01 February 2024 | Ken Casellas
Lewis shows the way
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis is the only multiple winner in the 17-year history of the $50,000 Trotsynd Trotters Cup, and he has high hopes of notching his third winner when he drives Our Maestoso in the group 2 event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Five-year-old Our Maestoso is the youngest and least experienced runner in the 2503m standing-start race. But the New Zealand-bred gelding, prepared by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, boasts an outstanding record of 13 starts for eleven wins, one third and one sixth placing.
Lewis has scored runaway victories in the Trotters Cup, with the Clive Dalton-trained 5/4 favourite Earl Of Charity starting from the 20m mark and winning by eight lengths in 2015, and the Ross Olivieri-trained Mr Sundon, the $1.30 favourite off 10m, scoring by six lengths in January 2020.
Lewis has also recorded placings with Trappers Spirit (2008), Apache Blue Jean (2010), Nicky Eileen (2011 and 2012) and Earl Or Nothing (2015).
Howlett will be seeking his second success in the Trotters Cup, after Kiara Davies drove Sunnys Little Whiz to a 2m victory over Lightning Calder in 2016.
Our Maestoso resumed after a four-month absence when he dashed to the front from the No. 4 barrier, set a solid pace and won by 2m from Evas Image in the 1730m Trotters Sprint last Friday week.
“He is definitely one of the main players in Friday night’s race,” said Lewis. “He is coming off one run in this campaign, a 1730m sprint, and this week’s stand over 2503m is quite different. The main aim will be to get away safely (from the inside of the 10m line) and get a reasonable position.”
Howlett predicted that Our Maestoso would prove a better horse over 2503m than over the sprint trip of 1730m.
Our Maestoso, purchased by Howlett for $8000 as a weanling in New Zealand, was named by Howlett’s wife Lyn, with maestoso being the Italian word for majesty or in a dignified way as a musical direction. The Howlett family will be hoping that Our Maestoso will be directing affairs on Friday night.
Our Maestoso has the natural speed to threaten the race record rate of 2.1.1 set by Mr Sundon four years ago. But he certainly won’t get near to the 1.55.1 rate recorded by Idao de Tillard when 26-year-old Clement Duvaldestin drove the French trotter to victory in the $1.4 million Prix d’Amerique over 2700m to the cheers of a 35,000 crowd at the Hippodrome de Vincennes in Paris on Sunday.
Gary Hall jnr, who drove Princess Mila to a head victory over Sunnys Little Jestic in the Trotters Cup in December 2020, has opted to handle Evas Image for Mardella trainer Michael Young in preference to the talented eight-year-old Tricky Ric, who is prepared by Gary Hall snr.
Evas Image, who will start off 10 metres, gave a spirited performance when she raced without cover and fought on determinedly to finish a 2m second to Our Maestoso in the Trotters Sprint.
“She is racing well and should be prominent,” said Hall. “She breezed last start, and Tricky Ric sat on her back and couldn’t beat her home.”
Pinjarra trainer David Young and Capel reinsman Aiden de Campo combined to win the Trotters Cup 12 months ago when Patched started off 20m and was the $2.70 favourite who was seventh at the bell and flew home to beat Chumani by two lengths.
“Patched is going at least as well now as he was when he won the Cup last February,” said Young. “I worked him this morning when my brother Matthew drove him and was glowing in his praise after the workout in which he beat EE Jay Why (a lightly-raced five-year-old mare). Patched beat the mare by more than 20 metres, and I think he is stronger than he was last year.”
Patched, a winner of 18 races, faces a tough task when he begins from the back mark of 40m with Tricky Ric and Luvaflair.
Luvaflair will be driven by Donald Harper for Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, who prepared Compressor when he started from 30m and was driven to victory by Morgan Woodley in the 2009 Trotters Cup.
Johns trains and drives eight-year-old Aldebaran Sundown, who will begin from the 10m line on Friday night. The gelding finished a short half-head second to Patched over 2692m at Pinjarra four Mondays ago.
Seven-year-old Chumani, who will start off the front for Wonnerup trainer Terry Ferguson and will be driven by Chris Voak, has a losing sequence of 24 but has been placed at three of his past four starts.
“Chumani ran second to Patched in last year’s Cup, and if he gets to the rail at some point, he is an each-way chance,” said Voak.
Solesseo Matuca looks the part
Former Victorian pacer Solesseo Matuca finished eighth in a field of nine in the 1730m Nights Of Thunder last Friday night, but his performance was full of merit, and he looks set to break through for his initial victory in Western Australia when he contests the $31,000 Media Guild Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It will certainly pay to overlook his last-start eighth, and the five-year-old should set the pace and win the 2130m Media Guild Cup for trainer Nathan Turvey and reinsman Gary Hall jnr.
Solesseo Matuca faced an almost impossible task from the outside barrier last week when he was restrained at the start and raced in last place before he charged home, out five wide, to finish three lengths behind the winner Jawsoflincoln. He sprinted over the final quarter in 26.76sec. which was the fastest last 400 metres recorded on the night.
This was Solesseo Matuca’s second appearance in WA, following his third placing behind Chal Patch and All Is Well in a heat of the Nights Of Thunder.
“Solesseo Matuca has very good gate speed and he should be able to lead and win this week,” said Hall. “His first-up run was super when they went hard, and he pulled really hard.”
Hall will be seeking his fifth victory in the Media Guild Cup, following wins with The Falcon Strike (2003), Kotare Flame (2007), Washakie (2008) and Tuxedo Tour (2015).
Showpony (barrier two) and Alcopony (barrier four) appear the main dangers to Solesseo Matuca.
Showpony won three times in the space of 24 days before he finished an unlucky third behind Rascal and Middlepage last Friday night when he trailed the pacemaker Rascal and was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the final circuit.
Emily Suvaljko will drive Alcopony for Henley Brook trainer Kevin Keys, and the WA-bred five-year-old is racing in fine form and is always capable of unwinding a spirited finishing burst.
The Miki Taker back in action
Former star juvenile pacer The Miki Taker will resume racing after a nine-month absence when he begins from the No. 5 barrier in the Matt Young Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“On his trackwork he should be thereabouts,” said Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo. “He is not blessed with heavy gate speed, but he is versatile and has high speed.
“He is a real laid-back customer who tends to get better with racing under his belt. Obviously, he will improve on his first-up run. His work at home has been good, and hopefully we can see him back to his best in this campaign.”
Punters should take into consideration five-year-old The Miki Taker’s perfect record when racing first-up. He has raced first-up four times for four wins — on debut at Pinjarra in April 2021, at Albany in January 2022, at Bunbury in July 2022, and at Pinjarra in February 2023.
The Miki Taker last appeared when he had a tough run in the breeze and finished third behind Cheer The Major and Illawong Mustang over 2130m at Gloucester Park on May 5, 2023.
“There has been a lot of little problems with him,” said de Campo. “He didn’t come back as well as I expected last time in. He had a strained tendon before that, and since then he had a cut on a leg that became infected. So, I decided to give him a lot of time and a good break.”
Our Shelley Beach will have many admirers and should fight out the finish. The Mike Reed-trained six-year-old excels in a frontrunning role, and Shannon Suvaljko is sure to make a bold bid for the lead.
“It will be good if he can work forward and get to the lead,” said Reed. “Shannon thinks he got it wrong last week when he took the trail behind Soho Santorini (and was blocked for a clear run, finishing third behind Soho Santorini). He thinks that if he had been able to get out, he would have won.”
Reed has three runners in Friday night’s event — Our Shelley Beach, Bee Jays Boy and Flying Rumour.
Flying Rumour will be driven by Kyle Symington from out wide at barrier seven. Flying Rumour was a $61 outsider from barrier eight last Friday night when he caught the eye by dashing forward three wide soon after the start and then working in the breeze and finishing second, one length behind Soho Santorini.
Katja Warwick’s team has been flying in recent weeks, and her four-year-old All Is Well is poised to run a great race after starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the opening event, the 2130m Chip In Jimmy Pace.
All Is Well, to be driven by Chris Lewis, is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class, with Lewis saying: “Nine is a bit of a leveller, sometimes but he will play a good part in this race.”
All Is Well made an unsuccessful early bid for the lead in the Nights Of Thunder last Friday night before gaining a favourable sit in the one-out, one-back position and then wilting to sixth behind Jawsoflincoln.
“That was his first go with the big kids, and I was really happy with him,” said Warwick. “It was tough going; he had to go out at the start, and then the final quarters were run in 27.7sec. and 27.6sec. He has only just turned four (and was racing against older and more experienced horses).”
Warwick has an excellent second string in this week’s race, with Travelban starting from barrier six, and with Callan Suvaljko in the sulky. Travelban impressed with his easy all-the-way win over 2190m at Northam last Saturday night.
Hall chooses October Reign
Star reinsman Gary Hall jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive the Michael Young-trained six-year-old October Reign in the 2130m Pat Harding Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night ahead of the speedy gelding Regal Cheval, whom he trains.
He sought permission from the stewards to drive October Reign, even though he trains Regal Cheval. The stewards acceded to his request, and Regal Cheval will be driven by Maddison Brown from a favourable barrier as the only runner on the back line.
October Reign, a winner at nine of his 60 starts, will begin from the No. 4 barrier. “He is capable of leading and winning, going on his past two runs,” said Hall. “I’m also happy with the way Regal Cheval is going. He finished a very close third behind Anotherbigman last week and was a half-length second to Soho Santorini at Pinjarra at his previous start.”
Trainer-driver Jocelyn Young predicted a strong effort from The Watch Maker, saying the ten-year-old was racing soundly and was capable of figuring in the finish after starting from the No. 3 barrier. “This is not an overly strong field,” she said.
October Reign’s past two runs have been most impressive. He was a $41 chance when he began brilliantly from the outside barrier (No. 8) and led after 200m in a 1730m event last Friday night. He fought on to finish a close third behind Ima Fivestar General and Deeorse.
A week earlier October Reign broke into a gallop soon after the start, losing several lengths before he made up a lot of lost ground to finish sixth behind Nullarbor Navajo over 2130m.
Hall also has sound winning prospects with the Michael Young-trained Watching Our Coin, who will begin off the 10m mark in the 2530m Ernie Manning, Matt Young and Wayne Currall Handicap.
Watching Our Coin started off 30 metres and sustained a spirited burst to get up and win the 2560m Northam Cup last Saturday night. Ardens Horizon looms large as a major threat to Watching Our Coin.
The Callan Suvaljko-trained and driven five-year-old Ardens Horizon will start from the outside of the front line, and he has an excellent chance of ending a losing sequence of 16. He was hampered for room when he ran home solidly along the inside to finish fourth behind Jawsoflincoln in the Nights Of Thunder last Friday night.
Star reinsman Chris Voak gives Withoutthetuh a strong chance, with the Michael Brennan-trained seven-year-old starting from the inside of the 10m line.
“I give him a good each-way hope, and he is definitely a winning chance,” said Voak.
Voak will also drive the brilliant six-year-old Pinny Tiger for Brennan in the 2130m WA Hall Of Fame Submissions Due Pace. “He is coming back to racing (after a three-month absence) in a very weak grade,” said Voak.
Pinny Tiger, whose 41 starts have produced 14 wins and 11 seconds, is perfectly drawn at the No. 1 barrier. “I don’t think he needed to draw the ace to win,” said Voak. “I say he should lead and win.”
Voak drove Pinny Tiger when he sored an effortless victory in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra last Wednesday week. He rated 1.55.3 and sped over the final 400m in a dazzling 26.1sec.
Ravenswood trainer-driver Jocelyn Young has bright prospects of continuing a wonderful winning streak when she handles Cowboys And Bandits in the 2130m Ernie Manning Pace.
Cowboys And Bandits warmed up for this event in fine style with an effortless win at a 1.55.7 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening. Cowboys And Bandits set the pace and sprinted over the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 28.5sec. to beat Alfredi by two lengths.
“We used his gate speed (from barrier one) for a change, and he went really well,” said Young. “He’s a winning chance on Friday night but it won’t be as easy as it was tonight.”
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