24 January 2019 | Ken Casellas
New Zealand-bred pacers Hasani and Caviar Star were two of the most impressive winners last Friday night and their clash in the $30,000 Cowden The Insurance Brokers Im Themightyquinn Pace should provide one of the highlights on Friday night’s ten-event program at Gloucester Park.
Neither pacer was extended in winning over 2130m, with Caviar Star giving a brilliant performance to race three wide for the first 600m and then in the breeze before careering away to win by two lengths from Touch of Success. His time of 2min. 34.5sec. was superior than the 2min. 35.1sec. recorded by Hasani.
However, Hasani makes strong appeal as the winner this week, given the fact that he has drawn perfectly at barrier one on the front line, with Caviar Star drawn at the No. 2 barrier on the back line.
Ryan Warwick, who drives Hasani for the powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable, is sure to take full advantage of the superior barrier by giving the lightly-raced Courage Under Fire gelding the task of leading all the way. Hasani possesses excellent gate speed and should be capable of holding out Roman Aviator (barrier three) after the mobile barrier releases the field.
Hasani is a five-year-old who has raced only 13 times for seven wins, four seconds and a third and he looks set for a bright career.
Caviar Star, trained by Gary Hall Snr, is a four-year-old who has won at seven of his 19 starts and reinsman Gary Hall jnr was full of praise after his victory last week, saying: “He’s still a bity of a baby in the head, but he’s got speed and toughness and that will get him a long way.”
Four-year-old Roman Aviator, trained and driven by Aldo Cortopassi, boasts a splendid record of 30 starts for nine wins, seven seconds and a third and he should be prominent.
Eight-year-old Machrie is racing enthusiastically for Pinjarra trainer Chris King, and though he has a losing sequence of 38, he has sound place prospects from the inside of the back line. He ran home strongly from last at the bell when third behind Hasani and Anime last Friday night.
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