06 July 2023 | Ken Casellas
Faster Than Dad is ready
A combination of a drop in class and a perfect barrier at No. 1 has boosted Coolup trainer Michael George’s confidence that speedy pacer Faster Than Dad will carry too many guns for his ten rivals in the $30,000 GPHR Westbred Winter Classic for four and five-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He has led and won before in good time and fashion, and I couldn’t be happier with him,” said George. “It’s a great draw and we will be trying our best to lead, which I’m sure he can.
“If he leads, he will be hard to beat, even though I have plenty of respect for Eldaytona, Whos The Dad, Arma Xfactor, Paul Edward and High Price.”
Faster Than Dad, who will be driven by Gary Hall jnr, put the writing on the wall when he finished an excellent third behind top-flight pacers Mighty Conqueror and Patronus Star in a 1730m Free-For-All last Friday night when he raced in last position in the field of five before running home strongly.
He dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.04sec. and 26.86sec. — faster times than all of his rivals.
The Colin Brown-trained Arma Xfactor is in outstanding form, having won easily at his four appearances in his current campaign. His wins have been at Pinjarra in four consecutive weeks at Pinjarra last month. He rises significantly in class, but he cannot be underestimated, despite drawing out wide at barrier seven.
Hillview Bondi finished eleventh behind Moonlite Drive over 2536m last Friday night, but trainer Ryan Bell said it would pay to overlook that failure. “He went back from a wide draw and raced at the rear,” said Bell. “From the No. 3 barrier this week I’m sure he will run a good race.”
Eldaytona, trained and driven by Lindsay Harper, and Whos The Dad, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Kevin Charles, each has excellent gate speed, and are versatile as well. Eldaytona will start from barrier five, with Whos The Dad at barrier No. 4.
The two back line runners, both four-year-olds, are in splendid form and are last-start winners. Each is capable of unwinding a strong finishing burst.
All eyes on Atlantic Gem
Harness racing fans are keenly anticipating the debut of well-bred filly Atlantic Gem, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the $20,250 Westside Auto Wholesale Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Atlantic Gem, who is by American sire Downbytheseaside, is a half-sister to star four-year-old Swingband, and she will be attempting to win on debut, just like Swingband, who won by five lengths in a race at Pinjarra on July 5, 2021.
Atlantic Gem gave a taste of her ability when she won a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning. She set the pace from barrier one and beat Get The Booth by a half-length, rating 2.2.3, with final quarters of 30.3sec. and 29.9sec. The times are not particularly impressive, but the filly was not extended and won with something in reserve.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell said: “Atlantic Gem is a moody filly. Her trial was okay without getting too excited. She only does what she has to. Usually, she is a bit more zippy. So, I’m hoping the trial has sparked her up for Friday.
“She will be racing against some very experienced horses, and a lot with good gate speed. She has good gate speed, and I will leave the tactics up to Kyle (Symington). I don’t think she is a one-trick pony; I think she can lead but can also come from behind and get the job done.”
Among Atlantic Gem’s rivals are the Jemma Hayman-trained Chilli Punter (unbeaten at her two starts), trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo’s Maddy Lou (with two wins and a second from three starts), San Remo Beach (a Bunbury winner), and Dekla Diva and Manea, both of whom are racing with plenty of spirit.
It is significant that Chris Lewis chose to drive the Craig Abercromby-trained Lunetta in preference to Chilli Punter. Lunetta has managed only one placing (a third behind Bazaar Package on debut) from her five starts. But she is favourably drawn at barrier two, with Chilli Punter at No. 7.
Meanwhile, Swingband is on the injured list, and his immediate future is uncertain. “He has to be boxed for six weeks,” said Bell. “He has a fractured tibia; it’s only a stress fracture, so we’re hoping that all will be well after six weeks.
“At this stage Swingband has a 50-50 chance of making the feature four-year-old races towards the end of the year. After six weeks, and we’re not happy we will have to bypass the rest of the year and concentrate on next year.”
Bell said that stable star Shockwave had just returned after “two weeks up in the hills” and had resumed swimming this week.
“We will take our time with him, and we’re always cautious with his legs, while we know that he has to cop the work as well.”
The Bell stable maintained its excellent strike rate at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening, with Franco Encore and Speedwagon winning in fine style for Symington, who completed a treble when he drove the Chienoa Silver-trained Jolted Charm to victory in the final event.
Young’s plan for Skylord
Skylord, with a winning record of 50 per cent, is a leading contender for the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3, and his trainer and driver Jocelyn Young is planning to use his excellent gate speed from out wide at barrier six in the 2130m GPHR Westsired Pace for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“The aim will be to go forward and lead,” said Young, who is confident that the colt will improve on his second-up third behind Mister Smartee and Crowd Control over 2536m last Friday night when he began speedily from barrier seven and had a tough run in the breeze. That followed his first-up win over Paul Edward when he led from barrier two over 2100m at Bunbury.
Young was pleased with Skylord’s effort at his first attempt over the Derby distance of 2536m when Mister Smartee rated 1.57.3. She pointed out that Tricky Miki rated 1.58.8 when he won the Derby last November.
“Skylord will improve on his last week’s run,” said Young, who was successful with her only drive at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening when four-year-old Cut N Run, trained by Cameron Ross, gave an excellent frontrunning performance to win from the fast-finishing last-start winner Mr Chip.
Ross and Young are hoping for a strong performance from Steno in the $22,000 Bridge Bar Pace on Friday night. Steno is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven, with her main rival Acharne Girl drawn the outside barrier in the field of nine.
Steno, blessed with sparkling gate speed, has a fine record of eleven wis and nine placings from 25 starts. She was a $51 outsider from barrier eight in a group 3 feature event last Friday week when she raced in the one-out, two-back position and finished a fair sixth behind Wonderful To Fly. A week earlier she sat behind the pacemaker Wonderful To Fly and finished second to that brilliant mare over 2130m.
“She is best suited at leading,” said Young. “That’s where she has won all her races. She has enough gate speed (to come out) but some of the others will have the same idea.”
Steno’s main dangers are likely to be Acharne Girl and Dontbesillychilli, with Acharne Girl certain to be hard to beat, despite the outside draw. Archarne Girl was most unlucky second when second to Dontbesillychilly last Friday night. The winning margin was four and a half lengths. But Acharne Girl was hopelessly hemmed in on the pegs behind the tiring pacemaker Our Star Billing in the final lap and did not get clear until the home turn before she sprinted brilliantly.
Dontbesillychilli, trained by Sarah Wall and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, was a spectacular winner, charging home with a dazzling last-to-first sprint. She is favourably drawn at barrier two on Friday night.
Turvey seeks to repeat the dose
Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey has high hopes that his veteran pacer Mea Culpa retains his perfect record from barrier No. 1 when he starts from the inside in the 2130m Beau Rivage Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Mea Culpa, a former Victorian performer and a seasoned campaigner with his 102 starts producing 16 wins, 17 seconds and 15 thirds, has began from the No. 1 barrier twice at his 25 WA starts for all-the-way wins over 2130m — beating Jett Star at a 1.56.7 rate and a final 800m in 56.6sec. on March 3 this year, and then beating The Code Breaker over 2130m on May 12, rating 1.57.6, with a final 800m of 56.5sec.
“He is going well, and the plan will be to lead,” said Turvey. “He was unlucky last Friday night when he was held up and finished fifth behind The Code Breaker.” A victory by Mea Culpa would give Turvey three wins in a row, following Rocknroll Sass scoring at Pinjarra on Monday and Chal Patch winning at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
Kyle Harper, one of the State’s most astute frontrunning drivers, will be determined to make every post a winner by rating Mea Culpa to perfection in the lead.
Mea Culpa’s chief rivals are expected to be Kimble, Onesmartfella and Floewriter.
Kimble, a winner at eleven of his 52 starts, will be having his first start for Coolup trainer Michael George. An easy all-the-way last-start winner for trainer Michael Young, Kimble faces a stern test from out wide at barrier seven.
But he must come under serious consideration following his splendid performance in finishing second to Finvarra in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he was fifth on the pegs in the field of six and six lengths behind the frontrunning Finvarra at the bell.
Kimble sprinted strongly to get within a head of Finvarra 400m from the finish, before fighting on gamely to be beaten by a length after final quarters of 29.7sec. and 28.4sec.
“His trial was outstanding,” said George. And Gary Hall jnr has given punters a strong lead by opting to drive Kimble ahead of Master Publisher and Henrik Larsson.
Hall has an outstanding book of drives at the meeting, with strong winning prospects with Watching Our Coin (race one), The Mustang (race three), Finvarra (race four), Acharne Girl (race five), Faster Than Dad (race six), Velocipede (race eight), Dekla Dive (race ten) and Bromwich (race eleven).
Kyle Symington, fresh from a treble at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night, has been booked for eight drives, with his best prospects appearing to be Peligroso (race seven), Atlantic Gem (race ten), Tenzing Bromac (race three), Cheer The Major (race one) and Hillview Bondi (race six).
Peligroso, trained by Ryan Bell, is ideally drawn at barrier one in the 1730m Allwood Stud Farm Pace at his second appearance after 24-week absence. He resumed in style at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he began brilliantly from barrier five, set the pace and won easily from Apologize, rating 1.58.7 over 2130m.
“This is a nice draw and her should lead and be able to reel off some nice sectionals,” said Bell. “He looked like he was under pressure (in the last lap) when he won last week. We put plugs on him, and he fell asleep. But when Kyle pulled the plugs, he switched back on and did the job. Kyle said that his final 100m was really good, which is a good positive sign. We will probably take the plugs off this week to keep him on the bit.”
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