30 December 2020 | Ken Casellas
Alta Cinderella is, by far, the least experienced filly in the Retravision, For All Your Electrical Stuff You Love Pace at Gloucester Park on Thursday night, but she has the potential to prove too speedy for her 11 rivals who have won a combined total of 70 races.
Alta Cinderella, who has won at four of her six starts, is on track to develop into a top-class performer, according to champion trainer Gary Hall Snr.
“She has enormous ability and is as good as any filly I’ve ever trained,” he said. “However, she is a bit nutty. She pulls and overraces and she brought herself undone when she overraced and dropped back to finish fifth in the Group 1 Westbred Classic in June.”
Alta Cinderella impressed, second-up, when she settled at the rear and was ninth at the bell before sustaining a powerful three-wide burst to get to the front 420m from home and then race away to win by three lengths from Livy Jay at a 1.55.5 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Monday afternoon.
“Even in that race you could see that in running she was charging,” said Hall. “On Thursday night from barrier three she might have to face the breeze. But, if she doesn’t overrace, she will still be hard to beat. There are some good fillies in the race, and I have been impressed by Savvy Bromac.”
Alta Cinderella is a big, long-striding filly who races in a 63 and a half inch hopple. The only pacers prepared by Hall in his long and distinguished career who have used a longer hopple have been Dayman (65 inch hopple) and King of Swing (64 inch).
Hall, who hopes Princess Mila can overcome the 30m handicap and win the Group 1 Retravision Trotters Cup, also predicted strong performances from Finvarra (race one) and Alta Blues (race ten).
Both youngsters will be driven by champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. Finvarra, a two-year-old colt by American Ideal, is ideally drawn at barrier two and Hall snr said: “I’d say we’ll try to come out and lead, but I’ll leave it up to Gary.”
Finvarra made an excellent debut when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before getting to the front after 500m and going on to win by three and a half lengths from the breeze horse El Casanova at a 1.54.9 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on December 14.
He then had a torrid run, three wide early and then without cover before finishing third behind the pacemaker Strike Team and Burghley Shard over 2130m at Gloucester Park a week later when the final quarters were run in 27.9sec. and 27.7sec.
“That was his second start in a race, and he needed the run,” said Hall Snr. “He sat in the breeze and they ran home in 55.6sec. Long-term, he will be a very good horse.”
Finvarra is likely to be tested by Eldaytona, who has showed excellent speed to notch three wins and eight second placings from 15 starts for trainer Sue Wiscombe and reinsman Lindsay Harper. He possesses sparkling gate speed and is far more experienced that Finvarra.
Eldaytona set a fast pace and refused to give in when an excellent second, beaten a head by the brilliant Lavra Joe over 2130m on December 18.
“Eldaytona ran his final mile in 1.53.7, and it was a super run,” said Harper. “He is close to having a break before coming back to work in preparation for the WA Derby.”
El Casanova, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, should enjoy an ideal passage after starting from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. His two appearances have produced a fighting second to Finvarra and an easy all-the-way victory over Roll Up and Seeryanfly at Northam.
Williams also trains Seeryanfly, who will be driven by leading reinsman Chris Voak from the No. 4 barrier.
Capel horseman Aiden de Campo will be represented by two smart Mach Three geldings, The Good Life (barrier six) and Strike Team (inside of the back line). He will handle The Good Life, and Ryan Warwick will be in the sulky behind Strike Team.
De Campo will drive his speedy and consistent four-year-old The Kraken in the final event, the 2130m Retravision, Your Fujitsu Air Conditioning Specialist Pace. The Kraken has good gate speed and also is versatile.
Three-year-old Alta Blues has won at six of his 11 starts and is handily drawn at barrier four. “He probably will have to race in the breeze outside The Kraken, but he is quite strong,” said Hall. “He lacks a bit of point-to-point speed but is a good stayer.
“His stablemate Antero will start from the outside barrier, but he is going very well and should run a good race,” Antero’s four runs since resuming from a spell have produced two wins at Gloucester Park and strong-finishing seconds to Al Guerrero and Diego.
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