starts), but reinsman Chris Voak considers she has excellent prospects in the 2130m Garrard’s Horse And Hound For All Your Equine Needs Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A victory would make amends for her half-head second to Blockjorg in the 2185m Daintys Daughter Classic at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when Star Of Diamonds set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and Blockjorg enjoyed the perfect trail behind her before taking advantage of the sprint lane to snatch victory.
“The breeze horse (Fifty Five Reborn) challenged us down the back, making me run 27.5sec., and we were a sitting duck,” Voak said. “And there was a head wind in the home straight. I feel that Star Of Diamonds will be improved by Monday’s run.”
Star Of Diamonds, who is prepared at Busselton by Barry Howlett, impressed two starts ago when she was sixth at the bell in the one-wide line before finishing strongly out wide to be a close third behind Fifty Five Reborn and Red Hot Lady over 2130m at Gloucester Park.
Fifty Five Reborn, trained and driven by Colin Brown, looks as a serious threat to Star Of Diamonds. She raced three wide early and then in the breeze when a fighting fourth behind Blockjorg on Monday. She has sound claims despite her awkward draw at barrier six.
The polemarker Soho Whisper (Kim Prentice) will have admirers after her unplaced efforts at her past two outings in which she had little luck. She showed promise with good wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park at her two previous starts.
The Michael Brennan-trained Miss Lamarr also cannot be overlooked. She raced wide early and then enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before finishing strongly out wide, to be third behind Blockjorg and Star Of Diamonds on Monday.
Voak is hoping for a strong performance from Burghley Shard in the final event, the Garrard’s Horse And Hound Free Delivery Pace in which the Kristy Elson-trained colt will start from the No. 4 barrier and will clash with several highly-promising two-year-olds.
Burghley Shard set a solid pace when a sound third to Be Rock Hard and Sugar Street over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night. He led from barrier one and was an effortless winner in easier company at Bunbury at his previous outing.
The Barry Howlett-trained colt Sugar Street was a fighting second to Be Rock Hard on Saturday night after working in the breeze and getting to the front about 150m from home.
“Sugar Street should be improved by the run and prove hard to beat,” said reinsman Gary Hall Jnr who added that he had a healthy respect for the David Thompson-trained Otis, an impressive Pinjarra winner last Monday week. “Whoever beats Sugar Street will win.”
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