11 January 2024 | Ken Casellas
Lewis aims for 12TH sprint victory
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has won the Members Sprint a remarkable eleven times, and he is bubbling with confidence that he will complete the dozen by guiding Machnificent to victory in the 1730m feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Machnificent is racing in superb form for Byford trainer Katja Warwick, and the usually conservative Lewis’s confidence was boosted when the WA-bred six-year-old drew the prized No. 1 barrier in the field of eight.
“He’s got the right draw, and I think he should go well and run a good race,” he said. “He loves to lead, and I think he will run a race, for sure.”
Machnificent impressed last Friday week when he began from the outside in a field of eight and raced at the rear before sprinting home fast with a sparkling final quarter of 26.67sec. to finish fifth behind Lavra Joe over 2130m.
A week earlier Machnificent began from barrier No. 2 and gave a splendid frontrunning display to win easily from El Chema, rating 1.55.6 over 2130m, with final quarters of 28.6sec. and 27.9sec.
Lewis had the choice of driving Machnificent or Goodfellaz, who is trained by his wife Debra and will start from barrier four with Jocelyn Young in the sulky. Goodfellaz ran on from fifth (and last) at the bell to finish third behind Minstrel and Rubins Plight over 2130m last Friday night.
Machnificent has a good record in sprints, having raced nine times over 1730m for four wins (including the group 2 Nights of Thunder in January 2022 when he beat Ideal Agent by a head, rating 1.52.4), three thirds and two fourths.
Eight-year-old Cordero has only an eleven per cent winning record (14 wins from 133 starts), but he is racing keenly for owner-trainer Trevor Wright and is ideally drawn at barrier No. 2, with reinsman Kyle Harper saying that he plans to take the sit behind Machnificent and rely on a spirited finishing burst.
Harper’s father Lindsay has won the Members Sprint three times — with Ulakine (1980), Shattering Class (2001) and Lively Medley (2004) — and he will be driving Eldaytona from barrier seven on Friday night. Eldaytona possesses good natural speed but looks tested from his awkward draw.
Chris Voak will drive the Dan Costello-trained 12-year-old Vultan Tin from the outside barrier. Voak drove Vultan Tin to an all-the-way victory over Bettors Fire in the Members Sprint in May 2018.
“It looks too hard for him from his wide draw,” said Voak, who also won the 2021 Members Sprint with the Ross Olivieri-trained Perfect Major, who beat Balcatherine by a nose, with Stroke Of Luck, trained by Olivieri and driven by Lewis, a nose farther back in third place.
The Members Sprint was first run in 1975 when Ken Tyler jnr drove Young Robbie to victory. Lewis has won the race with Black Irish (1982 and 1983), Village Kid (1985, 1986, 1989 and 1990), Hilarion Star (1993), Ohoka Ace (2005 and 2006), Sneakyn Down Under (2009) and Sensational Gabby (2014).
Hall will be more aggressive
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr is confident that Three Rumours will break a sequence of three consecutive second placings by winning the Retravision Online Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall drove Three Rumours for the first time when the six-year-old mare, at her first start for Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey, finished a half-head second to the pacemaker Rumour Has It over 2130m last Friday night.
Three Rumours began from the outside in the field of five and she raced in the breeze, about a length behind Rumour Has It before finishing with great determination.
This week Three Rumours will start from the No. 6 barrier in a field of seven, with Rumour Has It at barrier five.
“If I have to sit outside Rumour Has It again, I reckon Three Rumours will beat her, based on last week’s race,” said Hall. “I will probably not be able to get to the front (early), while Rumour Has It is likely to have to work a bit to get to the front.
“I will be aiming to drive Three Rumours more aggressively this week. It was a ‘be on me next time’ run by Three Rumours last week.”
Rumour Has It, trained by Debra Lewis, is in excellent form with three wins from four starts after resuming after a ten-month absence.
“Rumour Has It is running very well,” said reinsman Chris Lewis. “I’m pretty happy with her, and she should be in the mix.”
There is likely to be a spirited battle for the early lead, with speedy beginners Queeninthecorner (barrier one), Rocknroll Lass (two), Beyond The Sea (three) and Sovrana (four) all possessing excellent gate speed.
Reinsman Kyle Harper said that the Murray Lindau-trained Beyond The Sea was capable of improving on her first-up fourth behind Rumour Has It last Friday night.
Sovrana led from barrier five and went on to win from Mighthavtime over 2130m last Friday week, while the Turvey-trained Rocknroll Lass (Kyle Symington) should be prominent from the No. 2 barrier at her first appearance since October 27 when she made most of the running and finished a close second to Turn The Page over 2130m.
Turvey and Symington should combine to win the SEFS The Asset Finance Specialists Handicap over 2503m with the 20m backmarker Chal Patch, who drops considerably in class from his last-start fifth behind Magnificent Storm in the group 3 Navy Cup on November 3.
Voak away to a flyer
Star reinsman Chris Voak has landed three trebles in the space of eight days to begin 2024 in spectacular style, and punters will be looking for good value from Voak in the opening two events at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Voak has driven eleven winners this year, including trebles at Bunbury, Pinjarra and Gloucester Park, and has dashed to an early lead in the WA drivers’ premiership table, leading from Gary Hall jnr (six), Kyle Symington (five) and Trent Wheeler, Shannon Suvaljko and Emily Suvaljko (all with four winners).
He is hopeful that Machlani in race one and Per Ardua Ad Astra (race two) will be prominent. Machlani, trained by Giles Inwood, will start from the No. 4 barrier in the 2130m WA Hall Of Fame Pace.
Eight-year-old Machlani has a losing sequence of 30, but he caught the eye as a rank outsider from out wide at barrier eight in a 1730m event last Friday night when he was ninth at the bell before finishing strongly to be third behind Showpony and High Price.
“His run last week was an eye-catcher, and he is working into some form,” said Voak. “He lacks a bit of gate speed, but if he gets a nice trip, he could kick home good.”
Voak trains Per Ardua Ad Astra, who sat behind the pacemaker Brickies Dream and finished second to that pacer over 2536m on New Year’s Eve.
Per Ardua Ad Astra is well drawn at barrier two, with the hot favourite Lucca at barrier one. “He went well last start and he got to the line in fast time (with final quarters of 28.3sec. and 27.1sec.),” said Voak.
“I think I have finally got him back to his best form, but I don’t want to get into a battle early when I’ll be conservative and let the others do the work, and if it opens up, he’s a chance of running in the top three.”
Voak will drive evergreen eight-year-old Deeorse for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg in race six, in which the gelding will start from barrier four on the front line in a race in which the backmarker Chal Patch looks outstanding.
“Deeorse is a novelty hope,” said Voak. “He started from out wide at barrier nine and came home really well (from eighth at the bell) to finish fourth behind Acuto last Friday night. He’s a novelty hope this week.”
Young tips a double
Mardella trainer Michael Young expects to be singing on the way home from Gloucester Park on Friday night as he celebrates a double, winning the final two events with Watching Our Coin and Lamandier, who will be driven by Gary Hall jnr.
“Lamandier should be able to lead (from barrier one) and win (the 2536m Sky Channel Pace) and Watching Our Coin will be able to race in the breeze and go on and win the 2130m WA Hall Of Fame Pace,” he said.
Lamandier reappeared after an absence of six and a half weeks last Friday night when he led for the first 250m and then trailed the pacemaker Taking the Miki before finishing second, five lengths behind Taking The Miki, with the final 400m sections being run in 28.3sec. and 27.9sec.
“Lamandier was sensational, and he went the best time of his career,” said a buoyant Young. “He was beaten by Taking The Miki, who would win this race on Friday night (if she contested it) by 150 metres.
“He was racing first-up last week and that’s why we took the sit. Otherwise, we would have copped plenty of pressure. This week he should be able to lead and win.”
Watching Our Coin set the pace and won a 2503m stand last Friday night, and this week the New Zealand-bred six-year-old will return to mobile racing when he starts from the No. 3 barrier.
Young said that he expects the pole horse Thomson Bay to take up the running from the No. 1 barrier, and that Watching Our Coin’s stablemate Firerockfireroll (barrier two) to take the sit behind either Thomson Bay or Jaspervellabeach.
“Whatever happens, I would say that Watching Our Coin will be in the breeze, and I think he will be able to sit outside either of those horses and beat them.”
Harper wants to lead
Veteran trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper agrees that Sugar Apple faces a stern test from the No. 4 barrier in the 2130m www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. But he is seriously contemplating making a concerted bid for the early lead.
“It’s not the perfect draw, but if he is able to lead, he will be hard to beat,” said Harper. “He needs to lead or race with cover. And if he can’t lead this week, I’ll go to Plan B and race him with a sit before sprinting home.
“He was good when I led with him (three starts ago) and won. But he was not suited when he raced in the breeze and finished fourth behind Adda Spoilt Major at his next start.”
Whether Sugar Apple will be able to get to an early lead is problematic, with smart beginners Ifeel Sikdarl, Joey James and Peligroso drawn to his inside.
If the six-year-old Ryan Bell-trained Peligroso is able to lead for Kyle Symington, he should prove the one to beat.
Chris Lewis has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive eight-year-old gelding The Kraken in preference to five-year-old Stereophonic in the WA Hall Of Fame Pace.
The Kraken, trained at Coolup by Dan Costello, has a losing sequence of 56, is a good frontrunner, and Lewis will be anxious to set the pace from the favourable No. 1 barrier.
The Kraken was a $71 outsider from the outside barrier (No. 9) in a 1730m event last Friday night when he raced three wide for much of the way and faded from third at the bell to finish a distant last in the field of eleven. A week earlier, he trailed the pacemaker Illawong Mustang and fought on to finish second to that pacer over 2130m when the final 400m sections were run in 27.9sec. 28.4sec.
“The Kraken is actually going alright,” said Lewis. “The draw will benefit him this week, and he can run okay.”
Lewis drove Stereophonic in a 2536m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when the Fly Like An Eagle gelding flew away at the start from out wide at barrier No. 8 and burst straight to the front before racing fiercely and wilting to finish third behind Alta Queen and Patrikiar.
“He got out good but was hitting a wheel and got keen, which didn’t help,” said Lewis. “He will go better over 2130m on Friday night than he did over 2536m on Tuesday night.”
Stereophonic, who led and won easily from Beyond Bling over 2130m two starts ago, will be driven by Jocelyn Young from out wide at barrier eight.
Friday night’s event looks particularly open, with several winning chances, including Machlani, Medieval Man, Spring Line and Marbeechsam.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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