15 September 2022 | Ken Casellas
Never Ending set to stay unbeaten
The combination of trainer Justin Prentice and reinsman Gary Hall jnr has proved to be a formidable force in major feature events in recent years, and Never Ending is poised to give harness racing’s glamour combatants another group 1 success in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Never Ending is the only unbeaten runner in the 2130m event in which he has earned favouritism after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier.
Hall had the choice of driving Prentice’s other runner, the brilliant Valedictorian, a winner at five of his eight starts. But when Never Ending drew barrier one, and Valedictorian drew the outside (barrier three) on the back line, Hall did not hesitate in choosing to handle Never Ending.
Never Ending has scored decisive victories at his four starts, the most recent being three Fridays ago when he started from barrier three, burst to the front after 400m, set a brisk pace and sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 27.9sec. to win by one and a half lengths from Valedictorian, who put in a superb performance after racing three wide for the first 400m and then in the breeze.
Valedictorian, who is raced by the Trotsynd No. 20 syndicate, will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
“Drawing barrier one made my decision easy,” said Hall. “He is pretty smart and should be able to lead. He has been great in his short career.”
Hall has plenty of respect for Valedictorian, and despite his back-line draw he should prove the hardest for Never Ending to beat.
Skylord, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, gave a splendid performance in winning a prelude of the Westbred Classic on Tuesday of last week when he was eighth in the middle stages and sustained a three-wide burst approaching the bell to surge to the front in the final 70m to win by more than a length from Lord Titanium, with final quarters of 28.7sec. and 28.4sec.
Skylord is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven but has the ability to overcome this disadvantage and figure in the finish.
Crowd Control raced in the breeze on the outside of Lord Titanium, but just battled on to finish third, two lengths behind the winner. The gelding, trained by Kim Prentice and to be driven by Mitch Miller, will start from barrier from barrier two on the back line.
“I was very disappointed with his heat run,” said Miller. “He travelled like the winner and then when I asked him to go at the top of the straight there was nothing there. We found a few little issues, and whether we have been able to rectify them quickly enough, I’m not too sure. However, his work on Monday was a lot better than it was going into the heat.”
Major Overs, trained by Debra Lewis and to be driven by Chris Lewis, is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, and should be prominent following his effort in fighting on from seventh at the bell to finish fourth behind Valedictorian in a prelude on Tuesday of last week.
“It’s a class field, and we’re probably looking at the top four or five,” said Lewis. “Major Overs has the ability but is not quite there at the minute.”
Rockokoko, trained by Bryan Cousins, earned a start in Friday night’s classic by finishing strongly with a three-wide burst from eighth at the bell to be third behind Im The Black Flash last Friday night. But he faces a tough assignment from the No. 5 barrier. “He’s going terrific and will run an honest race,” said reinsman Chris Voak.
Zephyra is flying
Banjup trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has Zephyra primed and ready to win the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Zephyra goes into the group 1 classic with the best credentials of the 12 runners — and she is in top form, having scored effortless victories at her past three starts, all over 2130m at Gloucester Park.
She was not extended in leading from barrier two and winning a prelude on Tuesday of last week when she dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 28.1sec. when she beat Quattrose by 8m, rating 1.58.3. Her winning margins at her two previous starts were 14m and 9.6m.
Zephrya was bred by Northam horseman Jesse Moore, who races the filly in partnership with his wife Maree and daughter Hayley. Moore will be looking for a quinella result on Friday night. He trains Our Lady Jen for owner-breeder David Anderson, and that filly has struck top form with smart victories at Gloucester Park at her past two outings.
Our Lady Jen, driven by Kyle Harper, began speedily from barrier six and dashed to the front after 250m before winning in good style from the fast-finishing Cabsav over 1730m on August 23. Then on Tuesday of last week Our Lady Jen gave a brilliant frontrunning performance (from barrier two) to win by five lengths from Wanea, rating 1.56.9 over 2130m.
Wanea will start from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line on Friday night, with trainer-reinsman Chris Voak saying: “She is going really well but I’m not sure where we are going to get from barrier twelve. I would’ve loved it if she had drawn to lead. But now I’d say that were just a novelty chance.”
The Kim Prentice-trained Sweet Lou filly Sweet Vivienne is favourably drawn at barrier two after leading and winning at Pinjarra (2185m) and Gloucester Park (2130m) at her past two starts.
“Her two wins have been soft,” said reinsman Mitch Miller. “But I don’t think that we have seen the bottom of her yet. She won last week with the plugs in, and she could have gone a lot better.”
Miller has opted to drive Sweet Vivienne in preference to the Barry Howlett-trained Flametree, a filly Miller has handled in all her nine starts for five wins and two placings. Chris Lewis has been engaged to drive Flametree, who is favourably drawn on the inside of the back line.
Cabsav, trained by Mike Reed and to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, enjoyed a perfect passage in the one-out, one-back position before battling on to finish third behind Sweet Vivienne last week.
She is a versatile filly and a smart frontrunner who is capable of improvement from her perfect draw. However, her recent performances have fallen below the standard of her smart, strong-finishing victory over August Moon in the $100,000 Sales Classic final in February.
August Moon, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for trainer Luke Edwards, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six on Friday night. She is working in fine style for her first run since she gave a splendid frontrunning display to beat Zephyra over 2130m on July 22.
“It’s a bad draw but her win was super,” said an enthusiastic Hall.
Lewis faces unusual scenario
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis is the consummate professional and he is not fazed at the prospect of attempting to lower the colours of his wife Debra, who trains three of the runners in the five-horse Keep Up To Date On The Allwood Stud Website Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lewis will drive the brilliant four-year-old Ray Jones-trained Lavra Joe, who will start from barrier three where he will be surrounded by Debra Lewis’s runners Hampton Banner (barrier one), Mirragon (two) and Spy Major (four).
“This is probably not the first time it has happened,” said Lewis. “I’ll have to look at the opposition (when contemplating my tactics). It was a good run by Lavra Joe last week and there’s no reason why he can’t run a really good race again. Hampton Banner did an excellent job, too (when he set the pace and finished a head second to Lavra Joe in the 2130m group 3 Howard Porter Memorial).”
Lavra Joe started from the No. 4 barrier in last Friday night’s event and enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before starting a three-wide move 600m from home, taking a narrow lead at the 100m and maintaining that advantage over Hampton Banner for the rest of the race in which the final quarters were covered in 27.8sec. and 28.2sec.
“Lavra Joe travelled good and ran on well, and I was very happy with him,” said Lewis. “I don’t think that life (for Lavra Joe) this week will be easy. Most likely I’ll be three back on the pegs or in the breeze. Hampton Banner is a very quick horse out.”
Lewis has formed a wonderful association with Lavra Joe, having driven him at his past 36 starts for 23 wins. But he is sure to have some sort of misgivings as he plans to beat Hampton Banner and Mirragon. He has driven Hampton Banner to all of his nine wins in WA, and he has been in the sulky for all of Mirragon’s eight wins in the State.
Jocelyn Young has handled Hampton Banner at the New Zealand-bred pacer’s past two starts, and she will be handling the five-year-old again this week when he is certain to begin with his usual brilliance, with Young keen to set the pace.
Gary Hall jnr has been engaged to drive Mirragon, who was driven by Lewis in a 2130m event last Friday night when the gelding began speedily from barrier six but was unable to cross to the front and then worked hard in the breeze before wilting to finish third behind Jaspervellabeach.
Lewis was also in the sulky the previous Friday night when Mirragon burst to the front from barrier four and set the pace before holding on to win by a neck from Doc Holliday.
Maddison Brown will drive Spy Major, who rises considerably in class and will be the outsider of the field. Lewis had an armchair drive when Spy Major set the pace and scored an effortless victory in modest company on Tuesday night, rating a slow 2.1.1 over the 2536m journey.
Lewis likes Athabascan
Nine-year-old Athabascan is in the twilight of his career and has finished at the rear at his past two starts, but champion reinsman Chris Lewis fancies his chances when he contests the 2130m Fly Like An Eagle, Proven Sire Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Athabascan, trained by Debra Lewis, is dropping in class and is awkwardly drawn at barrier six, but Lewis is basing his confidence on two impressive frontrunning displays to win recent trials at Pinjarra and Byford.
“The trials have been good, and he is definitely a winning chance,” said Lewis.
Athabascan led from barrier three and won by a length from Make It Happen in a 2185m seven-horse Pinjarra trial on Wednesday of last week, rating 2.1 with a final quarter of 28sec. He then started from barrier six in a seven-horse 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning when he raced four wide early, took the lead after 350m and was not extended in winning by a length from Regal Scribe, rating 1.59.7, with final 400m sections of 29.8sec. and 28.5sec.
There is little exposed form in Friday night’s event, in which four-year-old Tiger Royal has won at two of his past six appearances and should take plenty of beating. The Ryan Bell-trained Tiger Royal will be driven by Kyle Symington from the No. 5 barrier in an event in which the three inside runners Mattjestic Star, Bettorstartdreaming and Sheza Bromac possess excellent gate speed, which should ensure a fast early pace.
Bell will also be aiming to win the opening event, the 2536m Allwood Stud Devoted To Breeding Excellence Pace for three-year-olds with the polemarker Whataretheodds expected to make a bold bid for an all-the-way success.
Dylan Egerton-Green will drive Whataretheodds for the first time. The gelding is a proven pacemaker, having scored all-the-way victories at three of his five wins from 15 starts.
Chris Voak will have a busy night in the sulky, with drives in eight of the ten events. He considers his best winning prospect is the Ross Olivieri-trained Boom Time in the third event, the 2536m Allwood Stud Supporting WA Breeding For Over Forty Years Pace.
The eight-year-0old Boom Time is racing keenly and looks well suited from the No. 2 barrier on the front line. “He is not doing much wrong and it’s his race to lead and he should go really well,” said Voak.
Voak also will have many admirers when he drives the Olivieri-trained Rupert Of Lincoln, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the Fly Like An Eagle Pace over 2130m. Rupert Of Lincoln has a losing sequence of 16, but his recent efforts have been most encouraging.
Voak is also looking for a strong performance from the Peter Tilbrook-trained Strauny, who will start from barrier one in the 2536m Support The Stud That Supports You Pace.
“Strauny was terrific in the breeze last start when second to Goodfellaz,” he said. “The fence and the distance will suit him. But it is a big step up in class. However, he has the times on the board, and he is a novelty chance against Tenzing Bromac.
Tenzing Bromac, to be driven by Ryan Warwick for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and has bright prospects of improving his WA record to nine starts for nine wins.
Nolan strikes a blow after 11 years
Veteran trainer Kevin Nolan, who is now involved in harness racing as a hobby, landed his first Gloucester Park winner for eleven years when Aldo Cortopassi drove Blazin Beauty to victory in the Summit Bloodstock Pace on Tuesday evening.
Nolan’s previous city winner was Our Universal Ruler, who was successful in a C1-C4 1700m event in May 2011.
Blazin Beauty, a four-year-old mare by American sire Pet Rock, was a $34 outsider from barrier No. 3, but her victory was celebrated by some astute punters who snapped up the handsome $81 odds on the fixed market.
Blazin Beauty, who had been unplaced at her first two starts in WA, began speedily but was unable to wrest the early lead from the odds-on favourite Valhalla Miss before gaining the perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position. She took the lead with 120m to travel and held on to defeat the $151 outsider Our Glowing Star, who finished strongly from last at the bell.
The 72-year-old Nolan, who had won two races at Pinjarra earlier this year with another four-year-old Pet Rock mare Maddy Rocks, was not surprised at Blazin Beauty’s win, indicating that she went into the race with a good record of 38 starts for six wins and 11 placings.
Blazin Beauty, owned by Guy Barbuto, had won twice at Mildura in March this year after winning four times at Penrith last year. She gave a sample of her class when she finished a close third behind Sioux Rainbow in the group 2 Raith Memorial for three-year-old fillies at Menangle in January 2021, when the winner covered the 1609m in 1.52.7.
Two months later Blazin Beauty finished second in the group 3 Go Girlfriend Pace at Menangle when the winner, the six-year-old mare Semi Sensation ran the 1609m in 1.52.4.
Nolan said that Blazin Beauty had thrived on his training routine of swimming her for 15 minutes every day in the Byford pool as well as an occasional hoppled run.
Nolan, who prepared Grecian Fella when he finished third to Make The Rules in the Howard Porter Memorial at Gloucester Park in October 1999, also enjoyed considerable success with Rudlan, a pacer he bred, owned and trained who earned $86,360 from 11 wins and ten placings from 40 starts in the 1990s.
Rudlan’s most notable victories were in the State Sires Series final for four-year-old horses and geldings in April 1996 and the Christmas Gift in December 1996.
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