10 May 2018 | Ken Casellas
Consistent four-year-old Gotta Go Gabbana is poised to return to the winning list after working hard in the breeze at each of her past five starts for two seconds, a third and two fourths.
That’s the verdict of reinsman Chris Voak when assessing Gotta Go Gabbana’s prospects in the Pacing WA and Girl Power In Pacing Westbred Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Gotta Go Gabbana, trained at Banjup by Annie Belton, will start from the favourable No. 2 barrier on the front line and Voak said: “She’ll either lead or breeze. If she leads, she will win, and if she races without cover she will also be hard to beat.”
Drawn at 6 No. 1 is the Phil Costello-trained Anime, who has been placed once from her past eight starts since leading and winning over 1684m at Pinjarra in mid-February.
Voak considers that the main danger to Gotta Go Gabbana is the Murray Lindau-trained Chiaroscuro, who will start from barrier three with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky.
Chiaroscuro led from the No. 2 barrier and won at a 1.57.5 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park two starts ago. He then gave an outstanding performance to surge home from last at the bell to finish second to Simba Bromac last Friday night.
“I don’t want to surrender my advantage of the draw,” said Voak. “So, I won’t be handing up to Chiaroscuro.”
Belton, who bred and owns Gotta Go Gabbana in partnership with her husband Colin, said that Gotta Go Gabanna was working in fine style and that she hoped that Friday night’s race would prove a good stepping stone to contesting a $25,000 event for four and five-year-old mares at Bunbury on Saturday week.
Chiaroscuro (eight wins from 20 starts) and Gotta Go Gabbana (seven wins from 27 starts) are the only four-year-olds in Friday night’s event and look set to fight out the finish.
Voak has nine drives on Friday night and has no hesitation in declaring Gotta Go Gabbana as his best winning prospect. He also predicted a top-three finish for Ardens Concord in race six and Frostyflyer in race eight.
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