21 October 2022 | Ken Casellas
Tricky Miki ready for the challenge
Talented gelding Tricky Miki will need a good share of luck in the $50,000 Cowden Insurance Western Gateway Classic over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to star reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who declared: “He’s a big chance providing he gets into the clear after starting from the inside of the back line.”
Hall will handle Tricky Miki for outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, with both seeking to win the group 2 Western Gateway for a fourth time.
Prentice trained and drove Major Martini for his win in 2020 after driving Lively Royce (2008) and Im Victorious (2012) for their wins, while Hall has won the feature event for three-year-olds with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Chicago Bull (2016), brilliant pacers trained by Gary Hall snr.
“I expect Machs Bettor to lead from barrier one, so we will be there (behind the leader) all the way,” said Hall. “We will need luck to get out, and if Tricky Miki gets into the clear he will be hard to hold out.
“His win in the South-West Derby at Bunbury was super. Everyone thought he was a one-trick pony, with his closing speed. But he showed in that race he has more than one string to his bow.”
In the 2100m South-West Derby last Friday week Tricky Miki began speedily from barrier three and was able to withstand a spirited challenge for the lead from Floewriter before he relaxed and coasted through the first 400m section of the final mile in 31.7sec. and then accelerated with final quarters of 28.6sec., 28.2sec. and 27.4sec. to nine by nine lengths from Rellim, rating 1.55.8.
At his previous start, a month earlier, Tricky Miki won the group 1 Westbred Classic at Gloucester Park, rating 1.56.2 over 2130m in beating Loucid Dreams and Whos The Dad. He began from barrier seven, settled down in eighth position before dashing forward, three wide, after 350m to race in the breeze briefly and then in the one-out, one-back position. He was switched three wide 270m from home and took the lead in the final 70 metres.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a strong hand in Friday night’s classic in which he will be represented by Machs Bettor (six wins from 18 starts) from the prized No. 1 barrier, and the brilliant Swingband (11 wins from 19 starts) from the outside (barrier three) on the back line.
Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington has chosen to drive Swingband in preference to Machs Bettor, a gelding he has driven at his past six starts for four wins, a second and a third. Symington has handled Swingband only once — for an outstanding victory at a 1.57 rate over 2130m three starts ago when the gelding began from the outside barrier (No. 9), raced three wide for the first lap before taking the lead and going on to defeat The Miki Taker.
Mitch Miller has been engaged for Machs Bettor for the first time, and his instructions will be to set the pace, with Bell saying: “Machs Bettor has got good natural gate speed and he will definitely lead.”
Swingband and Machs Bettor contested a five-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when Swingband raced in the breeze for the first lap and then set the pace before finishing second to smart pacer Theo Aviator, who got to the front 70m from the finish and rated 1.55.5 with the final three quarters being run in 29.4sec., 29.sec. and 27.2sec.
Machs Bettor raced in fifth position and fought on, three wide, to be third, six lengths behind Swingband.
“I was very happy with Swingband’s trial,” said Bell. “He needed it, and he has come through it very well. It’s going to be a bit tricky from the draw. I hope we get to use his speed; we’ve seen that only once — and you saw the result in the Sales Classic.”
In the Sales Classic in February this year Swingband started from the No. 9 barrier and was 12th and last at the bell before charging forward and going five wide on the home bend to burst to the front at the 110m mark and win by just under three lengths from Soho Santorini.
“So, Swingband is not out of it on Friday night when Tricky Miki is the one to beat,” said Bell. “But if the field can keep Tricky Miki locked up on the fence, he’s going to find it hard. But if he sees daylight, he’s going to be hard to hold out.”
Only three runners have been successful over the 2536m journey — Hoppys Way (two wins and a second placing), Swingband and High Price.
Hoppys Way, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, will have many admirers. The New Zealand-bred colt has won at eight of his 26 starts and should enjoy a favourable passage after starting from barrier two on the back line.
Reed has won the Western Gateway with Manageable (1988) and Bechers Brook (2018), and Suvaljko drove the Ron Huston-trainer Jumbo Operator to victory in 2009.
Stuart McDonald will drive High Price (barrier nine) for champion trainer Gary Hall snr, who has won the Western Gateway with The Falcon Strike (2001), Alta Christiano (2013), Elegant Christian (2014), Beaudiene Boaz (2015), Chicago Bull (2016) and Eloquent Mach (2019).
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be pinning their faith in the New Zealand-bred Street Hawk, a winner at seven of his 12 starts who will be driven by Ryan Warwick from the No. 5 barrier. The Bonds prepared Mitch Maguire when Warwick drove him to victory in the 2017 Western Gateway. Greg Bond also was successful with Ohokas Bondy in 2011.
Eighteen Carat is spot on
Smart New Zealand-bred five-year-old Eighteen Carat will begin her spring campaign aimed at next month’s Norms Daughter Classic and the $150,000 Mares Classic when she begins from barrier two on the back line in the group 2 $50,000 Schrader Free-For-All for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be Eighteen Carat’s first appearance after an eight-week absence, and she will need to be at her top when she clashes with several smart performers, including Bettor Get It On, Miss Limelight, Platinum Sparkle, Booraa, Vivere Damore and Fifty Five Reborn.
Eighteen Carat will be driven by Gary Hall jnr, who is confident of a strong showing, saying: “She’ll go good. She probably stamped herself as the best mare here the last time in (when she won three races in a row in the space of four weeks in the winter),” said Hall.
“Michael (trainer Michael Young) has planned this race for a long time, and he reckons she is spot on.”
Eighteen Carat’s chief rivals are expected to be Bettor Get It On and Miss Limelight, with Hall having plenty of respect for the Justin Prentice-trained Bettor Get It On, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2 and will be handled by Aiden de Campo. Hall has driven Bettor Get It On to all of her six WA wins. He has driven the mare 19 times for six wins, ten seconds and four thirds.
Miss Limelight, will start from the outside of the back line and will be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell. Miss Limelight led when she won from Bettor Get It On and Booraa three starts ago. She has had no luck when unplaced from the No. 7 barrier at her past two starts.
“Miss Limelight has had no respect shown to her in her past two runs, especially at her latest run a fortnight ago,” said Bell. “She has had no luck at all.”
Hall, fresh from five winners last Friday night, will be in the sulky for all ten events on Friday night’s program. All ten are sure to be popular with punters.
Hall considers his brightest prospects will be Kimble (race one), Tricky Miki (race five), Eighteen Carat (race six), Firerockfireroll (race seven) and The Mustang (race nine).
“Kimble should be better for his two runs here, and he should lead or breeze and win,” said Hall. “The Mustang should also lead and win, and I’m pretty keen on Firerockfireroll, who has put the writing on the wall at his two runs in the State. His stand form over east was pretty good and he is one of my better drives on the night.”
Firerockfireroll ran home solidly from sixth at the bell to be an excellent fourth over 2536m last Friday night when he finished a half-length behind the winner Rascal in a blanket finish. He was badly blocked for a clear passage when a most unlucky fourth behind The Code Breaker the previous week.
Hall is confident that The Mustang will improve his WA record to three starts for three wins by scoring an all-the-way victory in the $23,775 Aylmore Classic Pace over 2130m.
The Mustang, trained by Michael Young, should carry too many guns for his five rivals, including Ideal Agent and Boom Time, who maintained their excellent form last Friday night when they filled the minor placings behind Machnificent and Ideal Agent.
Whatabro gets his chance
Back-line draws have forced Whatabro to be driven as a sit-sprinter at his past two starts, and Coolup trainer Michael Brennan is delighted that the former South Australian pacer will start from the No. 1 barrier in the $18,500 Go The Cardies Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he is looking forward for a strong showing from the five-year-old.
“He has been racing super,” said Brennan. “He has done a great job and gets a chance to earn another really good cheque. From back-line draws at three of his past five starts we have had to drive him with a sit, but this week we will be doing our absolute best to lead.
“I think he can hold out Western Arterra, but if he can’t, then he will have the sit behind that horse and can still win.”
Whatabro, to be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, excels as a frontrunner, and he showed that he is near his peak last Friday night when he trailed the pacemaker The Kraken and did not get into the clear until the late stages when he charged home to finish third behind Doc Holliday and The Kraken in a three-way photo finish.
Whatabro has been wonderfully consistent for Brennan, with his 36 West Australian starts producing four wins, four seconds, four thirds and seven fourths for earnings of $74,145.
Western Arterra, to be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Corey Peterson, will start from barrier five and is expected to make a bold bid to take an early lead. He began brilliantly from the No. 9 when he set the pace and won easily at a 1.57.3 rate over 2130m three Tuesdays ago.
Gary Hall jnr drove him on that occasion, but he has opted to handle Euphoria, who will start from the No. 4 barrier. Euphoria has been racing in stronger company and has been placed behind Jaspervellabeach and Arma Einstein at two of his past four starts. “This looks a winnable race for him,” said Hall.
Symington has high hopes of victory when he drives the Ryan Bell-trained The Code Breaker in the Sport FM 91.3 Pace in which he will start from the prized No. 1 barrier. The Code Breaker impressed last Friday night when he was ninth in the middle stages before surging forward, three wide, to the breeze at the bell and then fighting on to finish third behind The Mustang and Stamford over 2536m.
A week earlier The Code Breaker set a solid pace and romped to victory over Pontevivo and Rokorico, rating 1.57.7 over 2130m.
“He is racing well, and he’s got the perfect draw this week,” said Symington. “The plan is, hopefully, to lead, but I’m aware that there is a bit of speed outside of us in the form of Mirragon and Athabascan. Last week The Code Breaker got home in quick time, and he had to go round them. He made up the most ground of the horses who were back in the field, and two pretty nice horses beat him home.”
Eldaytona is set to sparkle
There is a surfeit of quality four-year-olds in Western Australia this year, and individual records and current form will play a major part in determining the fields to contest the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship, the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic and the $200,000 Golden Nugget in November and December.
It is with that in mind, trainer Sue Wiscombe and reinsman Lindsay Harper, who own Eldaytona in partnership with Kevin and Annette Charles, will be looking for the speedy gelding to score an impressive victory in the $22,000 Hotspurs 1882 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eldaytona is nearing his peak after two appearances after a spell and Harper will be keen to take full advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier by winning the start and setting a brisk pace.
Eldaytona is a brilliant frontrunner who has had little chance to set the pace at his first two outings in his current campaign when he began from the inside of the back line and finished fourth behind Markham Eyre before he was restrained to the rear after starting out wide at barrier eight in a 2130m event last Friday night.
He was eighth at the bell before he finished strongly into fourth place behind Machnificent, Ideal Agent and Boom Time. This week Eldaytona will clash with other smart four-year-olds Jett Star, Ima Rockabilly Rebel and Talks Up A Storm. A victory over those pacers will enhance Eldaytona’s prospects of gaining a start in the rich feature events in the next two months.
Two of the State’s best four-year-olds Jumpingjackmac and Lavra Joe will clash in the $30,000 WAFL World On 91 FM Free-For-All on Friday night in an event in which it is difficult to predict the outcome.
Jumpingjackmac (barrier four) and Lavra Joe (barrier six) are splendid frontrunners, but whether either pacer will be able to get to an early lead is most problematic, with speedy frontrunners Will I Rocknroll (barrier one) and Hurricane Harley (barrier two) drawn more favourably.
Will I Rocknroll, to be driven by Maddison Brown, has begun from the No. 1 barrier three times in WA when he set the pace in those events for a fourth behind Extradite in May 2021 and wins over Bettor Be Lively and Angel In White in May and June this year.
Hurricane Harley, to be driven by Aiden de Campo for trainer Justin Prentice, has led and won at Gloucester Park from barriers five and three. He resumed after an eight-month absence when he began from barrier eight and raced back in the field before finishing seventh behind Magnificent Storm in the 1730m Mount Eden Sprint last Friday week.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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