by Wayne Currall
Punters would be well advised to follow leading concession driver Michael Grantham at Gloucester Park on Friday night. The in-form young reinsman has a great book of drives and is poised for his most successful night at headquarters.
Grantham, who has driven 86 winners this season for stakes of more than $933,000, leads the junior drivers’ list by a country mile, an indication of how dominant Grantham has been this season can be gauged by those in his rear-view mirror. Jocelyn Young is sitting second on the leading concession drivers’ list with 36 winners – 50 in arrears of Grantham and that gap seems certain to widen even further after Friday night’s meeting.
Grantham kicks off his night on the consistent The Storm Chief in the Tabtouch Pace (2130m). This is a race with many chances and The Storm Chief is certainly in the mix from his good trailing draw in gate 11. His last-start second behind the smart Herrick Roosevelt when he came from well back in the field in a slick 57sec. last 800m was full of merit.
Grantham then gets in the bike behind fast-class performer Red Salute, who is dropping in class for his clash with M1-M3 pacers in the Garrards Horse & Hound Pace (2536m). Trainer Ross Olivieri has used Grantham’s concession to get the M4-assessed Red Salute into the race and, despite his wide draw in gate 9, he must be given a great each-way chance.
Grantham next takes the reins aboard his uncle Michael Brennan’s horse Naughty Maravu in the Westral Pace (2536m). Brennan gives Naughty Maravu a great chance from his inside draw and Grantham is expected to put the handlebars down at the start in an effort to cross pole marker Chevrons Champion. Naughty Maravu is a good frontrunner and will give plenty of cheek in that role if he can find the top.
The Group 1 2YO Diamond Classic (2130m) worth a cool $100,000 is the next race on the card and Grantham again teams with trainer Brennan on the classy filly Miss Sangrial. She’s the form filly in the classic and when she drew the pole it had most people looking for who would run second to her. Grantham is expected to send Miss Sangrial straight to the front and from there she’ll prove the testing material for her 11 rivals.
The Clipsal by Schneider Electric Handicap SS Pace (2503m) sees Grantham driving Waltzing With Cullen, a horse he owns in partnership with recently retired harness racing driver and soon to be jockey Maddison Brown and senior jockeys Chris Parnham, Joseph Azzopardi and Aaron Mitchell. Grantham has driven Waltzing With Cullen to five wins and numerous placings and the horse appeals as a solid each-way chance despite coming off the 40m back mark.
Grantham’s last drive for the night comes up in the Westside Auto Wholesale Westbred Pace (2130m) when he steers the Clinton Kimes-trained Mako Shadow. This bloke made a solid return to racing after a five-month spell when he finished hard out wide for fourth behind Star Armbro at GP on May 19. Mako Shadow has drawn wide in this race but he must go in the mix after his gutsy first-up effort.
It’s looming as a night to remember for Grantham.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
