by Ken Casellas
A brilliant trial at Pinjarra on Sunday morning showed that classy four-year-old Americanbootscoota is ready to return to the winning list when he begins off the 10m mark in the Slater Gartrell Sports Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Debra Lewis trained Americanbootscoota was driven by her husband Chris when he set the pace and rated a smart 1.54.8 in winning by more than four lengths from Our Zac Whitby, Mister Shark and Smokey The Bandit in Sunday’s 2185m mobile trial. The final quarters were run in 28.3sec. and 28.5sec.
This performance showed that the big gelding had recovered fully from atrial fibrillation which forced him to be retired from a race at Gloucester Park last Friday week. Before that Americanbootscoota had been in superb form, winning at six of his previous eight starts. He has raced only once before in a standing-start event — at Gloucester Park seven starts ago on June 19 when he was not extended in winning by more than four lengths from President Mach and Arising Easton.
The main dangers to Americanbootscoota appear to be the Michael Brennan trained pair of Rub of the Green and Arising Easton, Rycroft, Courage Tells and Smokey The Bandit.
Rub of the Green, a backmarker off 20m, will be handled by Michael Grantham, who was in the sulky when the five-year-old was successful in stands at Narrogin and Gloucester Park last month. Gary Hall Jnr will drive Arising Easton from the inside barrier on the front line. Arising Easton, an experienced standing-start performer is in excellent form, with three wins and four thirds from eight starts in his current campaign.
Courage Tells, prepared by Skye Bond and a veteran of 153 starts, will be driven by Ryan Warwick off the 10m mark and is capable of producing a powerful finish and causing an upset.
Lewis gave punters a good lead when he opted to drive Rockin The Boys in preference to stablemate Susie Rocks in the TABtouch Pace for three-year-old fillies. Rockin The Boys, a winner at five of her 23 starts, will begin from the coveted No. 1 barrier and Lewis is sure to be planning an all-the-way victory. Susie Rocks, a winner at two of her five starts, will begin from the No. 3 barrier and will be driven by Clint Hall.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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