Brilliant three-year-old Chicago Bull has come back better than ever, according to champion trainer Gary Hall sen. and the gelding is poised to extend his winning sequence to eight by proving too good for his 11 rivals in the Fifth Leg Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He should win,” Hall declared. “His was a super run first-up at Bunbury last Saturday night when he ran a 55.6sec. last half and won, unextended. He just cruised in.
“He is being set for the Golden Nugget and the McInerney Ford Classic in the summer, but I will not nominate him for the interdominion championship series.”
Chicago Bull rated 1.56.1 when he set the pace and won by two lengths from Sky Art over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night when having his first start for four months. He gave further proof of his outstanding ability at his previous start when he sprinted home brilliantly to win the $200,000 WA Derby from Lets Chase The Dream last April.
Chicago Bull will have to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line on Friday night. But this should prove no obstacle, even considering the strength of the opposition, which includes classy stablemates Overboard Again and Beaudiene Beaufighta, Banjup trainer Colin Brown’s speedy pair Franco Rayner and Just Bet On Black, the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Gaz Wannabet, Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri’s smart pair El Hombre and On My Oath and Kristian Hawkins’s speedy filly Mary Catherine.
Hall said that the inexperienced Overboard Again had excellent potential. The American Ideal gelding scored an easy win at his second start in New Zealand last January before arriving in WA where he finished eleventh at his only start in the State, in a WA Derby prelude in early April.
“He had no luck in his first preparation here,” Hall said. “He had a hard trial and a hard race and then I spelled him. He has come back reasonably good and should be improved by the run.
“I was happy with Beaudiene Beaufighta’s run at Bunbury last Saturday night (when he dashed to an early lead and won easily from stablemate Our Magical Miracle in 1.54.1 over 1609m).”
Greg Bond is pleased with Gaz Wannabet’s progress and despite the gelding’s awkward draw at No. 6 on the front line, he considers he is capable of a strong effort and being placed behind Chicago Bull.
“The best that Gaz Wannabet was going to do last week was to run second to The Odd Lover — and that’s what he did,” Bond said.
Franco Rayner and Just Bet On Black revealed tremendous gate speed in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week when they finished second and third, respectively, behind the frontrunning Galactic Star.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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