30 November 2017 | Ken Casellas
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr retains his unbending faith in Chicago Bull and insists that the many admirers of the plain-looking little gelding should stick with him in the TABtouch Inter Dominion championship.
Chicago Bull certainly lost no fans after finishing third behind Soho Tribeca and Devendra in the fifth qualifying heat at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Tuesday night. The five-year-old looks to have a great chance of returning to the winning list when he starts from the prized No. 1 barrier in the seventh heat at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chicago Bull started from the inside of the back line at Bunbury and was under lock and key in fifth position, three back on the pegs, before Hall was able to ease him into the one-wide line 250m from home. He was still badly hampered for room until 120m from the post when Hall was able to get him into the clear.
Chicago Bull flew home in the final stages, leaving an admiring Hall to comment: “He did all he could do really, and I was really happy with him. He went super. We had to go sideways to get a run and that probably cost him a little bit of ground. He was thundering home.”
Hall is certain to use Chicago Bull’s good gate speed and will attempt an all-the-way victory on Friday night, with his major rivals Tiger Tara (barrier six) and Shandale (five) awkwardly drawn.
Tiger Tara looms as powerful opposition to Chicago Bull after his impressive record-breaking win in the sixth heat at Donaldson Park in Bunbury on Tuesday night. He rated 1.52.3 to smash Run Oneover’s course record for 2100m of 1.53.8.
Brilliant young reinsman Todd McCarthy described Tiger Tara’s performance as awesome and is looking forward to challenging Chicago Bull on Friday night. He said that he would have preferred Tiger Tara to have run a second or two slower. But he added that did not think that the effort would have an adverse effect on the stallion.
Trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko will be anxious for Shandale to maintain his solid form and to run in the first three or four to clinch a place in the $1.1 million final on Friday week.
Shandale raced in the breeze for much of the way and was on terms with the leader Lennytheshark 300m from home before fighting on doggedly to finish a very close fourth in a four-way photo finish in fourth heat at Donaldson Park. The five-year-old finished strongly from sixth on the pegs at the bell to be third behind Soho Tribeca and Lazarus on the opening night of the series.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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