16 July 2021 | Ken Casellas
“He’s right up to this class and he is a strong chance,” said reinsman Aldo Cortopassi when assessing the prospects of quality five-year-old To Fast To Serious in the $25,000 Call Garrard’s Horse An Hound For All Your Equine Needs Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
To Fast To Serious, prepared by Ray Williams, has resumed after a spell in splendid form and he gave an excellent performance when third behind star pacers Shockwave and Mighty Conqueror in a fast-run 2130m event on Sunday night.
He trailed the pacemaker Mighty Conqueror and finished with a spirited burst, with the final 800m being covered in 55.1sec.
“On that run he showed that he is up to this grade,” said Cortopassi. “His third on Sunday was really brave. He struggled a bit around the corner; it was a high speed they were running, and as soon as they levelled up, he got going.”
Two starts before that run To Fast To Serious gave a sample of his class when he sat behind the pacemaker before finishing fast to win convincingly from that outstanding three-year-old.
“From barrier five, we will probably sit up and rely on his sit-sprinting ability,” said Cortoppassi. “We know he can run good sectionals.”
To Fast To Serious will clash with experienced open-class campaigner Vampiro, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green from barrier two at his second outing after a spell.
Vampiro resumed racing last Friday week when he raced in last position in the field of seven before finishing fast into third place behind Patronus Star and Major Times. He appeared big and burly and should have derived improvement from the effort.
Egerton-Green also has excellent winning prospects earlier in the program when he drives Tyler Brett from barrier one in the 2130m Garrard’s Horse And Hound Australia And NZ Wide Pace, Howard Hughes in the group 3 Chandon Pace and Minstrel in the BOTRA Cup.
Tyler Brett raced in the breeze early and then in the one-out, one-back position before finishing a fair fifth behind Blue Blazer on Sunday evening. He will be ideally suited from the No. 1 barrier this week and looks set to lead and prove very hard to beat.
Howard Hughes, prepared by Greg and Skye Bond, is the sole backmarker in the Chandon Pace and he is sure to be improved by his first-up third behind Jesse Allwood and Pocket The Cash over 2536m on Sunday afternoon when he started from the outside of the front line, settled in last position and then raced without cover for the final two laps.
His major danger looms large as Gambit, trained by Gary Hall snr and to be driven by Gary Hall jnr, who declared that the New Zealand-bred five-year-old would be his best winning chance on Friday night.
Gambit made a successful Australian debut when he had a tough run, three wide early and then in the breeze, before beating Pocket The Cash and Shanway over 2130m last Friday week. He followed that with a strong effort to finish a head second to Blue Blazer on Sunday afternoon after he had raced in the breeze for most of the way and had taken a narrow lead 30m from the finish.
Our Sequel, owned and trained by Robin Zec, will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and will have many admirers after leading all the way and beating Pierre Whitby over 2536m on Tuesday of last week.
“He travelled well and ran a nice race,” said star reinsman Chris Lewis. “He might give a bit of cheek.”
Pierre Whitby warmed up for Friday night’s race in good style when Jocelyn Young drove him perfectly in the one-out, one-back position before the five-year-old sprinted strongly to burst to the front with 120m to travel before winning by a length from the pacemaker Baylen Jett. Pierre Whitby, a consistent sit-sprinter, will start from barrier six.
Chris Voak, who will handle outsider The Kraken in the Chandon Pace, said that his best drives on the night were Black Jack Baby and Queen Shenandoah, with Carrera Mach a good each-way prospect.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Carrera Mach will start from barrier four in race two at his second appearance after a spell and following his good first-up effort last Sunday night when he finished solidly from eighth at the bell to be fifth behind Rocknroll Whitby.
“I probably under-drove him, but he was first-up over 2536m,” said Voak. “It is not a particularly strong field this week and Carrera Mach should be able to work forward and run an honest race.
“Queen Shenandoah gets her chance from the barrier (No. 1) in race five and she looks a good hope. We will try to lead, but if we get crossed, she will have options.”
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