29 June 2023 | Ken Casellas
Atkins holds a strong hand
Veteran Mundijong trainer Terry Atkins has bright prospects of landing his first metropolitan-class winner at Gloucester Park for twelve years when he starts Copy Of Paris and I Cross My Heart in the $30,000 Beau Rivage Westsired Pace for two-year-old fillies on Friday night.
The stablemates are favourably drawn, with Aldo Cortopassi giving punters a lead by choosing to drive I Cross My Heart from barrier three, with Shannon Suvaljko engaged to handle Copy Of Paris from the No. 2 barrier.
Atkins, whose most recent city-class winner was Blissful Snag, who led and beat Mister Gallenti in a 2503m stand on September 23, 2011, matched his fillies in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday morning when Copy Of Paris set the pace from barrier two and won by just under a length from I Cross My Heart, who was restrained to last from barrier four and finished with a solid burst and was not fully extended in the final stages.
The trial was run at a slow pace until the final 400m was covered in 28sec., with Copy Of Paris recording a modest 2.8.9 rate.
Each filly has had one start, with I Cross My Heart leading from barrier one for the first 100m before trailing the pacemaker Rocknroll Train and running home with a spirited burst to finish a half-head second to that gelding, rating 1.58.2 over the 1684m trip at Pinjarra on April 17, with the final 400m being covered in 27.4sec.
Copy Of Paris made a sound debut over 2185m at Pinjarra on June 19 when she trailed the pacemaker Ryder Rose and finished a close-up third behind Chilli Punter, who rated 2.2.4 after final quarters of 28.9sec. and 30.1sec.
The main dangers to the Atkins pair appear to be the Chris Voak-trained and driven Manea (barrier six) and the polemarker Dekla Diva, who will be driven by Gary Hall jnr for Pinjarra trainer David Young.
Manea is the most experienced runner in the field, with her twelve starts producing a smart win at Narrogin eight starts ago and four third placings.
Manea set the pace after defying a spirited early challenge from San Remo Beach and fought on doggedly to finish third behind In A Wink and Maddy Lou over 2130mo at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
“I used her off the gate and was happy with the way she settled,” said Voak. “Her work today (Tuesday) was as good as she has ever worked, and I think she’s a definite player.”
Dekla Diva notched her first placing at her seventh start when she began from barrier three in a 1730m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night and raced three back on the pegs in the Indian file affair in the field of six. She finished with a strong burst to be third behind Chilli Punter and Ryder Rose.
“Dekla Diva pulled a bit early because they were going that slowly,” said Hall. “David (Young) is keen to use her off the gate on Friday night to see how she goes out in front.”
Suvaljko likes Allwoods Chevron
Only one of the nine runners in the $30,000 Beau Rivage Westsired Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night has won a race.
Ubeen Thundastruck, trained and driven by Donald Harper, began speedily from barrier No. 3 to set the pace and go on and win over 1730m at Kellerberrin two Sundays ago when he beat the odds-on favourite Allwoods Chevron by a length.
Ubeen Thundastruck will be tested from the outside barrier on Friday night, and star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko is confident that, from the No. 4 barrier, the Katja Warwick-trained Allwoods Chevron can turn the tables and win the 2130m feature event.
“Allwoods Chevron, on debut at Kellerberrin, didn’t know how to race,” said Suvaljko. “I had a crack for the lead, and when Donny (Harper) didn’t want to hand up, I got in behind him. Most of Kat’s horses are good frontrunners, and if Allwoods Chevron can find the front he will be in with a good chance.”
Chief Copy, owned and trained by Charlie Luca, looms as a serious rival to Allwoods Chevron. He has been placed at seven of his eleven starts and Hayden Charles will be anxious to take advantage of his favourable barrier at No. 2.
Warrawrup owner-trainer Daryl Miller would dearly love to celebrate his 66TH birthday (on Tuesday) by winning the race with the promising colt Star Of The Galaxy, who will be driven by his son Mitch from barrier six.
Star Of The Galaxy has been placed at his past two starts — finishing third behind Cork Can Run over 1730m at Gloucester Park and second to On The Back Foot over 1780m at Northam last Friday night.
Lewis for Misstiano
Pinjarra trainer Ian Foley has called on the services of champion reinsman Chris Lewis to drive Misstiano in the aptly named $30,000 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night in a bid to end the mare’s losing sequence of 26.
Lewis has driven the six-year-old Misstiano six times in her 54-start career for two wins, two thirds and two unplaced runs. It is significant that Lewis was in the sulky for Misstiano’s most recent victory — when she rated 1.56.5 to defeat Alice Kay and Sweet Maddison over 2130m at Gloucester Park on January 7, 2022.
Misstiano resumed after an eleven-week absence when she started out wide at barrier No. 8 in a 1730m event last Friday night. She raced in eighth position in the one-wide line and caught the eye when she went six wide on the home turn and ran on to finish seventh behind Watching Our Coin.
Misstiano is handily drawn at barrier three on Friday night with the two main fancies, Acharne Girl and Blaze Coops, on the back line in the 2130m event.
Acharne Girl, trained by Gary Hall snr and to be driven by his son Gary Hall jnr, is in brilliant form and should prove extremely hard to beat, despite starting from the inside of the back line.
She has had six starts in her current campaign, winning in fine style at the first five of those runs before finishing seventh behind Wonderful To Fly in the group 3 Kerry Clarke Pace last Friday night when she started from the back line, raced in tenth position and surged home with a dashing late four-wide burst.
Hall jnr conceded that drawing the inside barrier on the back line posed problems, but he still considered Acharne Girl was his best winning prospect on the night.
“She only needed a barrier draw to be a moral,” he said. “But she can still win from barrier ten.”
Hall drove Blaze Coops for trainer Shane Tognolini at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when the five-year-old started from barrier seven and gave a dashing frontrunning performance to win by four lengths from Extraordinary Mary, rating 1.57 over 2130m.
Blaze Coops will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line on Friday night and will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, who said: “She has come back better and is a lot more settled after having a break. She is just as good with a sit than she is when leading.”
Coolup trainer Michael Brennan has two runners engaged, Miss Lamarr (barrier five) and Miss Sassy (barrier eight). Chris Voak will drive Miss Lamarr, and Aiden will handle Miss Sassy.
“Miss Lamarr is not without a chance if she has luck in running,” said Voak, who also gives Jackie Daniels a good each-way prospect in the opening event, the 2130m Beau Rivage Christmas In July Pace.
Jackie Daniels, trained by David Young, has been placed at three of her past four starts and will begin from the inside of the back line. “She is getting better and stronger, and if she can get clear late, she can definitely win,” he predicted.
Jackie Daniels is one of several smart three-year-old fillies in this event I which the Michael Young-trained Sporting Grace (barrier) will have many admirers after winning at the first two of her three West Australian starts after one win from eight Victorian appearances.
Sporting Grace warmed up for this event in great style with a runaway win in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on June 15. She trailed the pacemaker This Time Jacko before dashing to the front 650m from home and careering away to beat Bettor Finish by 15 lengths, with final quarters of 28.8sec. and 28.4sec.
“Barrier five is not a good draw, but she should be thereabouts,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr.
Mr Fantastic is ready
Talented New Zealand-bred five-year-old Mr Fantastic will reappear after an absence of nine months when he begins from barrier five in the 2536m Westral Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night — and he should prove hard to beat following an impressive recent trial win at Pinjarra.
He was restrained at the start and raced four back on the pegs before Gary Hall jnr eased him out 800m from home to move to the breeze and then into the lead 500m later on his way to a comfortable one-and-a-half lengths win over Misstiano, rating a modest 2.0.2 over 2185m on a rain-affected track, with final quarters of 29.4sec. and 27.9sec.
“Mr Fantastic didn’t run a great time overall, but he felt good,” said Hall. “He gives you a really good feel when he’s right, and he felt really nice.”
Mr Fantastic, trained by Justin Prentice, has a winning record of 42 per cent (11 wins from 26 starts) and his most recent victory was when he led from barrier six and won easily from Illawong Mustang over 2536m in August last year.
The Michael Young-trained Moonlite Drive makes strong appeal as the pacemaker for Maddison Brown from the prized No. 1 barrier. He began out wide at barrier eight in a 2130m event last Friday night when he raced at the rear and was blocked for a clear run in the final lap before finishing tenth behind Classic Choice.
Moonlite Drive is a strong stayer who has won four times over 2536m at Gloucester Park. Simply Shaz (barrier two) also is a stout-hearted stayer, who finished strongly to win from Watching Our Coin over 2692m at Pinjarra three starts ago — and six starts before that she set the pace and won the group 2 Empress Stakes over 2536m, beating champion four-year-old mare Wonderful To Fly in a photo finish.
Champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond and outstanding young driver Deni Roberts look set for a profitable night, with Mighty Conqueror (race four) and Himself (race eight) strongly fancied to set the pace from the No. 1 barrier in their respective events and prove too smart for the opposition.
And lightly-raced four-year-old Peter Petrify has bright prospects for the Boind stable and Roberts when he starts from the front line in the Direct Trades Supply Handicap, a 2503m standing-start event.
Peter Petrify resumed after a spell with a convincing victory in a 2631m stand at Pinjarra last Monday week. He is sure to meet with plenty of opposition from Verano, Carabao, Ardens Horizon, Master Yossi and Awaitinginstructions.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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