by Ken Casellas
Handsome eight-year-old Bettors Fire is fit and ready to make a successful return to racing by proving the master of his eight rivals in the $23,000 Intersport Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He possesses the speed and brilliance to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier in the field of nine in the 2130m event.
Trainer-reinsman Kyle Harper gave him a solid hit-out in a trial at Byford last Sunday week when the gelding ran home strongly to win by a length from Rocknroll Whitby. After slow opening quarters of 32.9sec. and 31.1sec., Bettors Fire was not extended in sprinting over the final sections in 28sec. and 28.1sec.
Bettors Fire has had a spell since he was the pre-post favourite for the WA Pacing Cup in mid-January, but had to be withdrawn on the day of the big race when all was not right with the star pacer who has amassed $620,522 from 31 wins and 19 placings from 82 starts.
His most recent appearance was in the $300,000m Fremantle Cup on January 6 when he was most impressive in surging home from eleventh at the bell to be fourth behind Chicago Bull, Soho Tribeca and Our Jimmy Johnstone.
Harper was thrilled with Bettors Fire’s performance, saying: “The barrier draw (No. 9) told against us. He was about six deep on the home bend and he got home super. I think that his run was better than that of Chicago Bull.”
Harper will have plenty of options when he drives Bettors Fire on Friday night. The versatile gelding has sparkling gate speed and he also possesses a powerful finishing burst.
An outstanding pacer, Bettors Fire has an M15 classification and looks a class above his rivals on Friday night. Also, reappearing after a spell is five-year-old Ima Connoisseur, who won six in a row late last year before being unplaced at four starts before trainers Greg and Skye Bond sent him out for a well-deserved spell.
Ima Connoisseur, to be driven by Ryan Bell, possesses dazzling gate speed and Bell could well make a bold bid for the early lead from the No. 6 barrier.
The Bond camp will also be represented by Condrieu, who will be driven by Ryan Warwick from the favourable No. 3 barrier. The seven-year-old, placed once from his past 11 starts, is getting close to returning to winning form. He trailed the pacemaker Bettor Offer and was hampered for room in the final stages when an unlucky fourth behind Ohoka Kentucky over 2130m last Friday night.
That followed two sound efforts — when he led and finished third behind Red Salute and Lisharry on March 3 and then finished gamely into fifth place behind Im Full of Excuses in the 2692m Pinjarra Cup.
Red Salute (Chris Voak) has returned to his best form in recent weeks for Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri and the eight-year-old has excellent prospects of finishing in a place behind Bettors Fire. He raced without cover early and then had a good sit, one-out and one-back, before finishing strongly to be a close second to Ohoka Kentucky last Friday night.
At his previous start, two weeks earlier, Red Salute began speedily and enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before finishing fast to win from Lisharry and Condrieu.
Olivieri has a second string in Friday night’s event in Tuxedo Tour, who will be driven by Chris Lewis from the pole position. Tuxedo Tour, a good frontrunner, has a losing sequence of 12 and has been unplaced at his past nine starts.
Byford trainer Peter Anderson will be represented by veterans Bronze Seeker (Gary Hall jun.) and Lisharry (Shannon Suvaljko). Both pacers are capable of unwinding a spirited finishing burst.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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