24 September 2020 | Ken Casellas
Star reinsman Ryan Warwick should send punters home on a winning note at Gloucester Park on Friday night by guiding polemarker Give Us A Wave to an all-the-way victory in the eleventh event, the 2130m Off The Track–More Than Just A Racehorse Pace.
He had the choice of the four two-year-olds trained by Greg and Skye Bond, and he chose Give Us A Wave ahead of Jett Star (Dylan Egerton-Green), Be Rock Hard (Deni Roberts) and Squinta (Colin Brown).
Four of the five runners in the race Give Us a Wave, Jett Star and Be Rock Hard and Lavra Joe, owned and trained by Ray Jones, will be racing first-up after a spell, with Squinta making his second appearance after a spell.
Warwick, who has landed 224 winners this season, picked Give Us A Wave, a winner at two of his eight starts, mainly because the Mach Three colt gave such an excellent performance at his latest outing when he raced wide early from barrier six, took the lead after 550m and was beaten into second place by the fast-finishing Mighty Ronaldo in the group 1 Golden Slipper on July 10.
Warwick has driven The New Zealand-bred Bettors Delight colt Jett Star in all of his six starts for five wins and a sixth placing in the Golden Slipper at his most recent outing after he settled in eighth position and moved to fifth, out wide, at the bell before finishing 11 metres behind Mighty Ronaldo.
Be Rock Hard, a winner at Pinjarra, Northam and Bunbury in June-July, has been handled by Warwick in all of his five starts.
Lavra Joe is a talented colt who has raced 15 times for six wins and four placings. He will be having his first start after finishing eighth in the Golden Slipper. With Chris Lewis in the sulky, Lavra Joe will start from the No. 3 barrier with two Bonds runners on his inside and two on his outside.
Jones has him primed for a strong first-up effort after two recent splendid trials at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park. Last Sunday week, driven by Lewis, Lavra Joe ran home strongly to win a 2100m trial by almost three lengths from Elsu You, rating 1.59.2 after sprinting the final 400m in 27.9sec.
Then, on the following Wednesday Ash Markham drove Lavra Joe to a 60-metre victory over Reddington Reactor, rating 1.59.8 over 2100m with final quarters of 31.5sec., 29.9sec., 29sec. and 27.4sec.
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