05 November 2020 | Ken Casellas
Quality mare Gotta Go Gabbana will reappear after an absence of just over five months when she starts from an awkward draw at barrier seven in the $22,000 Etch Coatings Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and she showed that she is ready to run a big race first-up when she scored effortlessly in fast time in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra last Sunday week.
Gotta Go Gabbana, prepared by Annie Belton, impressed in the four-horse trial in which she was driven by Nathan Turvey and sat behind the pacemaker American Brave before being eased off the pegs 250m from home, and after a 27.5sec. third quarter, she coasted home to get up in the final couple of strides to beat American Brave by a head, rating 1.54.2, with a final quarter in 29.7sec.
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has elected to drive Gotta Go Gabbana in preference to the Barry Howlett-trained five-year-old Somebeachparty, who is perfectly drawn at barrier one and has good prospects of setting the pace for Emily Suvaljko.
Lewis drove Somebeachparty when she set the pace and finished second to Typhoon Banner over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. Before that, Somebeachparty had won at her three starts after being out of action for 25 months.
She led and won at Narrogin and Pinjarra before she raced three back on the pegs and sprinted home over the final 400m in 27.4sec. to easily beat Louie The Horse over 2185m at Pinjarra.
The nine mares in Friday night’s event will be on trial for the $50,000 Norms Daughter Classic on Friday week and the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic two weeks later.
Gotta Go Gabbana finished boldly from the rear when fourth behind Our Alfie Romeo in the Norms Daughter Classic 12 months ago before she led from the No. 1 barrier and won easily from Our Alfie Romeo in the Westral Mares Classic.
Our Alfie Romeo, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the No. 4 barrier in Friday night’s event. A winner of 20 races, Our Alfie Romeo has been slightly disappointing when unplaced at her past three starts from wide barriers. She has the ability to bounce back to her best form here from a reasonable barrier.
Capel trainer Aiden de Campo will be represented by Mandy Joan and Millwood Molly. He will drive Mandy Joan from barrier three, and Dylan Egerton-Green will be in the sulky behind Millwood Molly, who faces a stern test from the outside barrier.
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