17 February 2022 | Wayne Currall
Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park is looming as a big night for Maddison Brown.
The three-week suspension of champion driver Gary Hall Jr has handed Brown a golden opportunity to land multiple winners at headquarters.
Brown will steer four pre-post favourites, including the “little champ” Chicago Bull in the Media Guild Cup (2130m).
Two members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have tipped two of Brown’s drives as their best bets – longshot guru Pat Harding, who has made Gambit his best at the meeting, and TABradio’s Hayden King, who believes squaregaiter Beefour Bacardi can lead all the way in the last.
“Should be an interesting Media Guild Cup night this Friday at GP with probably a few favourites coming home,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race four with No. 5 Gambit. He had an excellent win last week and I think he can make it two in a row.”
King is optimistic about the chances of Beefour Bacardi in race 10.
“Beefour Bacardi galloped early before copping pressure mid-stages in the Trotters Cup, ultimately harming his chances and resulting in his fourth-placed finish,” King said. “However, aside from that early incident last start, he had seemingly been bombproof and I see no reason why he won’t bound to the front and provide some recompense for connections.”
TABradio’s Matt Young is keen on Blissfullabbey in race five.
“Blissfulabbey has the draw in the feature to lead throughout,” Young said. “The addition of Kyle Harper in front is a very nice touch as well as she looks to keep them all at bay.”
The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft has opted for Floewriter as his best bet.
“Floewriter is shooting for five straight and has drawn perfectly to achieve that here,” Havercroft said. “Consecutive wins at headquarters were followed by comfortable victories at Bunbury and Albany in the lead-up to this assignment. He led easily from barrier one in the Sales Classic last season, the only time the son of Sportswriter has drawn the pole.”
Award-winning journalist Ken Casellas and Media Guild president Wayne Currall usually don’t agree on a lot, but they are on the same page regarding the chances of Hampton Banner in race two.
“Hampton Banner is a quality pacer who drops down considerably in class when he starts from the inside of the back line on Friday night,” Casellas said. “He has a losing sequence of nine and has managed just one placing from his past eight starts, but he has the class to beat smart performer Vespa – and therefore I’m happy to make him my star bet for the week. I’m sure he will appreciate not having to race against Minstrel, Magnificent Storm, Chicago Bull, Wildwest, Miracle Moose, Papinik and company.”
Currall agrees.
“Hampton Banner drawing awkwardly in gate 10 just means we’ll get a better price,” Currall said. “He won’t know himself racing in this grade. Jocelyn Young just needs to get him into the clear at the right time and the horse should do the rest.”
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning believes Carrera Mach can redeem himself after last week’s disappointing performance when he finished last as the favourite.
“The Ross Olivieri-trained Carrera Mach, out of luck in unplaced runs lately, gets his chance to bounce back into the winners’ list after drawing gate two,” Manning said. “He has twice faced the breeze recently and was trapped three-wide in another race. Two starts ago, he was dropped back and ran on stylishly to finish fourth. Carrera March has shown talent in 12 wins, including seven at Gloucester Park.”
VALUE BETS
PAT: My double comes up in race nine with No. 3 Tiza New Day. There’s not a great deal of form in this race and I think Chris Voak can bring him home in good style.
HAYDEN: Batavia On Fire scored at long odds in December and has been flying ever since. He stuck on gallantly last start in very good sectionals and will be very hard to hold out.
MATT: Batavia On Fire could go around at each-way odds and his form has been decent in stronger company. I think he is ready to win and may have found a suitable race.
RYAN: Allwoods Rocknroll (place) loves the pegs and has drawn to sit on nominal favourite Carrera Mach. Ran consecutive seconds behind Euphoria and Al Guerrero in town at his previous two jumps from the inside.
KEN: For value, I suggest Pocket The Cash, who is drawn awkwardly at barrier No. 7 in race nine. But his fast-finishing fifth behind Apollo Rock last Friday night was a pointer to better things to come.
WAYNE: Bettor Beach Belle is drawn to get the run of the race behind likely leader Blissfullabbey and from there she looks a sound each-way investment.
ERNIE: Quick Stride has been beaten at his past 17 starts, but showed glimpses of winning form when recently running two Gloucester Park seconds. His ninth a fortnight ago can be overlooked because he settled in a rearward position on the pegs.
Click here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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