15 February 2018 | Ken Casellas
Notching his twelfth victory in a group feature event should be just a formality for superstar Chicago Bull when he contests the $50,000 Group 2 RWWA Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will start from barrier six on the front line and should prove the master of his nine rivals as he seeks his 29th win from 48 starts. He has won four Group 1 events and seven Group 2 races and has already amassed $1,404,479 in prizemoney.
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After Chicago Bull coasted to an effortless win at a 1.56.3 rate over 2536m in the Group 2 Lord Mayor’s Cup last Friday week, champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr described the performance as “like a trial; he did it that easily.”
Describing the gelding’s small stature and insignificant looks, Hall said: “when you look at him, he’s the last one you would pick out of a stable. It just goes to show you what’s on the inside, not what’s on the outside.”
Leading trainer Gary Hall Snr said “Bettors Fire and Argyle Red are racing well, but you would think that Chicago Bull will be winning. He will go forward and will probably get to the breeze outside Argyle Red, and then Junior will make up his mind what to do from there.
“I was going to spell him a week or two ago, but now I plan to race him for the next month. I have picked out the $50,000 Four and Five-Year-0ld Championship on March 16 as his final run before going for a spell.”
Hall said that he expected his other runner Ohoka Punter would enjoy being the only runner on the back line. “He’s probably the equal second best in the race and I’d say that he and Bettors Fire will fight it out for second place.”
The Kyle Harper-trained and driven Bettors Fire notched his 34th win last Friday night when he gave a strong frontrunning display from the No. 1 barrier to win over 2130m from Our Jimmy Johnstone and Cut For An Ace. A week earlier, he ran on from sixth at the bell to be fourth behind Chicago Bull.
Argyle Red, trained at Pinjarra by Rob MacDonald and driven by Morgan Woodley, has excellent place prospects. He should be the early leader from the No. 1 barrier and is likely to take the sit behind Chicago Bull as the race unfolds.
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