Strength and versatility are the hallmarks of stout-hearted New Zealand-bred pacer Our Jericho, who will need to be at the top of his game to complete a winning hat-trick at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eight-time West Australian leading trainer Ross Olivieri has set the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old the daunting task of switching from staying standing-start events to a 1730m sprint, the Milne Horse Muesli Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And to made Our Jericho’s task even more difficult, he will start from the outside in the field of eight because of his superior classification (M4).
Our Jericho has finished powerfully to win at his past two outings — beating Naughty Maravu and Our Sky Major in the 3309m Marathon Handicap on August 12 and then proving too strong for Naughty Maravu and Sky Art over 2503m last Friday night.
Our Jericho, a winner at four of his 27 starts in New Zealand, has thrived under Olivieri’s care in Western Australia where he has had 176 starts for eight wins and three seconds.
He failed at his only appearance over 1730m, when sixth behind the pacemaker Ricimer on July 1. He started from barrier seven and raced three wide for the first 500m before racing without cover for a while and then gaining the one-out, one-back trail.
Our Jericho has impressed Olivieri so much that he will nominate the gelding for the TABtouch interdominion championship series at Gloucester Park in November and December.
“He is a pretty versatile horse who is racing well,” Olivieri said. “We’ll roll the dice and see how he goes over 1730m from the outside. However, I’m mindful that barrier draws in mile events have an influence on the result.
“He’s a good competitor. Both his past two wins came after a 21-day break and that has given me a bit of a clue as to what he likes. But he won’t be able to have this (21-day breaks) at the Inters. However, you can’t question what he has done up to this stage.”
Greg and Skye Bond, last season’s leading Statewide trainers in WA, hold a powerful hand in Friday night’s event with speedsters and last-start winners Risk (barrier five) and Ima Connoisseur (seven).
Five-year-old Risk, a winner at nine of his 30 starts in New Zealand, has been most impressive in winning at his first three starts in WA.
Risk was restrained from barrier five and he raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before starting a three-wide move with 750m to travel and going on to win by a length from the 7/4 on favourite and pacemaker American Boy at a 1.56.2 rate over 2130m last Friday week. He dashed over the final quarters in 27.6sec. and 28.7sec.
On the same program Ima Connoisseur began brilliantly from barrier seven and gave a bold frontrunning display to win at a 1.56.5 rate from Our Ideal Act and Jambiani over 2130m.
Michael Grantham will drive the polemarker Smokey The Bandit for the first time and the grey who has a fine record of 18 wins, 34 placings and stakes of $250,783 from 87 starts will have many admirers from his favourable draw. Grantham will replace Ash Markham, who has driven Smokey The Bandit 81 times for 17 wins and 32 placings. Markham was suspended for 21 days for causing interference in a race at Bunbury last Saturday night.
Chris Lewis has opted to drive Our Jericho in preference to nine-year-old Kiss Chasey, who reappeared after an absence of almost 23 months when he led from barrier one and won easily from Frostyflyer, rating 1.58 over 2130m on Tuesday of last week.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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