30 May 2024 | Ken Casellas
Montana D J poised for debut victory
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred five-year-old Montana D J looks set to make a successful Australian debut when he contests the $21,000 Retravision Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A newcomer to the Mardella stables of Michael Young, Montana D J will start from barrier four on the front line in the field of eight in which he will clash with two other highly promising former New Zealand pacers Frankie Major and Bellissimo Acquisto.
Montana D J, who has had 30 starts for six wins and nine placings, has warmed up for his return to racing in fine style with wins in 2150m mobile trials at Byford on the past two Sundays.
He raced without cover before taking the lead with 300m to travel before winning his trial by two and a half lengths from Winegum last Sunday. He rated 1.57, with final quarters of 29.4sec., 29.3sec. and 28.2sec.
A week earlier Monana D J was not bustled early before getting to the front after 150m and then setting the pace and running home with final quarters of 29.7sec., 29.5sec. and 28.9sec. He won by a neck from the fast-finishing Perfect Major.
Montana D J has raced five times in standing-start events in New Zealand for one win, two thirds, a fifth and a seventh placing. His most recent start was in a 2200m stand in a field of six at Cambridge on January 19 this year. He raced three back on the pegs before finishing determinedly to win from Brookies Jaffa at a 1.59.7 rate on a heavy track, with the final 800m of 57.6sec. and a last 400m of 27.9sec.
“The first of his trials at Byford was not that good when he didn’t let down like we had hoped he would,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “Then his second trial was very good.”
Chris Voak faced a difficult decision before choosing to drive Frankie Major ahead of the Michael Brennan-trained Bellissimo Acquisto, who will be handled by Ryan Warwick.
“I expect both those horses will take plenty of beating,” said Voak. “Merv Butterworth owns Frankie Major, and he rang me and asked me to drive his horse. In 15 years of driving horses he owns he has never before asked me to stick to a particular pacer.”
Frankie Major is a four-year-old who is trained by Jemma Hayman. He has had 39 starts in New Zealand for six wins and 12 placings. He has raced twice in stands for a third and a sixth placing.
His sixth was in a field of six at his most recent appearance, in a 2700m stand at Alexandra Park on February 16 when he set the pace until the final 300m. It is worth noting that Frankie Major was competing against several top-flight pacers, with Mach Shard winning from Self Assured.
Mach Shard boasts a record of 108 starts for 20 wins, 24 placings and stakes of $815,253, while Self Assured is a superstar who has earned $2,419,069 from 30 wins and 33 placings from 74 starts.
Frankie Major certainly will appreciate competing against considerably inferior opposition on Friday night.
Bellissimo Acquisto is an experienced standing-start performer, with eight of his ten New Zealand starts being in stands for one win (over 2600m at Addington in May 2022) and four placings. He has had seven starts in WA for five wins and two placings.
Four of his WA runs have been in stands for two wins at Pinjarra (last October) and third placings at Pinjarra and Narrogin.
Bellissimo Acquisto resumed after a spell in a 2636m stand at Narrogin on May 11 when he raced without cover in the middle stages and finished third behind Trouble Supreme. “He has trained on very well since his first-up third and if he steps on Friday night, he will be tough to beat,” said Voak.
The fourth New Zealand-bred pacer in Friday night’s event is the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Carana, who will share the back mark of 20 metres with Debbie Padberg’s evergreen eight-year-old Deeorse, who will be having his 163RD start in a race.
Carana is a standing-start specialist who is in wonderful form, with his four starts (all in stands) in his current campaign producing two wins and two placings.
Rock Me Over ready to shine
Serpentine owner-trainer Matt Scott is more than happy with the way veteran pacer Rock Me Over has returned to action after a 12-month absence, and he expects the nine-year-old to fight out the finish of the WA Foton Diesel At Catalano Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rock Me Over will start out wide at barrier No. 8 and will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, with Scott saying: “He’s bright and I expect him to run a really good race.”
Rock Me Over has had five starts in his comeback preparation and has impressed with his efforts in finishing seconds to Arma Xfactor and Cloud Nine on the past two Friday nights.
He began from out wide at barrier nine in a 2536m event last Friday night when he settled down in ninth position before dashing forward to race in the breeze with a lap to travel and then fighting on solidly to finish second to Cloud Nine after a final quarter of 28.9sec.
“Dylan said he went around to the breeze because the pace was so slow,” said Scott. “Rock Me Over is in a similar type of field this week, and Dylan could well drive him the same way. However, he doesn’t have to breeze, which is definitely not his go.
“Rock Me Over is the best horse in the race. He had a long break after damaging a hind suspensory ligament in a race in April 2023. He had nine months off before resuming racing last month.”
Rock Me Over has been an iron horse, having earned $404,714 from 25 wins and 64 placings from 208 starts. He shone as a two-year-old in 2017 when he finished a half-head second to Play The Boys in the group 1 Sales Classic for colts and geldings, second to the brilliant Jack Mac in the group 1 Pearl and third behind Cott Beach and Miss Sangrial in the group 2 Champagne Classic.
He is a half-brother to seven winners, including Handsandwheels (102 starts for 29 wins, 33 placings and $707,393) and Magnus Victor (37 starts for 12 wins, ten placings and $108,495).
Scott also has another veteran Gee Smith engaged in Friday night’s race. He will begin from barrier five with Corey Peterson in the sulky. Gee Smith caught the eye last Friday night when he was ninth at the bell and charged home, out six wide, to finish seventh, less than two lengths behind the winner Cloud Nine.
Toughest for Rock Me Over and Gee Smith to beat loom large as eight-year-old Alta Rhett and the youngest runner in the field in four-year-old Advantage.
Alta Rhett, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for Bunbury trainer Sarah Wall, has a losing sequence of 32 which includes 14 placings. He is handily drawn at barrier four and looks set to fight out the finish.
Advantage, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Sky Bond from the No. 6 barrier, has won at seven of his 21 starts and is sure to prove very hard to beat.
Scott is looking forward for strong showings from Trittritbangbang (barrier one) and Zuede (barrier two) in the final event on Friday night, the 2536m Smooth FM Perth On Digital Radio Pace.
“Trittritbangbang should be prominent from his favourable barrier and has a good chance of running second to Velocipede, while Zuede is capable of being placed,” said Scott.
Zuede had his first run for Scott in a 1780m event at Northam last Saturday night when he raced behind the pacemaker before using the sprint lane and winning from Goodonya Mate.
Velocipede will start from the outside barrier in the field of nine and is sure to be a warm favourite, despite setting the pace and fading to finish last in a field of ten in a 2536m event last Friday night when he ruined his chance by overracing.
Velocipede’s driver Gary Hall jnr said that the four-year-old was overrated but said he was confident the gelding would make amends and win this week.
“I will go back and sit him up this week,” said Hall. “With his speed he can come from last and win.”
The Code Breaker is set to lead
Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington is planning to set the pace with The Code Breaker in a bid for victory in the $25,000 #Skyracing Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Symington said he was happy with the way The Code Breaker performed at his second appearance after a spell when he finished strongly from sixth at the bell to be a close second to State Of Heaven last Friday night when he sprinted over the final 400m sections in 27.52sec. and 27.97sec.
“It was a good second-up performance, and he has come through the run very well,” he said. “I think he has the gate speed (from barrier No. 3) to cross the two runners, Beat City and Master Leighton, on his inside.”
The Code Breaker is prepared by Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell, who has Hillview Bondi engaged in Friday night’s race for his first appearance after a spell. With Hillview Bondi drawn to start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, it was an easy choice for Symington to make to drive The Code Breaker.
However, he said that it was disappointing that he was unable to drive Hillview Bondi because he has experienced a wonderful association with the gelding, having been in the sulky for ten of his 15 wins.
“Hillview Bondi has never been a good trackworker, but his recent work has been good,” said Symington. “However, barrier nine, first-up, makes it hard for him.” Mitch Miller has been engaged to drive Hillview Bondi on Friday night.
Capel trainer Aiden de Campo has four runners in the race — Rockandrollartist, Magnus Victor, Dominus Factum and The Miki Taker.
He has decided to drive The Miki Taker from the outside barrier on the back line. Trent Wheeler will drive Rockandrollartist from barrier five, Dylan Egerton-Green will handle Magnus Victor (barrier six) and Ryan Warwick will drive Dominus Factum (barrier two on the back line).
“I’m not sure where I’ll get with The Miki Taker, but you can do whatever with him,” said de Campo. “He’s versatile; he can do a bit of work and he can sit and kick. He was a bit disappointing (when third behind Rockmyster and Dominus Factum) two weeks ago.
“But he drops a bit in class and his work since his latest run suggests that there is nothing wrong with him. So, I’m expecting him to return to form this week.
“The other three are racing well, and Rockandrollartist will probably lead and go well.”
The Greg and Skye Bond-trained Street Hawk is favourably drawn on the inside of the back line and cannot be underestimated. He resumed after a spell in fine style at Pinjarra on Monday of last week when he started off the 40m mark and finished strongly to win easily over 2631m.
Hall picks Ideal Tomado
Star reinsman Gary Hall jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Ideal Tomado in preference to Ira Poole in the 2130m Garrard’s Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His decision was influenced by the Michael Young-trained Ideal Tomado drawing the coveted No. 1 barrier, and Ira Poole, trained by Gary Hall snr, drawing a little awkwardly at barrier five. Ideal Tomado is at his best when he leads, and Hall will be setting his sights on an all-the-way victory.
The New Zealand-bred Ira Poole, a winner at ten of his 44 starts, will be handled by Trent Wheeler. Ira Poole raced without cover for the first 500m before setting the pace and wilting to finish fourth behind Jett Star over 2130m last Friday night.
Cloud Nine, trained and driven by Stuart McDonald, is ideally drawn on the inside of the back line and he should obtain a perfect sit behind Ideal Tomado, an all-the-way winner at Gloucester Park four starts ago.
Cloud Nine impressed with his strong-finishing win over Rock Me Over over 2536m last Friday night.
Hall will be looking for a repeat performance from Finvarra when he drives the six-year-old in the Ray Duffy Memorial Free-For-All. Finvarra, trained by Gary Hall snr, began speedily from the No. 3 barrier when he scored a smart all-the-way win at a 1.55.5 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
This week Finvarra will again begin from the No. 3 barrier, with While They Pray and To Fast To Serious drawn on his inside.
The Hall camp holds a strong hand, with Finvarra’s stablemates Wildwest (Stuart McDonald) and Diego (Maddison Brown), drawn barriers six and seven, respectively, in the seven-horse field.
Wildwest was ninth and last at the bell before finishing fast, out five wide, to be fourth behind Finvarra last Friday night, while Diego ran home solidly to finish third after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Adding interest to the race on Friday night will be the return of Steel The Show, who will be having his first start for four weeks, since he set the pace and finished second to Jumpingjackmac over 2536m. A week before that Steel The Show, trained by Greg and Sky Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, led and won convincingly from To Fast To Serious over 2536m.
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