Ace reinsman Gary Hall jun. has driven brilliant injury-plagued pacer John of Arc 19 times for 15 wins. But this week he is planning ways and means to defeat the New Zealand-bred star, a winner of 16 of his 27 starts, in the Chef Batson’s Famous Ribs Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall will be in the sulky behind rising superstar and winner of the 2016 WA Derby, Chicago Bull, who is prepared by his father Gary Hall sen.
Chicago Bull, an M0-class performer with earnings of $274,254 from 14 wins and four placings from 22 starts, has an awkward draw at barrier six on the one-line field of eight over 2130m, while John of Arc, now prepared by Clive Dalton, will be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier eight.
John of Arc has an M6 classification and he made an impressive return to racing after an absence of eight and a half months when he finished a close fourth behind Ima Connoisseur over 2130m last Friday week after racing three wide for the first 500m and then working hard without cover.
Chicago Bull has won at 11 of his past 12 starts. He gave a bold frontrunning display when he romped home by almost four lengths from Rycroft at a 1.56.9 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
“This is one of his first real tests, particularly the way John of Arc went first-up,” Hall jun. declared as he assessed Chicago Bull’s prospects on Friday night. “But I think Chicago Bull is capable of beating John of Arc. Barrier six is not ideal and it won’t be easy. If John of Arc has taken no harm from his first-up run, then obviously he’ll be the one to beat.”
Hall said that Chicago Bull was well on target to contest the rich four-year-old classic late this year and that stablemates Mach Time and King Lebron also were being aimed at the Golden Nugget Championship and McInerney Ford Classic.
Mach Time looks a star bet in the second heat of the Book Now For the TABtouch interdominion Preux Chevalier Pace in which he will start from the favourable No. 3 barrier on the front line.
Mach Time has resumed after a four-month absence in fine style with two convincing wins over 2100m at Bunbury.
“He’s gone really good in those two runs in which he was a bit underdone,” he said. “Now he should be on the way up and the Golden Nugget is the main aim. At the moment he’s probably the stable’s No. 2 hope behind Chicago Bull. But there’s not much between him and King Lebron.”
King Lebron, driven by Hall, notched his seventh win from 19 starts when he raced wide for the first 500m before getting to the front and going on to win from Borntobeanartist at a 1.57.2 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
Mach Time, a winner of five races in New Zealand, has had eight starts in WA for six wins.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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