23 August 2018 | Ken Casellas
Shannon Suvaljko, the State’s leading reinsman this season with 177 winners, has given punters a strong lead by choosing to drive Three Kings ahead of Algranco Under Fire, Extreme Dreams, Qtown Rip Roaring and Bad Round in the Yes Loans, We Say Yes More Often Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Three Kings went good last start when third behind Simba Bromac last week and he is my best winning chance on Friday night,” Suvaljko said. “From barrier two he should find the front and take catching. I’d say that Qtown Rip Roaring is the main danger.”
Three Kings, trained at Wanneroo by Debbie Padberg, is a noted frontrunner and the eight-year-old has bright prospects of notching his 13th win after managing only one victory from his past 39 starts. He raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, last week before fighting on solidly to be third behind Simba Bromac, who sped over the final three 400m sections of the final mile in 28.6sec., 27.9sec. and 28.4sec.
Qtown Rip Roaring, a seven-year-old trained by Matt Scott, has managed only four placings from 13 starts this season after winning five times from 30 starts last season. However, his recent efforts, when driven by Suvaljko, have been encouraging. He raced three back on the pegs before finishing solidly into fourth place behind Major Pocket at Northam last Saturday night. Two starts before that he ran home strongly from sixth at the bell to be a close second to Pacific Playboy over 2503m at Bunbury.
Qtown Rip Roaring will be handled by Gary Hall Jnr, who has driven the gelding only once in his 111-start career when eighth behind Lightning Jolt at Pinjarra 55 starts ago, on June 6, 2016.
Qtown Rip Roaring is one of three Scott runners in Friday night’s race, the others being C C Chevron (Chris Lewis) and Ideal Diamante (Micheal Ferguson). C C Chevron has drawn wide at barrier No. 8, but has sound place prospects after placings at Northam at her past two starts.
Chris Voak, who is enjoying his most successful season in the sulky with 153 winners, said he considered that his best winning prospect on Friday night was Gonzos Shadow in race nine, the TABtouch Make Your Bet Matter Pace.
Gonzos Shadow, a five-year-old trained at Meckering by Garry Elliott, is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven in the 1730m sprint event. He was a winner for Voak over 2500m at Kellerberrin seven starts ago and Voak was happy with the gelding’s recent placings at Narrogin and Bunbury.
“He’s a really good each-way chance,” said Voak. “The 1730m doesn’t really suit him and he’s better over a (longer) journey. But he is still a good chance on Friday night.”
One of the fancies against Gonzos Shadow is the Hayden Reeves-trained eight-year-old Aussie Jet, who will be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier six. Aussie Jet, whose most recent success was at Gloucester Park in April 2015, sat behind the pacemaker Tajie Baby when an unlucky third behind Iceenothink when he was blocked for a clear passage in the final stages.
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