Speedy three-year-old Mary Catherine will be at a short quote and looks the winner of the International Animal Health Products Pace for fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But rival trainer Ross Olivieri refuses to concede defeat, saying that the inexperienced Machine Elle had the ability to test the talented Mary Catherine, who will be driven by her trainer Kristian Hawkins from the outside barrier in the field of seven.
Machine Elle, to be driven by Chris Voak, is more favourably drawn at the No. 3 barrier. She warmed up for Friday night’s engagement in grand style with a striking victory over Hoylakes Next Lady at a 1.58.4 rate in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Machine Elle, a 5/1 chance from out wide at barrier eight, raced three wide early and then worked hard in the breeze before hitting the front on the home turn and racing away from her rivals. At her only other start for Olivieri Machine Elle set the pace and won by more than four lengths over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.
Machine Elle is a full-sister to El Machine, who improved his record to 62 starts for 21 wins and 14 placings for earnings of $223,838 when he finished fast to win the group 2 RWWA Cup last Friday week.
“Mary Catherine is pretty good, but she wouldn’t want to bring anything but her A game on Friday night,” Olivieri said. “I know that Mary Catherine has gone faster than Elle Machine, but Elle Machine is going places and just keeps improving all the time.
“She’s got the required toughness, but I don’t know whether she’s got the point-to-point speed. However, I think she will develop, particularly when we improve her gait a bit more.
“I don’t know whether lining up Elle Machine in three days’ time is a good idea, but we’ll give it a go. If she keeps improving we might look at the WA Oaks. It’s early days, but setting her for the Oaks is not out of the question.”
Mary Catherine possesses abundant natural speed and she has already earned $73,489 from her seven wins and eight placings from 18 starts. She contested a 2130m event last Friday night against five male rivals and performed admirably, finishing third behind Johnny Disco and Soho Wall Street after working hard without cover.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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