12 July 2019 | Ken Casellas
Hardy New Zealand-bred mare Talkerup will contest her 36th race this season and veteran trainer Tony Svilicich has high hopes she will set the pace in the 2130m Choices Flooring Midland Pace at Gloucester Park on Saturday night and win to end a losing sequence of 41.
Up-and-coming young reinsman Bailey McDonough has given punters a valuable lead by opting to handle Talkerup instead of sticking with the polemarker Salacious Gossip, who is prepared in Bunbury by his grandfather Frank Bonnett.
McDonough has driven Salacious Gossip at her past four starts and at 20 of her past 22 starts (for four wins). But he is leaning towards Talkerup, a six-year-old mare he has driven at each of her past five starts for a second to Infinite Symbol at Gloucester Park and a sound third behind Back In Twenty and Batavia On Fire over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Talkerup began speedily from barrier four and dashed to the front after 200m before McDonough handed up to the talented Back In Twenty 450m later. Talkerup enjoyed a trail behind Back In Twenty and fought on solidly into third place.
Salacious Gossip cannot be underestimated from the inside barrier. She has won three times after setting the pace twice at Bunbury and once at Pinjarra. Bonnett has engaged Ryan Warwick to drive Salacious Gossip for the first time.
Warwick is hoping that the No. 1 barrier will prove a winning advantage fore Salacious Gossip on a night when several pacers are sure to prove mighty hard to beat after starting from the prized No. 1 barrier.
The Sarah Suvaljko-trained pair of Rock N Roll Delight and Nowuseemesmile are sure to provide plenty of opposition to Talkerup and Salacious Gossip. Dylan Egerton-Green will handle Nowuseemesmile from barrier four and Madeleine Young will be in the sulky behind Rock N Roll Delight in barrier three.
Egerton-Green has a good association with Nowuseemesmile, having won twice with her at Kellerberrin and Gloucester Park and at Collie and Bridgetown as well. Four-year-old Nowuseemesmile has inherited some of the ability of her dam Nowuseeme and granddam Nowuseemeenowudont.
Nowuseeme, the winner of the 2009 Race For Roses, earned $287,234 from her 23 wins and 25 placings from 88 starts. Nowuseemenowudont, also prepared by Andrew de Campo, had 65 starts for 16 wins, 20 placings and $116,931 in stakes. Her most notable victory was in the Champagne Stakes for two-year-olds in May 2000.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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