by Ken Casellas
Astute Henley Brook horseman Mike Reed is poised to become the most successful trainer in the history of the Gannon’s WA Oaks by winning the prestigious $150,000 group 1 classic with outstanding filly Maczaffair at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Maczaffair is in dazzling form and will be a short-priced favourite after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier. Reinsman Shannon Suvaljko will attempt an all-the-way victory with Maczaffair, a stylish frontrunner who started from the No. 1 barrier and was untroubled to set the pace and win a 2130m Oaks prelude by more than four lengths from Gotta Go Gabbana last Friday week.
This will be the 50th running of the WA Oaks and Reed has won the classic with Pharosan (2000), Sheer Royalty (2009) and Libertybelle Midfrew (2014). The only other trainers to have won the Oaks three times are Fred Kersley jun. and Trevor Warwick.
Kersley was successful with Wannerie (1979), Capricciosa (1980) and Countess Gina (1985) and Warwick has won the event with Benemerenza (1982), Parthenon (1995) and Lombo Rapida (1999).
Albert and Julie Walmsley and Suvaljko are looking for their second success in the Oaks — after Christian Cullen mare Libertybelle Midfrew, favourite at 10/1 on, set the pace from barrier five and won the 2014 classic by more than seven lengths from The Parade — after scoring effortless victories in both Oaks preludes.
Maczaffair, a Mach Three filly, is the most successful filly in Friday night’s event, having won nine times for stakes of $138,650 from 20 starts. The 2536m journey will be no problem for Maczaffair, who gave a superb performance as a 44/1 outsider when she finished with a dazzling burst of speed which carried her from tenth at the 600m and seventh at the 250m to be a half-head second to classy colt Mitch Maguire in the group 2 Western Gateway Pace three starts ago.
Adding considerable interest to Friday night’s race will be the first appearance at Gloucester Park of the New Zealand-bred Bettors Delight filly Better B Chevron, who will start from barrier five on the front line and will be driven by Ryan Warwick for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond.
Better B Chevron made an outstanding Australian debut when she set the pace and dashed over the final quarters in 27.1sec. and 28.2sec. to beat Gonzos Shadow by two and a half lengths at a 1.57.2 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. That followed easy wins over 2200m at Invercargill at her two previous outings.
On March 11 she was first out from the No. 1 barrier before being restrained to trail the 6/4 on favourite The Bus after 100m. Making use of the sprint lane, she burst to the front 130m from the post to win by one and a half lengths from Lilac Flash, with a final 400m in 26.8sec.
A week later, she started from the No. 4 barrier and raced in the breeze before taking the lead with 120m to travel and winning, unextended, by one and a quarter lengths from Santanna’s Rocket after sprinting the final quarter in 27.8sec.
The Bonds are hoping that drawing the No. 5 barrier will be a lucky omen (after their star filly Dodolicious began from that barrier and was favourite at 3/1 on when she raced in the breeze before winning last year’s Oaks narrowly from outsider Bettor Boa.
Greg Bond also trained Millwood Meg when Colin Brown drove that filly to an easy victory in the 2010 WA Oaks. The Bonds will also be represented in Friday night’s race with Hit It Rich, an easy all-the-way winner at Pinjarra on Monday of last week — her fourth win from just six starts.
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, who prepared Major Reality for her narrow victory over stablemate Quite A Delight in the 2015 WA Oaks, has four runners in this year’s classic — Allamerican Queen, Im Stylish, Lady Luca and Somewhereonlyiknow.
Allamerican Queen led from barrier three and scored a three-length victory over Myanniegoat in the 2569m Country Oaks at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park track last Saturday week. That was her second win from 16 starts and she meets far stronger opposition this week.
Prentice will drive Allamerican Queen, Tom Buchanan will be in the sulky behind Im Stylish (a winner at five of her 12 starts) and Hayden Charles has been engaged for last-start all-the-way Pinjarra winner Lady Luca and Nathan Turvey for Somewhereonlyiknow, who faces a tough task from the outside of the front line.
Kim Prentice has two smart fillies engaged for prominent owner Robert Watson — Soho Angel (barrier six) and Angel Bromac (barrier two on the back line). He will drive Angel Bromac (who has impressed with four wins and three seconds from seven starts) and Victorian reinsman Michael Stanley has been engaged for Soho Angel, who has won five races and been placed nine times.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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