23 May 2024 | Ken Casellas
Captain Stirling is developing
It was a back to the drawing board for Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green after he had driven Captain Stirling into a close second on debut at Pinjarra just over 15 weeks ago.
On the surface, Captain Stirling had given a stout-hearted performance to finish a half-length behind When In Vegas after racing in the breeze for the first 400m and then in the one-out, one-back position and then running home determinedly, out wide, from fourth at the 100m mark.
“I wasn’t happy with him,” said Egerton-Green. “He is a big colt and he needed time to develop. And now I’m happy with his development, and his recent work has been so good that I have decided to start him in the Team Bond Champagne Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He’s got the gun draw (at barrier No. 1 in the $50,000 feature event over 2130m) and hopefully he will lead. I really like the horse and he has a bright future.”
Before his debut Captain Stirling gave a sample of his ability when he sizzled home and covered the final 400m in 26.9sec. in a 1684m Pinjarra trial in which he raced in third position in the single file five-horse field before finishing powerfully to win convincingly from the pacemaker Lake Pichola.
Captain Stirling’s main dangers are likely to be American Major, Reinette, Noble Thorondor and Into The Future.
American Major will make his debut from barrier three. He will be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, who is hoping the colt will go one better than his runner Whataretheodds, who finished second to Bushwacked in the Champagne Classic three years ago.
“I might have thrown him in at the deep end a bit, but they’ll know he’s there,” said Bell. “I’m pretty confident that he’s at the top of my two-year-olds.”
American Major warmed up for Friday night’s feature event with a good win in a three-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.
He sat behind the pacemaker Everywhere Man until Symington eased him off the pegs with 650m to travel. He was not fully extended in wining by a neck from Everywhere Man, rating 2.1.6, with a final quarter of 28.8sec.
The Frank Nafranec-trained Reinette is the only filly in the field. She will begin from barrier five with Trent Wheeler in the sulky. She has won at two of her five starts (at Pinjarra and Bunbury) and was an excellent second to Highview Heidi over 1730m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.
Noble Thorondor, trained by Bruce Lovett and to be driven by Kyle Harper, will start from the outside barrier the field of eight. He has shown considerable promise, with his four starts (all at Pinjarra) producing an easy win over Titus and three second placings.
Byford trainer Peter Anderson, who prepared the brilliant James Matthew for his victory in the 2008 Champagne Classic, is looking for a strong performance from Into The Future, the most experienced runner in Friday night’s race.
Into The Future will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from barrier six. He has raced nine times for wins at Pinjarra and Northam as well as two seconds and three thirds.
Bell’s powerful hand
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a powerful hand in the $50,000 Team Bond Pearl Classic for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night and has high hopes of winning the event for the second time, following Swingband’s success in 2022.
Bell’s prospects soared when Franco Encore drew the prized No. 1 barrier, and Waverider drew barrier two in the group 3 classic.
He is having great difficulty in predicting the outcome of the race.
“I’m happy with both of them,” he said. Mitch Miller will drive Franco Encore, one of the two New Zealand-bred pacers in the field of eleven, the other being the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Prince Of Pain, who will start from the inside of the back line with Deni Roberts in the sulky.
Kyle Symington will drive Waverider, who has begun from out wide at barrier seven and has finished second at each of his past three starts.
“I’ll leave the tactics up to the drivers,” said Bell. “Franco Encore and Waverider are raced by two separate owners, so the drivers can drive their own race.
“Franco Encore gets his chance to prove himself again (after Miller drove him to a surprise all-the-way victory by a nose over the odds-on favourite Waverider two starts ago). I think that each horse will hold his own at the start.”
Franco Encore and Waverider were beaten in separate qualifying heats of the Pearl on Tuesday of last week, with Franco Encore starting from barrier three and overracing in the breeze before fading to finish fifth behind the pacemaker Ideal Muscle, and Waverider starting from the outside barrier (No. 7) and working hard without cover before finishing resolutely to finish second, a half-neck behind the frontrunning Arma Believer.
“I wasn’t particularly disappointed with Waverider,” said Bell. “He ran the times, and being a colt he has been doing too well and has been above himself. But we’ve screwed him down this week and he should be ready to rock and roll.
“Franco Encore overraced badly in his heat but he didn’t stop until half-way up the straight. At this stage of his career, he is a rails opportunist. He will hold up early (on Friday night) and as long as he doesn’t get too much pressure, he will be hard to beat.”
Capel trainer Aiden De Campo has three runners in the Pearl — Rajah Rocks (Ryan Warwick; barrier three), Ideal Muscle (Trent Wheeler; barrier five) and Bettor Arcade (Gary Hall jnr; barrier nine).
“Ideal Muscle is racing very well and is the pick of the three,” said De Campo. Ideal Muscle started from barrier one when he set the pace and dashed over the final 400m in 27.4sec. when he won his qualifying heat by seven metres from Cork Can Run, rating 1.57.8. That was his fifth win from 17 starts.
Cork Can Run, an all-the-way winner at Bunbury three starts ago, is awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 6. “His numerical form looks good, but I’ve been a bit disappointed with him,” said trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green. “However, I expect him to hit the line strongly.”
Velocipede runs smart trial
Lightly-raced four-year-old Velocipede is ready to produce a strong first-up performance when he contests the Do Do More Wine Please Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, following a sound performance in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.
Velocipede, trained by Gary Hall snr, will be making his first appearance in a race for 32 weeks, and he looked in good shape when he dashed to the front in the trial after 450m and set a solid pace before sprinting over the final 400m in 27.7sec. to win by 2m from Sugar Shake.
A winner at four of his 17 starts, Velocipede is awkwardly drawn at barrier six on Friday night when he has the class to overcome that disadvantage.
His chief danger could be Cloud Nine, who will be having his third start after resuming from a spell for trainer-reinsman Stuart McDonald. The New Zealand-bred seven-year-old, who will start from barrier five, ran home solidly from seventh at the bell to finish fourth behind Lil Happy Fella last Friday night.
Gary Hall jnr, who will handle Velocipede, has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive the Michael Young-trained Lucapelo ahead of the Hall senior-trained Captain Bligh in the opening event, the $21,000 The Minstrel Million Dollar Machine Pace over 1730m.
Lucapelo is ideally drawn at the No. 1 barrier, while Captain Bligh will start from the inside of the back line with Stuart McDonald in the sulky. Captain Bligh has been hanging in his recent races, but has good ability, having won at six of his past ten starts.
“Lucapelo will be hard to beat if he leads,” said Hall jnr. “But if he doesn’t lead, he’s in trouble.” Lucapelo is a noted frontrunner who has a losing sequence of twelve which includes five seconds and a third placing. “No. 10 is a good draw from Captain Bligh, and he can’t be discounted.”
Maungatahi, who will start from barrier four for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green, is in excellent form with wins at Northam and Narrogin at his past two starts coming after second placings behind Magnus Victor and Starlight Dream at his two previous appearances.
“This is a bit of a step up in grade for Maungatahi, but he is racing well and will give it a bit of a shake,” said Egerton-Green.
Trainer Aiden De Campo said that Sound Wave, to be driven by Trent Wheeler from barrier No. 2, was capable of a strong effort. “His fifth behind Arma Xfactor last week was a really good run, and he should run another good race this week,” said De Campo.
An interesting runner will be Victorian performer Gilligans Island, a New Zealand-bred seven-year-old, who has won at eight of his 44 starts. He will start from the No. 3 barrier and will be driven by Mitch Miller for trainer Kim Prentice.
Voak picks Withoutthetuh
Dashing reinsman Chris Voak declared experienced seven-year-old Withoutthetuh a good each-way chance when he chose to drive him in preference to veteran pacer Carrera Mach in the 4TH May 2008 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Voak has driven Withoutthetuh to four of his 15 victories, while he has been in the sulky for eight of Carrera Mach’s 16 wins.
Withoutthetuh, trained by Michael Brennan, is favourably drawn at barrier two for his second appearance after a two-month absence. The gelding was driven by Gary Hall jnr when he resumed racing last Friday week when he fought on from sixth at the bell to finish third behind Dominus Factum.
Carrera Mach will be handled on Friday night by Stuart McDonald when he faces a tough task from out wide at barrier No. 8. Hall will drive the smart New Zealand-bred five-year-old Ira Poole, who looks a major player from the No. 4 barrier.
“I’m confident Withoutthetuh will cross straight to the lead,” said Voak. “His first-up third was good, and I’ll check with Mouse (Michael Brennan) about how to drive the horse. I daresay he will want to lead.”
Hall said that Ira Poole, a winner at ten of his 43 starts, was working in good style and had bright prospects. “I’d say that if he got to the front, he would be a moral. But he can also breeze and have a winning chance.”
In what should be a good betting race, Jett Star, Brickies Dream, Rascal and Lil Happy Fella are sure to have many admirers.
Much interest will surround Rocknroll Spirit when he has his first start for the Voak stable in the final event, the 2130m Dynamic Deni Delivers Pace.
Four-year-old Rocknroll Spirit is, by far, the youngest and least experienced runner in the race. He has had 26 starts for four wins and seven placings and is sure to be popular with punters after drawing the coveted No. 1 barrier.
“We have had him for three or four weeks and he seems alright,” said Voak. “This is the right type of field for him.”
Two of his rivals are the Peter Anderson-trained The Righteous and Star Of Willoughby, who had no luck when unplaced in a 2130m event won by Cold Hard Cash at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
The Righteous, who will be driven by Trent Wheeler from the No. 2 barrier, has finished third at Northam and Kellerberrin from his past four starts. He raced well back in the field on Tuesday and was blocked for a clear run and finished ninth.
Star Of Willoughby was most impressive in finishing fourth. He began from the inside of the back line and was shuffled back to the rear when the polemarker The Falcon Prince was extremely slow into stride. He was 11TH at the bell and ran home with a spirited burst and went to the line full of running after being held up for a clear run in the straight.
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