Adding interest to the 2130m Abbott and Co. Printers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night will be the appearance of former Victorian pacer Gotta Go Yanky.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old will be making his Western Australian debut for Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri and he should be prominent. He will start from barrier six with Chris Lewis in the sulky.
Gotta Go Yankee showed early promise with four wins from seven starts as a three-year-old in New Zealand in 2013 before racing 22 times in Victoria for seven wins and five placings. He ended a losing sequence of eight when he finished strongly to win over 1720m at a 1.53.4 rate at Melton three starts ago, on August 14.
The Matt Scott-trained Jaxon Fella has drawn perfectly at barrier one and Kiara Davies will be anxious to set the pace. The gelding also started from the No. 1 barrier two starts ago when Davies drove him to an all-the-way win over The Phantom and Onedin Crusader, rating 1.56.5 over 1730m.
Drawn behind Jaxon Fella on the inside of the back line is the promising Back On Board, who has had 33 starts for nine wins and eight placings.
“This is definitely a suitable draw,” said trainer Michael Brennan, who has engaged James Rattrray to drive the Christian Cullen gelding. “He won the Four-Year-Old Championship at Gloucester Park last March after racing behind the leader.”
There is a lot of good exposed form in the capacity field of 12 and punters should gain good odds about their fancies.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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