04 June 2020 | Ken Casellas
Lightly-raced eight-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding Jimmy Mack will resume racing after a 14-week absence when he starts from barrier four in the Mondo Doro Smallgoods Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And the Washington VC pacer looks hard to beat after impressing with a strong performance to win a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday morning.
Driven by Mitch Miller for trainer Ross Olivieri, Jimmy Mack started from the outside barrier in a field of six. He was last with a lap to travel and he finished determinedly to get to the front 25,m from the post and win by just under a length from Gee Jay Kay, rating 1.59.5, with final quarters of 29.5sec. and 28.3sec.
Jimmy Mack will be handled by his regular driver Chris Lewis and one of his chief rivals could well be stablemate The Dali Express. Both pacers are owned by Merv Butterworth’s racing syndicate.
The Dali Express, who will start from the outside of the back line with Chris Voak in the sulky, will be having his first start for 13 weeks. He was placed at his final four runs before going for a spell and is capable of a strong first-up showing.
The Dali Express has raced 57 times for 16 wins and 19 placings and rarely performs below par. Jimmy Mack has a 39 per cent winning record, having been successful at 12 of his 31 starts, as well as being placed 13 times.
Olivieri and Lewis will be hoping to make a flying start to the meeting by scoring with brilliant filly Double Expresso in the opening event, the TABtouch Pace, in which Double Expresso will be looking to make amends for close seconds at each of her past three starts.
Double Expresso, a winner at 12 of her 19 starts, has the ability to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier on the front line. Her chief rivals could be Blockjorg (outside of the back line) and Alta Louisa (No. 4 barrier).
Blockjorg, to be driven by Jocelyn Young for Vasse trainer Colin Reeves, is in grand form and has won impressively at three of her past four starts, including two strong-finishing victories over Double Expresso.
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