Interdominion championship hopeful Billies A Star should notch a hat-trick of wins by proving too speedy for his 11 rivals in the $22,000 TABtouch Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Michael Brennan-trained five-year-old has struck a purple patch and has recorded winning margins of 17.3m and 14.3m at his past two starts at Gloucester Park, both over 2536m.
Chris Voak, back after an American holiday, will resume in the sulky behind Billies A Star after Michael Grantham proved an admirable substitute when he drove the gelding in fine style for his most recent victory.
Billies A Star, a winner at ten of his 20 starts, will begin out wide from the No. 8 barrier on the front line in Friday night’s race. But this should not prove a problem for Billies A Star, who possess a wonderful turn of foot.
Outstanding mare The Parade looks the only rival capable of extending Billies A Star. The five-year-old who has won 16 times from only 36 starts for Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, will start from the outside (barrier three) on the back line and claiming reinsman Brayden Green will rely on the mare’s powerful finishing burst.
The Parade started from the outside at her latest appearance, at Gloucester Park last Friday week, when she raced three wide early and then in the breeze before getting up to snatch a narrow victory from the pacemaker Am Opulent over 2130m, rating 1.55.7. That was her first appearance for almost four months and she is certain to be improved by the outing.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Im A Peregrine will have admirers. He will start from barrier six on the front line for Stuart Macdonald. The gelding also started from the No. 6 barrier last Friday night when McDonald dashed him to the lead in the first lap and t hen set a brisk pace to go on and score a decisive victory at a 1.56.3 rate over 2536m.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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