22 March 2018 | Ken Casellas
Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr holds the record of preparing five winners of the Group 2 Slater Gartrell Western Gateway Pace and he is pinning his hopes on Speed Man in the $50,000 classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall agreed that the race looked extremely open, but he said that Speed Man had the ability to bounce back from his fifth placing behind Golden State in a WA Derby prelude last Friday night when the colt raced in the breeze outside the pacemaker Golden State.
“He is not suited to racing without cover,” Hall said. “He gave it away only over the final 50 metres. He also raced in the breeze when fifth behind Bechers Brook and Golden State in the Battle of Bunbury at his previous start.
“However, Speed Man showed his true worth three starts ago when he raced behind the pacemaker Golden State before finishing strongly to beat him by more than a length.”
In-form reinsman Stuart McDonald will drive Speed Man, who is drawn awkwardly at barrier six on the front line, while stable newcomer Benhope Rulz, drawn on the inside of the back line in the 2536m event, will be handled by star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr.
Benhope Rulz, a winner of three standing-start races from five starts in New Zealand, was driven by Hall Jnr in a 2150m mobile trial at Byford on Sunday morning. Benhope Rulz impressed in finishing powerfully from sixth at the bell to be a nose second to the pacemaker Antero. Hall sat quietly in the sulky all the way up the home straight and he did not ask the gelding for a special effort.
“Benhope Rulz went pretty good in the trial,” said Hall Snr “He went a lot better than he had been going at home when his work was lack lustre. However, I wouldn’t say that he cannot win on Friday night.”
Hall Snr has won the Western Gateway Pace with The Falcon Strike (2001), Alta Christiano (2013), Elegant Christian (2014), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Chicago Bull (2016). Last year Hall was the trainer of Herrick Roosevelt, who raced in the breeze and finished third behind the pacemaker Mitch Maguire and Maczaffair in the Western Gateway Pace.
Speed Man, who has won at four of his ten starts, has yet to race beyond 2240m but he is capable of performing strongly over 2536m. Benhope Rulz has unwound powerful finishing bursts to win over 2600m, 2000m and 2400m.
At his latest appearance, in a 2400m mobile event at Nelson on January 14, Benhope Rulz started from the outside (No. 8) of the front line and was restrained back to last in the field of nine. He sustained a strong last-lap burst to move into second place before fighting on doggedly to finish fifth, just over a length behind the winner Pirate Bay.
Mike Reed, who trained and drove Manageable for his win in the Western Gateway Pace in 1988, holds a strong hand in Friday night’s race, with Bechers Brook (No. 4 on the front line) and Golden State (barrier two on the back line).
Golden State, whose ten starts have produced five wins and three seconds, should settle down in a prominent position in the one-wide line and looks set to fight out the finish.
Bechers Brook, who also has won at five of his ten starts, will be handled by Dylan Egerton-Green, who brought the colt home with a spirited burst to win the Battle of Bunbury from the pacemaker Golden State two starts ago. Bechers Brook started from the outside (No. 9) in the Derby prelude last Friday night when he raced at the rear and then was forced wide in the final circuit before finishing last. He can do much better from his more favourable draw this week.
Three fillies, Lady De La Renta, Cimorine and Cott Beach will contest Friday night’s race. Only three fillies, Omista (1972), Via Vista (1981) and Whitbys Miss Penny (1991) have been successful in the 46-year history of the Western Gateway Pace.
Lady De la Renta, trained by Annie Belton and driven by Chris Voak, will have many admirers after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier. Lady De La Renta is a versatile filly who has won in good style at her past two starts.
Cimorene, trained by Terry Ferguson, and the Kristy Elson-trained Cott Beach, face tougher assignments from out wide at barriers eight and nine, respectively.
Cimorene notched her fourth win from 21 starts when she settled in seventh position and raced in the breeze in the final lap before beating Mister Spot in the $30,000 Country Derby over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Mister Spot did well to fail by only a nose after racing wide early and without cover in the middle stages. He is trained in Bunbury by John Graham, who prepared Lively Royce for his victory in the 2008 Western Gateway Pace. Mister Spot will be driven by Dean Miller.
Chris Lewis, who has won the classic five times with Flashing Star (1993), Pro Armbro (1995), Saab (1998), Talladega (2000) and Alberta Retreat (2005) will drive the promising, lightly-raced gelding Shadow Magic for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett.
Shadow Magic was eighth at the bell and was hampered for room in the final circuit before flashing home on the inside to be sixth behind Golden State last Friday night. He worked hard without cover before winning by five lengths in an R0 event at Bunbury at his previous outing. From barrier two on the front line on Friday night Shadow Magic is capable of a forward showing.
Cott Beach, who has earned $195,226 from 11 wins and eight placings from 22 starts, possesses sparkling gate speed, but it is difficult to predict that she will be able to muster sufficient early speed to get to an early lead.
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