Seven-year-old Victorian-bred pacer Dynamite Dude has been placed at only two of his six starts in his current campaign — after having ten starts in his previous preparation for seven wins and three thirds.
But his last-start second was convincing proof that he is ready to return to the winning list for Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri, and he gets an ideal opportunity in the $23,000 The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will start from barrier five on the front line and Chris Lewis is likely to quickly move him into a prominent position, and ready to strike, close to the expected pacemaker Shardons Rocket.
Dynamite Dude impressed last Friday week when he started out wide at barrier seven and raced three wide early before moving to the breeze, outside the leader Lovers Delight in the 2130m Navy Cup.
After a slow early pace (a meandering lead time of 38sec., followed by pedestrian quarters of 31.6sec. and 30.4sec.), Lovers Delight sprinted strongly in the final circuit, with final sections of 28.6sec. and 27.7sec. Dynamite Dude stuck resolutely to his task to finish a 4m second to Lovers Delight.
Two starts before that Dynamite Dude worked hard without cover when a fighting second to Macintosh in a 2503m stand.
A strong effort on Friday night would enhance Dynamite Dude’s prospects of being ranked in the final 30 pacers to contest the $1.8 million TABtouch interdominion championship series, starting at Gloucester Park on November 27.
Several runners in this week’s race are in line for a start in the Inters, and they include the Olivieri-trained Red Salute and Our Blackbird, the Ray Williams-trained Pacific Ruler and the Michael Callegari-trained Smokey The Bandit.
Pacific Warrior will start from the outside (barrier three) on the back line and he is ready to run a big race at his fourth outing after a spell. He sat behind the pacemaker Lovers Delight when third to that pacer and Dynamite Dude in the Navy Cup.
Smokey The Bandit also will have many admirers at his third appearance after a spell. He will start out wide at No. 8 on the front line and Ash Markham is likely to restrain the grey back to the rear before bringing the gelding home with a typical brilliant late burst.
Smokey The Bandit enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing strongly to be third behind Tuxedo Tour and Lovers Delight over 1730m last Friday night when the final 800m was covered in 56sec. A week earlier he was ninth at the bell and impressed greatly when he sizzled home, out five wide, to finish fourth behind Lovers Delight in the Navy Cup.
Our Blackbird can never be left out of calculations. He is a brilliant sit-sprinter who thundered home from seventh at the bell to win from Little Boy Blue and Go West U Terror over 2536m two starts ago. He will start from the outside of the front line and Stuart McDonald will allow the gelding to drop back to the rear before asking him for a powerful last-lap effort.
Shardons Rocket, an 11-year-old veteran of 232 starts, looks set to lead from the prized No. 1 barrier and Callan Suvaljko will be aiming for an all-the-way win. The oldtimer warmed up for the race with a convincing trial win over 2150m at Byford on Sunday morning, with the final three quarters being covered in 28.8sec., 28.3sec. and 29sec.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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