06 June 2024 | Ken Casellas
Change of role for Hale Saint Louie
Emerging star Hale Saint Louie, a brilliant winner last Friday night when he charged home from last at the 950m, will be seen in a vastly different role at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green planning an all-the-way victory in the $30,000 Pure Steel Pace.
From the outside barrier (No. 9) last week Hale Saint Louie was restrained at the start before he revealed his sparkling speed by sprinting over the final 800m in 55.7sec. — the fastest final 800m on the nine-event program.
Hale Saint Louie, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old, has proved to be an excellent frontrunner, having set the pace in five of his eight victories in his splendid 16-start career.
“From barrier one he should be able to lead and make every post a winner,” said Egerton-Green, who holds a powerful hand in the 2130m event with three runners, Hale Saint Louie, Maungatahi and Paul Edward.
A trifecta result certainly is a realistic outcome for Egerton-Green. Maungatahi will be driven by Trent Wheeler from the No. 6 barrier, while Paul Edward, to be driven by Maddison Brown, is favourably drawn on the inside of the back line.
Egerton-Green has a high opinion of Maungatahi, having driven the four-year-old 31 times in his 34-start career of nine wins and 14 placings. He brought up a hat-trick of wins last Friday week when he led and beat Sound Wave over 1730m. That followed easy wins at Northam and Narrogin.
Five-year-old Paul Edward will be making his first appearance since he finished last behind Adda Spoilt Major over 2130m at Gloucester Park on December 29 last year.
Egerton-Green is confident that Paul Edward will be prominent on Friday night when he is likely to enjoy a perfect sit behind the frontrunning Hale Saint Louie.
In a field of five in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week Paul Edward dashed to the front after 200m and won by two lengths from Blaze Coops, rating 1.56.1 after final 400m sections of 28sec. and 28.6sec.
One of the main dangers to the Egerton-Green trio looms large as the Bob Mellsop-trained Blaze On, who will start from barrier five with Deni Roberts in the sulky. Blaze On has won at seven of his 16 starts. He goes into this week’s race in peak form, having won at Pinjarra at his past three starts.
He has appeared only once at Gloucester Park, and that was ten starts ago when he led from barrier two and easily beat Miki Diamonds and Skylou over 2130m on September 19 last year.
Prince Of Pain is overcoming his nerves
New Zealand-bred three-year-old Prince Of Pain, the youngest runner in the opening event, the 2130m Sport FM Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, is gradually overcoming his nervous disposition and has excellent prospects of breaking through for is second win at his 14TH start in a race.
He has drawn perfectly at barrier one, which has a remarkable success rate in race one at Gloucester Park in the past couple of years.
“I have always had a bit of an opinion of him,” said co-trainer Greg Bond. “He is a late maturer, and coming to the races he gets nervous and agitated. But he is gradually getting better.”
Prince Of Pain has had 13 starts for one win and seven placings. He led and won easily over 1684m at Pinjarra four starts ago and was an unlucky fourth behind Bettors Arcade over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
He raced four back on the pegs in seventh and last position, and was still last on the home turn, hopelessly blocked for a clear run. He went to the line full of running.
Prince Of Pain will be handled by his regular driver Deni Roberts, who has an important knowledge of one of the gelding’s most serious rivals Gully Gum, who will be driven by Mitch Miller from the No. 2 barrier.
Roberts has driven the Bob Mellsop-trained Gully Gum six times for two wins and four placings. Gully Gum has raced ten times for five wins and four placings. His latest run was full of merit — when he worked hard in the breeze throughout and fought on grandly to be a one metre second to Insta Gator over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
Frisky Styx (barrier three) and Cold Hard Cash (barrier four) are other runners with sound credentials. Kyle Symington will drive Frisky Styx for trainer Ryan Bell.
The New Zealand-bred Frisky Styx, a winner at four of his ten starts, will be resuming after a spell. He won at his only two starts in New Zealand, at Winton and Invercargill in May and June last year.
“Last year (as a three-year-old) we found that he had an abscess in his throat,” said Bell. “It kept recurring and it affected his final performance last year (when he finished last behind Holy Hecka over 2536m on December 8).
“His work since returning has been top notch, so we are expecting a good preparation from him.”
Cold Hard Cash, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, is a handy performer who has raced 37 times for seven wins, 15 placings and $53,508 in stakes. He has resumed a after a spell in fine style with wins at two starts at Gloucester Park last month before finishing third behind Im Lord Logan over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night when he raced three wide early and then in the breeze.
“He has come back a lot better horse than he was last time in,” said De Campo.
An interesting runner in Friday night’s race is the Katja Warwick-trained Rascal, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green. Rascal, who has earned $133,570 from 13 wins and eleven placings from 50 starts, should relish a considerable drop in class and is capable of causing an upset.
Linebacker, trained by Barry Howlett, will be driven by Chris Voak from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. He took the lead in the middle stages and won by five lengths from Sanford Harry over 2100m at Bunbury at his most recent appearance, on May 4. “He looks my best bet at the meeting,” said Voak.
De Campo leans to The Miki Taker
Ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is advising punters to disregard The Miki Taker’s ninth placing behind The Code Breaker last Friday night when assessing the five-year-old’s prospects in the Sport FM Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Miki Taker will start from the No. 1 barrier, with his stablemate Dominus Factum at barrier two. “Both pacers are racing very well, and I’ll drive The Miki Taker, who was unlucky last week,” said De Campo.
The Miki Taker began from the back line, and he dashed forward soon after the start, but was trapped three wide and had to be restrained to the rear.
“I’ll try to lead with The Miki Taker, but I’m not sure he has enough gate speed to beat out Dominus Factum, who could cross to the front,” he said. “However, I want to lead, and I reckon The Miki Taker is up to them. He just needs the right run.”
Trent Wheeler will drive Dominus Factum, who ran on from seventh on the pegs at the bell to finish fifth behind The Code Breaker last week. Two starts earlier Dominus Factum started out wide from barrier seven and led for the first 250m before trailing the pacemaker Rockandrollartist and finishing strongly to be second to Rockmyster after a final 800m of 56.4sec.
Rockmyster (Dylan Egerton-Green) will start from the No. 3 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event, and he is sure to be prominent.
Rolling Fire, an impressive, fast-finishing winner over Acharne Girl and Lusaka over 2130m last Friday week, is capable of overcoming the disadvantage of an awkward draw at barrier five.
“I was happy with his last-start win,” said driver Emily Suvaljko. “He is versatile. He can lead and he can breeze. But he is much better, sat-up. It looks like there is a fair bit of speed inside of us, so I’d say we won’t be getting involved early. We’ve just got to be following the right ones home, and the horse who gets the luck will win.”
Lusaka (barrier four) is in splendid form, and the Greg and Skye Bond-trained four-year-old cannot be underestimated. He caught the eye when he surged home from eighth at the bell to finish a close last-start third behind Rolling Fire.
The Bond-trained Jett Star notched his 20TH win from 47 starts when he had a tough run in the breeze before getting to the front 220m from home and winning by a neck from Lil Happy Fella over 2130m last Friday week. And he gets a good chance to improve his record when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $25,000 Variety Club Pace over 1730m.
Jett Star’s chief rival is sure to be the De Campo-trained Magnus Victor, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2.
“This is a good race for Magnus Victor,” said De Campo. “His recent runs have been super (thee wins and four seconds from eight starts in his current preparation) and he is a strong chance on Friday night.”
Hall reunited with Wildwest
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr is looking forward to resuming as Wildwest’s driver when the eight-year-old contests the $31,000 Cowden Insurance Solutions Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall will be in the sulky behind Wildwest for the first time for six months — since the Raging Bull gelding finished fourth behind Magnificent Storm in the Village Kid Sprint on December 8.
Wildwest has impressed at his past two starts —- finishing strongly, out five wide, from ninth at the bell to be fourth behind Finvarra last Friday week, and then enjoying a perfect passage, one-out and one-back, before sprinting home fast to be a neck second to Finvarra last Friday night.
Wildwest will start from the No. 2 barrier in Friday night’s field of six runners. He possesses good gate speed, but Hall is not over-confident that he will win the start.
“He would be a moral if he led but he might not be able to cross Galactic Star (barrier one) and Hampton Banner (barrier three) is also a fast beginner,” said Hall. “I would like to lead but if not, we should be close enough in the small field to have a chance of winning.
“Wildwest is pretty fast and can sprint home. It’s a matter of getting the right run.” Wildwest has shown good gate speed to set the pace and win at seven of his 14 victories in Western Australia.
Steel The Show, to be driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is racing in fine form, and the seven-year-old who will begin from the No. 5 barrier, has the ability to beat Wildwest and his in-form stablemate Diego.
Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, who prepares Wildwest, has excellent prospects of winning the Cowden The Insurance Brokers Pace with Youre So Fine, who will be driven by Hall jnr from barrier four.
Youre So Fine is ready to show his best form after strong efforts at his first two runs since resuming from a spell. He raced without cover when a first-up fifth behind star stablemate Jumpingjackmac, and then impressed last Friday night when he was tenth at the bell before running home powerfully to finish fourth behind The Code Breaker.
“He has been working back into form and this looks his race,” said Hall jnr.
Hall is also confident of victory when he drives the Nathan Turvey-trained Three Rumours in the Prindiville Classic Pace over 2130m. The six-year-old mare showed a glimpse of her best form last Friday week when she raced three wide for the first lap and then in the breeze before fighting on to finish fourth behind Queeninthecorner.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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