01 July 2021 | Ken Casellas
The Gold Bracelet is one of Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Shane Young’s favourite events and he has high hopes of winning the Group 3 feature for the fourth time when he drives Wonderful To Fly in the $30,000 classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has won the Gold Bracelet with Alfa Triumph (1985), Gay Adventure (1987) and Rosies Ideal (2017) and goes into the big race this week with plenty of optimism after Wonderful To Fly has shown great ability and versatility in winning in fine style at her past three starts.
Wonderful To Fly is awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 5, but she has the speed and strength to overcome this disadvantage. She started from barrier six in the Group 1 Westbred Classic last Friday night when she raced three wide early and then in the breeze before surging to the front 500m from home and going on to win comfortably from Taking the Miki.
She possesses excellent gate speed and Young certainly has the option of using this asset in a bid to take an early lead and then dictate terms in front.
Taking The Miki, trained by Ross Olivieri and driven by Chris Voak, will start from barrier six, and again looks the most serious rival for Wonderful To Fly. Taking The Miki enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, behind Wonderful To Fly in the Westbred Classic in which she battled on gamely.
“She was below her best last week, and has an average draw this week,” said Voak.
Voak admitted he was more confident about the chances of Black Jack Baby, who will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the 2130m Support Breast Cancer Awareness Pace.
“We will probably have to go back at the start and save her for one run,” he said. “It was unfortunate at her latest start (in the Group 1 Westbred Classic last Friday week) that she got hemmed in and then had to go too wide.”
Black Jack Baby finished an unlucky second to Bettor Beach Belle after racing in the one-wide line in sixth position and then being badly hampered for room in the back straight in the final lap. She got clear with about 250m to travel and charged home, five wide.
Looming large as a serious rival is Byford trainer-reinsman Donald Harper’s improving filly Our Star Billing, who is perfectly drawn at the No. 1 barrier and appeals as the likely leader. Our Star Billing ran home solidly when fourth in the Westbred Classic after she impressed a week earlier when she trailed the pacemaker Black Jack Baby and finished second to that filly.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
