16 April 2020 | Wayne Currall
The return of champion pacer Chicago Bull highlights tomorrow’s rare daytime meeting at Gloucester Park, which kicks off at the unusual time of 10.30am.
The little champ’s return to the racetrack after an absence of almost 10 months on the sidelines is sure to thrill harness racing fans, but members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have steered clear of declaring him as a good thing after such a lengthy layoff.
Instead, members of the Guild have opted to stick to race-hardened horses when selecting their star bets on the 10-event program.
The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft and TABradio racecaller Matt Young believe outstanding filly Double Expresso can prove the master against her eight male rivals in race six.
“Double Expresso couldn’t get into the race when contesting a hot edition of the WA Derby last time out,” Havercroft said. ”She will relish the return to this grade, has drawn the coveted inside barrier and shapes as the one to beat in the WA Oaks.”
And Young agrees.
“Double Expresso comes up with the draw and she can bounce back to the winners’ list here,” Young said. “Should lead and win.”
Veteran trotting journalist Ken Casellas is keen on Soho Thunderstruck to go one better than last week.
“Soho Thunderstruck is in career-best form and I’m making him my best bet this week,” Casellas said. “I think he can defeat the highly promising The Bird Dance, who has won at 10 of his past 11 starts, in race three at Gloucester Park on Friday morning. Kim Prentice will be planning an all-the-way win from the favourable No. 2 barrier and the four-year-old should carry too many guns for The Bird Dance, the other four-year-old in the race.“
However, longshot king Pat Harding disagrees with Casellas and has made The Bird Dance his best bet.
“With an unusual Friday day meeting at GP, the Greg and Skye Bond camp looks like it might be in for more success,” Harding said. ”My best bet comes up in race three with the Bond-trained The Bird Dance coming out of No. 6 barrier. With an excellent win last week, he should make it three wins from four starts.“
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning has opted for squaregaiter Princess Mila as his star bet.
“Victorian import Princess Mila gets the chance to open her WA city winning account after an impressive second-up Pinjarra victory on April 6,” Manning said. ”The five-year-old, now trained by Gary Hall, won six Victorian races, including one at Melton. Also successful in NSW, she faced the breeze and ran second when making her WA debut at Gloucester Park recently. She will be chasing her seventh mobile start win.”
Radio Great Southern’s form analyst Warren Wishart is keen on Eloquent Mach to make a winning return to the track.
“Eloquent Mach is my best bet in the opening race,” Wishart said. “Magnificent placement by champion trainer Gary Hall sees this horse resume in a minor conditioned event having competed against the State’s best four-year-olds. Golden Nugget form is vastly superior to anything here and punters will have to set there alarm clocks for the unusual early start to cash in.”
TABradio form expert and current leader in the Guild’s tipping competition Hayden King believes Miracle Moose can land the chocolates.
“Miracle Moose is flying and if anything this looks a step down on recent assignments,” King said. “I think the antlered beast will prove too strong late.”
But Guild president Wayne Currall is at odds with King.
Currall is bullish about the chances of Whoswhointhezoo returning to the winners’ list in the same race as Miracle Moose.
“Whoswhointhezoo gets the chance to zoom to the front from his pegs draw,” Currall said. “This bloke does his best racing when leading and driver Aldo Cortopassi will be looking for an all-the-way victory. His last-start second behind Purest Silk was solid and this field gives him the chance to post his first win since December 2018.”
VALUE BETS
RYAN: I think Talktomeurmattjesty is suited and is likely to go out at a backable price owing to the returning champion Chicago Bull being in the field.
MATT: Delightfull is racing well and likely to get a nice run and worth a ticket each-way at odds.
KEN: For value, I suggest the enigmatic but talented Rock Tonight in the Allwood Stud Farm Trot. His recent efforts have been excellent and he has the ability to overcome the disadvantage of the outside barrier.
PAT: My value bet comes up in race nine with No. 4 Crocodile Kid. I think he is ideally placed to record his second win in three starts and with Chris Voak aboard I think he will be highly competitive.
ERNIE: One For Sassy has not won in 33 starts since a Narrogin success during 2018, but he looks close to another victory and will start from gate one. He has run two fourths and a third in Gloucester Park races over the past four weeks.
WARREN: Our Jimmy Johnstone is another pacer who has been well placed by the astute Bond stable. Six starts ago this horse finished third in the WA Pacing Cup and now finds himself down in grade. At the indicative odds of $7 he is an outstanding bet.
HAYDEN: Our Jimmy Johnstone is drawn poorly but represents the class. The proposed price of $7 seems lucrative and looks an outstanding bet.
WAYNE: The pegs around GP is gold and Saleahs Command can lead them a merry dance in the opening event. He looks a great each-way chance with Lindsay Harper in the bike.
To view all of the Media Guild tips click here.
Good punting from home.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
