Star pacer Elegant Christian, beaten into last place, 24 lengths behind the record-breaking Beaudiene Boaz last Friday week to give him the unwanted record of three unplaced efforts in a row for the first time in a glittering career, is poised to bounce back to his best by winning the $23,000 Fred Doy Memorial Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The brilliant six-year-old fared well in the random draw and should burst to an early lead from the No. 3 barrier on the front line in the 2130m mobile event.
Clint Hall had no hesitation in opting to drive the Clive Dalton-trained Elegant Christian ahead of up-and-coming five-year-old Mynameskenny, who will start from the No. 2 barrier.
Hall has driven Mynameskenny to 15 of his 19 wins in a distinguished 34-start career. Trainer John Oldroyd has engaged Chris Voak to drive Mynameskenny for the first time.
Mynameskenny started out wide from barrier seven in the J. P. Stratton Cup last Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs in fifth place and finished a close-up seventh behind Libertybelle Midfrew after being hampered for room in the home straight. He had won at nine of his previous ten starts.
Elegant Christian warmed up in excellent fashion for this week’s assignment when Dalton drove the gelding to an easy all-the-way 10m win over Major Catastrophe in a five-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Sunday morning. He was not extended in clocking 28.8sec. and 29.8sec. over the final quarters.
He had a torrid run at his most recent appearance when he started from the outside (No. 9) on the front line in the 2130m Navy Cup last Friday week. He began speedily and raced five wide for the first 200m and then three wide for the next 600m before working in the breeze until he began to wilt over the final 500m.
At his previous start, a fortnight earlier, Elegant Christian galloped badly from the No. 1 barrier before making up an enormous amount of ground to finish seventh behind Bettors Fire.
Trainer Gary Hall sen. holds a strong hand in Friday night’s feature event, with four runners, Ideal Alice, Run Oneover, Waylade and Cyamach. Gary Hall jun. has opted to handle Run Oneover, who is poorly drawn out wide at barrier eight.
Run Oneover has been freshened up since his excellent second to Bettors Fire in the 2536m August Cup on August 26 when he worked very hard in the breeze for the final two laps. He is a strong and versatile pacer capable of a bold showing.
Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who won the Statewide trainers’ premiership last season, will be represented by the highly-promising and lightly-raced five-year-old Delightful Offer and the consistent Phoenix Warrior.
Delightful Offer, to be driven by Ryan Warwick from the inside of the back line, notched his 15th win from only 30 starts when he raced without cover in the middle stages before proving too strong for the pacemaking Mighty Flying Thomas over 2130m last Friday night.
Mighty Flying Thomas, trained by Peter Anderson, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line this week. Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri has two runners in this week’s event — the polemarker Our Jericho and Our Blackbird, who is awkwardly drawn at No. 7 on the front line.Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
