Champion trainer Gary Hall sen. holds all the aces in the $23,000 Past Presidents Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night with five of the ten runners in the 2130m feature event.
He has won previous Past Presidents Cups with The Falcon Strike (2006), Our Arlington (2014) and Soho Highroller (2015) and is confident of another victory this week. He leans towards Run Oneover, to be driven by his elder son Clint, just ahead of Cyamach, to be handled by his younger son Gary.
Cyamach, who will be making his first appearance for almost 16 weeks, has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, with the four-year-old New Zealand-bred Run Oneover, the youngest and least experienced runner in the race, favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier.
Run Oneover, with four runs for two wins and two seconds from four outings since resuming from a spell, is fitter than the talented six-year-old Cyamach, who boasts a splendid record of 17 wins and 29 placings from 66 starts.
“Run Oneover is my choice,” said Hall sen. “The plan at this stage is for Run Oneover to set the pace, with Cyamach taking the sit behind him. I’ve brought Cyamach back early and he’s a bit big in condition. He’ll probably take the sit on Run Oneover because I think that is his best option.
“Given the respective fitness levels of the two horses I think Cyamach is best suited by taking a sit.”
The Hall stable’s other runners are Crusader Banner, Bettor Not Knowing and Avalon Bromac, with none of the trio likely to seriously test Cyamach or Run Oneover, whose 36 starts have produced 12 wins and 14 placings.
Run Oneover has been freshened up since he started from the outside barrier and raced in seventh and last position before starting a three-wide move at the bell. He hit the front 400m from home, but wilted slightly to finish second to Mighty Flying Thomas over 2536m.
Hall jun. has won the Past Presidents Cup with The Falcon Strike and his brother has been successful with Our Arlington and Soho Highroller, a 10/1 chance who sustained a strong finishing burst to win from the 2/1 favourite Our Blackbird 12 months ago.
Crusader Banner has sound prospects of being placed and giving the Hall stable the trifecta. He will start from the outside (No. 9) on the front line and is certain to be driven conservatively before being asked to produce a powerful finishing burst. Crusader Banner contested a 1609m sprint at Bunbury last Saturday night when he settled down in seventh position and came from third (three wide) at the bell to take the lead 80m from the post and then finish a close second to the fast-finishing Three Bears in 1.53.6.
Chris Lewis, who drove Tsunami Lombo to victory in the 2010 Past Presidents Cup, will handle the nippy Bronze Seeker, who had no luck when a splendid fourth behind Elegant Christian over 2130m last Friday night.
Bronze Seeker enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before being badly hampered behind the tiring Firebomb. He lost his momentum and did very well to finish strongly from seventh on the home turn. He impressed two starts earlier when he raced in seventh position before sprinting home fast to win from Another Vinnie over 2536m.
The Peter Anderson-trained Bronze Seeker fared badly in the random draw and will start from barrier seven. He is capable of unwinding a strong finishing burst.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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