04 February 2021 | Ken Casellas
Back mark no concern for As Happy As Larry
Evergreen pacer As Happy As Larry has been unplaced in mobiles against star pacers of the class of Chicago Bull, Galactic Star, Vultan Tin and Patronus Star in recent weeks and he is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class when he contests the $30,000 Northam Cup at Burwood Park on Saturday night.
The New Zealand-bred nine-year-old will start from the back mark of 50m in the 2560m Cup and he has the speed and strength to win and give trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams a welcome gift for his 33RD birthday on Monday.
As Happy As Larry is a redoubtable stayer and a standing-start specialist. It is significant that his past two appearances in stands produced a head second (from the 50m mark) to frontmarker Flying Mister Ideal over 2503m at Gloucester Park last October and a notable victory (from 50m) over Where Ya Bin in the 2902m Easter Cup at Gloucester Park the previous April.
The Lie Or Die gelding started from 30m when second to Mighty Conqueror in the Easter Cup in April 2019. He is also well suited to the Burwood Park track where he has had seven starts for four wins and a second placing.
Looming as the main dangers to As Happy As Larry on Saturday night are Bettorstartdreaming and Divinia Bellezza, who will start from the 10m mark.
Bettorstartdreaming, a Bettors Delight five-year-old trained by Ross Olivieri, impressed with an excellent second to stablemate Thats Perfect in a heat of the Nights of Thunder before finishing eighth behind Queen Shenandoah in the final in which he started out wide at barrier eight and raced at the rear.
Bettorstartdreaming contested six stands in New Zealand for a win over 2200m at Alexandra Park and a second over 2700m at the same venue. At his only appearance in a stand in WA, over 2631m at Pinjarra 12 months ago, he was a hot favourite who galloped at the start, raced at the rear and finished last in the field of eleven.
However, he is a good stayer and should fight out the finish, providing he begins smoothly for reinsman Lindsay Harper. Olivieri is seeking another win in a Northam Cup after preparing Im Full Of Excuses for his victory in track record time in January 2017.
Divinia Bellezza, to be driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will have many admirers after her splendid victories in mobiles at Gloucester Park at her past two starts. She was most impressive last Friday night when she was last in the field of seven with 300m to travel before charging home, out wide, to win easily from the pacemaker Queen Shenandoah, rating 1.57.2 over the 2130m journey.
Three days earlier Divinia Bellezza worked hard in the breeze before fighting on grandly to snatch a head victory from the pacemaker Our Mista Kalle.
Divinia Bellezza has had seven starts in stands for three second placings and four unplaced efforts. She is in peak form and is sure to prove hard to beat if she begins safely.
The Giles Inwood-trained Disco Under Fire is a reliable standing-start performer, and with Gary Hall jnr in the sulky, he cannot be left out of calculations. He has raced in 34 stands for six wins and 17 placings.
Another experienced standing-start performer is veteran Bettor Party, who will share the back mark of 50m with As Happy As Larry. He has contested 57 stands for nine wins and 18 placings.
Newsy on trial for classic
Talented filly Newsy looks set for a first-up victory when she contests the 2190m David And Bruce Pace at Northam on Saturday night in an event which should prove a valuable stepping stone to the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on February 19.
Prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Newsy is favourably drawn at barrier three and should carry too many guns for her rivals.
This will be her first appearance as a three-year-old after a splendid campaign last season when she raced four times for three wins and a second placing.
Her most recent outing was at Gloucester Park early last September when she enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing second to smart gelding Arma Einstein.
She was successful at her three previous starts, two at Pinjarra and one at Gloucester Park (when she defeated smart colt Star of Willoughby and Arma Einstein).
Newsy will clash with Make It Quick and Soho Gigolo, who were placed behind Stamford at Pinjarra last Monday week, as well as the Mike Reed-trained Our Shelley Beach. She is sure to have derived great benefit from her fourth behind Robbie Rocket in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning.
Benesari Lane, a filly trained by Ron Huston, will be on trial for a start in the Daintys Daughter Classic when she starts from the No. 4 barrier in the opening event, the 2190m Wally Grafton Memorial Pace.
A winner of two races as a two-year-old, Benesari Lane, resumed after a spell when ninth behind Black Jack Baby at Gloucester Park last Friday night. She raced in sixth position inn the one-wide line before breaking into a gallop 250m from home. She was also hampered by a flat sulky tyre.
Huston also has excellent winning prospects with Robbie Rocket, who will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from the No. 2 barrier in the Daniel And Trent Pace.
Robbie Rocket began speedily from barrier four and set the pace before winning a 2150m Byford trial by almost two lengths from Rascal on Sunday morning. He rated 1.59.8, with final quarters of 29.6sec. and 28sec.
Sheez Our Hope is flying
Great interest will surround the appearance of inexperienced five-year-old mare Sheez Our Hope when she contests the $10,000 Dave And Barb Pace at Northam on Saturday night.
The Alta Christiano mare, trained by Michael Cornwall and to be driven by Kyle Harper, will start from the No. 1 barrier, and her clash with Livy Jay and Jill Mach is sure to be one of the highlights of the meeting.
This will be the exciting Sheez Our Hope’s third start, and she has the raw speed to defeat her more seasoned rivals. She made her debut last September when she raced in the breeze and fought on to win narrowly from Two Ideal over 2185m at Pinjarra.
Her next appearance was four months later when she contested a 2185m event at Pinjarra three Mondays ago. She was ninth and last at the bell before revealing blistering speed to charge forward, three wide, at the 800m to burst to the front 200m later and then career away to win by 40 metres from Liberte at a 1.57.9 rate. The third quarter of the final mile was covered in 27.5sec. before a final section of 29.6sec.
Four-year-old Livy Jay, trained and driven by Michael Grantham, is sure to make a bold bid for victory. She maintained her consistent form when she was restrained from the outside barrier (No. 8), dashed forward, three wide, after 700m to race outside the pacemaker Nanci Rose and then finish determinedly to get up for a last-stride half-head victory over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Tuesday week.
That followed a short half-head second to Altas Angel at Pinjarra and an all-the-way three-length victory over Nanci Rose at Northam at her previous outing. She will start from barrier four this week.
Five-year-old Jill Mach, trained by Karen Young, will start from the No. 5 barrier and will be driven by Chris Lewis, whose only drive behind the mare was at Northam on August 17, 2019 when she sat behind the pacemaker and won from Yo Te Amo Haitch and Radiant Amber.
Jill Mach was the star performer at the annual summer carnival at Busselton, having five starts (in stands) and winning all five, from the front, 20m, 30m, 40m and 50m. She was handled in fine style by Bailey McDonough, who will drive the Hayden Reeves-trained mare Deenaalee from barrier No. 2 in Saturday night’s event.
Deenaalee finished a nose second to Our Surrogate in a race at Northam last Friday night.
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