Lewis Out to End a Hoodoo

The Christmas Gift is one of the very few feature events in Western Australia to have eluded champion reinsman Chris Lewis, who has bright prospects of breaking this hoodoo by guiding Wrappers Delight to victory in the $50,000 Gift final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Wrappers Delight was the fastest of the three heat winners last week and Lewis’s prospects rose sharply when drew favourable at barrier two on the front line in the 2130m event.

Lewis finished third in the Christmas Gift with Pallaton in 1979 and since 1990 he has had a drive in the final of the Gift 26 times for five seconds (with Nippy Rendina, Downtown Boy, Regunya Boy, Michael Leslie and Heez On Fire), one third (Grand Canyon) and seven fourths.

“His run was exceptional and he has run a very good time on a track that is not particularly quick,” Lewis said after driving Wrappers Delight to an impressive all-the-way victory over Abraxas Blues and Herrick Roosevelt in a qualifying heat last Friday night.

Wrappers Delight, a Victorian-bred four-year-old, rated 1.56.3 which was faster than the rates recorded by the other heat winners, Zach Maguire (1.56.5) and Rock Diamonds (1.58.3). The stallion is a smart beginner and it is significant that he has set the pace and won six times in a 31-start career of ten wins and nine placings.

Herrick Roosevelt, trained by Gary Hall Snr, looms as one of Wrappers Delight’s main rivals. He started from barrier four and worked hard in the breeze when a wilting third behind Wrappers Delight last Friday night. This week Herrick Roosevelt will start from the No. 1 barrier and Gary Hall Jnr is sure to be anxious to use the gelding’s excellent gate speed in a bid to set the pace.

Herrick Roosevelt has made all the running in five of his nine wins in Western Australia.

Hall Jnr has opted to drive Herrick Roosevelt in preference to smart stablemate Zach Maguire, who raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before sprinting home strongly from fifth on the home turn to beat the pacemaker Skippy Rascal in a qualifying heat.

“He’s one of my favourites and is still on the way up,” said Hall after the win. Zach Maguire will start from barrier six on the front line with Stuart McDonald in the sulky.

The third heat winner, the Skye Bond-trained Rock Diamonds, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, immediately behind Wrappers Delight. A winner at 13 of his 27 starts, he should obtain a good passage and is capable of producing a powerful finish. He led comfortably from barrier three and set a moderate pace for the first 1200m before sprinting over the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 27.6sec.

One of the most impressive performances in the qualifying heats was that of six-year-old Argyle Red, who was tenth at the bell and still tenth with 550m to travel before going five wide on the home turn and charging down the straight to finish fourth behind Rock Diamonds. The Rob MacDonald-trained Argyle Red will start from barrier five with Morgan Woodley in the sulky.

The Kim Prentice-trained Abraxas Blues also impressed in the heats with his fast-finishing second to Wrappers Delight. He will start from barrier four.