by Ken Casellas
New Zealand bred five-year-old Run Oneover, one of Western Australia’s leading candidates for the rich TABtouch Interdominion championship series in November and December, is poised to make a successful return to racing by winning the $35,000 August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He fared perfectly in the random draw and will have a legion of followers from the No. 1 barrier on the front line in the Group 3 feature event over 2536m. He started from the outside of the back line in the 2016 August Cup when he settled in eighth place, moved to the breeze with 1550m to travel, and despite pulling hard, fought determinedly to be a one-length second to the pacemaker Bettors Fire.
Run Oneover will be making his first appearance for eight weeks where he raced without cover and finished third behind Beaudiene Boaz and Vultan Tin over 2130m and he will be handled by champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr who has not driven the gelding since he won from stablemates Cyamach and Waylade at Gloucester Park on July 22, 2016, 18 starts ago.
Hall Jnr has an outstanding record in the sulky behind Run Oneover, having driven him at nine of his 41 starts in Western Australia for six wins, one second and two thirds. Run Oneover also has a good record over 2536m with 11 starts for three wins, three seconds, three thirds, a fifth and a tenth placing.
He is prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, who has won the August Cup five times with Zakara in 1992, ’93 and ’94, Im Themightyquinn (2010) and Northview Punter (2014) whilst Hall Jnr has won the August Cup with Im Themightyquinn, Uppy Son (2013) and Northview Punter.
Run Oneover gave a sample of his class at the Inter Dominion championship series last summer when in the heats he faced the breeze and finished a one-length second to Hectorjayjay then led from the No. 3 barrier and coasted to victory over Freyberg and Smolda and started out wide at barrier eight and dashed to the front after a lap before winning from Lennytheshark.
He warmed up for this week’s assignment with a two-length victory over Tricky Styx in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday week when, after leisurely sections of 32.7sec. and 31.4sec., he sprinted over each of the final quarters in 27.7 seconds.
Run Oneover is owned by Steve Chapman, his wife Tina and their daughter Danielle, who also race dual WA Pacing Cup winner My Hard Copy, who has been off the scene for the past 13 months, recovering from a fractured bone in his leg.
My Hard Copy, who has amassed $988,942 from 22 wins and 21 placings from 72 starts, is now being prepared by Clint Hall and is handily drawn barrier four on the front line. The stallion showed that he has had a solid preparation for his comeback race when he dashed over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 28.4sec. and rated 1.54.8 in winning a 2150m Byford trial by eight lengths from Bellerkerrin three Sundays ago.
My Hard Copy will be Clint Hall’s third starter in his comeback to training after a ten-year absence. He finished sixth with Baldy Face and tenth with Yackandandah at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. His previous starter as a trainer was McRaes Mate, who finished last behind Village Hero in the Pinjarra Cup in June 2007.
His 57 starters in that stint as a trainer resulted in ten wins (five in stands with Walesa, four in mobiles with McRaes Mate and one in a mobile with Sun Beau).
The chief opposition to Run Oneover and My Hard Copy on Friday night is likely to come from the Michael Brennan trained The Bucket List (Barrier 3), Our Jimmy Johnstone, who will start out wide in gate 8 for Hopelands trainer Skye Bond, and the Ross Olivieri trained El Hombre, who impressed with a fast-finishing victory last Friday night.
The Bucket List, to be driven by Michael Grantham has resumed after a spell in fine style, with his six starts producing a win over Our Jimmy Johnstone and Beaudiene Boaz, four seconds and a seventh in a field of seven after racing three wide for much of the way.
At his latest appearance, he started from 40m and sustained a spirited burst from last in the field of 12 in the middle stages to finish a 4m second to Motu Premier in the 3309m Marathon Handicap last Friday week.
Our Jimmy Johnstone is a powerful stayer who has won at nine and has been placed at nine of his past 23 starts and can never be underestimated. He will be handled by Ryan Warwick, who finished second to Northview Punter with 40/1 outsider Ima Rocket Star in the 2014 August Cup.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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