by Ken Casellas
Well-bred four-year-old Our Magical Miracle will resume after an absence of eight months when he starts from barrier two on the back line of the 2130m Slater Gartrell Sports Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and the lightly-raced gelding should prove hard to beat after an impressive performance in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning.
Prepared at Serpentine by premier trainer Gary Hall sen., Our Magical Miracle led from barrier five in the trial and held on to win by a head from Shandale, a talented M2-class pacer and winner of $194,677 in prizemoney.
The New Zealand-bred Our Magical Miracle sprinted over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 27.8sec., which suggests that he is close to his best form for his long-anticipated return to racing. He is lightly-raced, having had only nine starts for four wins, two seconds and a third.
He has not raced since he started from the No. 5 barrier and dashed forward in the first lap to take up the running before winning easily from Art Lover over 2185m at Pinjarra on December 12 last year.
His chief opposition on Friday is expected to come from another New Zealand-bred four-year-old in the Andrew de Campo-trained Cest Lheure, who will start from the No. 6 barrier with Aiden de Campo in the sulky. After sustaining a powerful finishing burst to win at Pinjarra three starts ago, Cest Lheure has fought on grandly to finish desperately close seconds to The Storm Chief at Gloucester Park and Rudimental Sol at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Andrew de Campo was rewarded for his long trip to Perth from Capel on Tuesday when his only starter at the Gloucester Park meeting, Smoldering Ashes, driven by Ryan Bell, finished strongly from sixth at the bell to win from Rockin The Boys at odds of 64/1.
Our Magical Miracle is a full-brother to millionaire pacer Mysta Magical Mach, who retired with a record of 160 starts for 34 wins, 54 placings and $1,261,371 in prizemoney. He won several group events, including the 2009 WA Pacing Cup, the 2009 Bunbury Cup and the 2009 and 2013 Lord Mayor’s Cup and the Members Sprint and Village Kid Sprint in 2012. He also finished second to Im Themightyquinn in the 2011 WA Pacing Cup and second to the same great pacer in the 2012 Interdominion Championship in Perth.
The Hall stable has 12 runners at the meeting, with Our Magical Miracle and Ima Rocknroll Legend (Owners Only Pace) looking the best prospects.
Ima Rocknroll Legend is the only M0-class performer in a 2130m event in which nine of his rivals have a M1 classification and one, Better Than Money, is on a M2 mark. Hall jun. is bullish about the prospects of Ima Rocknroll Legend and is aiming at winning the start and leading throughout.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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