Ryan Warwick, the runaway leader on the Statewide drivers’ premiership table, is not fazed that noted frontrunner Vanquished has drawn the outside barrier in the field of nine to contest the 2536m Westral WA Owned and Operated Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
In fact, he disagreed with the general consensus that Vanquished is purely a frontrunner and said that the New Zealand-bred four-year-old was capable of producing a strong finishing effort when driven back in the field.
Vanquished, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, has set the pace in all of his past five starts for three wins, one second and a sixth behind Harry Hoo.
Warwick, who has driven 42 winners and leads the drivers’ table from Gary Hall jun. (29) and Chris Lewis (28), said that Vanquished had the ability to overcome the disadvantage of his outside barrier.
The toughest for Vanquished to beat is likely to be the Kristian Hawkins-trained All The Torque, who will start from barrier five. All The Torque showed a return to form at Wagin last Friday night when he raced without cover and fought on gamely to finish a close second to Donovan Bromac over 2180m.
“I’d say that Vanquished, along with Risk, are my best drives on the program,” he said. “Heez About To Rock (race one) and Superimposed (race two) were disappointing when finishing well back behind Shardons Rocket at Pinjarra on Monday, and Simply Susational will find it tough from out wide at barrier seven in the main race.
Warwick will also handle last-start winner Our Regal Ideal in the Westral Plantation Timber Shutters Pace and the five-year-old, drawn at barrier five, is an each-way prospect in a filed in which Rycroft and Twoandahalf Tigers are expected to dominate betting discussions.
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