Ideal Muscle is out to lead
Ace trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo is planning to get Ideal Muscle away smartly from the stand in a bid for an all-the-way win in the $50,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Easter Cup over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The small four-year-old gelding will begin from barrier three on the front line at his first appearance in a standing-start event after his four starts this season have produced excellent efforts for two seconds and two third placings.
Ideal Muscle qualified to contest standing-start races when he began smoothly from behind the tapes in a trial at Pinjarra five weeks ago.
“He stepped really good in the trial,” said de Campo. “And hopefully he can get to the front on Friday night. And if he gets to the front, he will take some catching.
“He got too far back (after starting from the outside barrier in a 2130m mobile event last Friday night) and he had to come through them out wide in the last lap.”
It was an impressive performance from Ideal Muscle, who was eighth at the bell and seventh with 400m to travel to finish third behind the pacemaker Madam Publisher and Thelittle Master. This followed his excellent effort a week earlier when he raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, when he was blocked for a run until the final stages before getting clear late and surging home to finish second to Hugotastic.
Thelittle Master, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is sure to be one of Ideal Muscle’s most serious rivals. He was seventh at the bell in last week’s event and he finished powerfully, out four wide, to finish second, a length ahead of Ideal Muscle, who had moved to second 100m from the post.
Like Ideal Muscle, Thelittle Master is a four-year-old who is making his first appearance in a stand. The only other four-year-old --- and only mare ---in Friday night’s race is trainer Jemma Hayman’s Chilli Punter, who handled the stand perfectly last Friday week when a strong-finishing second to star mare Penny Black in the 2503m Race For Roses.
Adding considerable interest in Friday night’s group 3 race will be the return to action of nine-year-old Major Express, who has won at each of his past nine starts and will be driven by Chris Lewis for owner-trainer Barry Howlett.
Major Express will be racing first-up after an absence of 531 days and will begin from the 10m line. His latest start was when he made his Gloucester Park debut on November 3, 2023, and finished strongly from sixth at the bell to beat October Reign, rating 1.56.7 over 2130m.
This will be his first start in a stand. He qualified when he began safely in a Pinjarra trial and then sat behind the pacemaker Welease Woddewick before finishing strongly with final quarters of 27.6sec. and 28.7sec. in the two-horse trial.
Another interesting runner is frontmarker Our Vinnie, who will be making his first appearance at Gloucester Park. This will be the five-year-old’s third start for trainer-reinsman Chris Voak.
Our Vinnie has won at six of his 54 starts, and his 13 appearances in WA have produced just three placings. But he gave a sample of his class when he finished second to brilliant millionaire pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming in the group 3 Hondo Grattan Stakes at Menangle in February 2024.
“He trialled well at Bunbury last Saturday (when he won from the pacemaker Linebacker with final quarters of 29sec. and 28.7sec.) and on Friday night I will be trying to find the pegs, whether it is leading or sitting,” said Voak.
“He is up in class, but I think the distance will suit him and he is capable of running a cheeky race. He ran in good features as a three-year-old in Victoria.”
The Ray Williams-trained Star Casino will start from the 20m line and has sound prospects. Earlier this year Star Casino contested stands from back marks for second placings to Spyglass and Ideal Tomado.
The Lindsay Harper trained and driven Spyglass is the sole backmarker off 40m on Friday night. He gave a bold frontrunning display when an easy winner over Mikis Beach in a mobile event last Friday week.
His only appearance in a stand was seven starts ago, in February this year when he began from the 60m mark and raced in the one-out and one-back position before winning by a head from co-backmarker Star Casino.
Smart six-year-old Soho Santorini will start from 20m for trainer Kim Prentice and reinsman Mitch Miller. He has contested seven stands for one second, three thirds and three fourths.
Mister Smartee is on target
Star pacer Mister Smartee has ticked all the boxes and is on target to be at his peak for the $1.25 million Nullarbor slot race on Friday week.
“I’m happy with where he’s at now,” said the five-year-old’s reinsman Gary Hall jnr who will give him his final hoppled run before the 2536m Nullarbor when he drives him from out wide at barrier No. 8 in the $31,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound @ Albion Park Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“This run means that we won’t have to go back to the track with him, and he will have next week off, apart from just jogging. He will run a good race on Friday night.”
Mister Smartee, the least experienced runner in Friday night’s event, notched his 16TH win from only 20 starts when he began from barrier four, settled down in seventh position and dashed forward, three wide, after 500m to hit the front 400m later and coast to victory, beating Otis by two lengths, rating 1.54 over 2130m with final 400m sections of 278sec. and 27.2sec.
Catch A Wave, winner of the Nullarbor twelve months ago, arrived in Perth by air from Sydney on Monday, and will warm up for the big race when he clashes with Mister Smartee on Friday night when he will begin from the No. 5 barrier.
He possesses excellent gate speed and has scored all-the-way wins at ten of his 25 victories from 51 starts. He also can unwind a brilliant finishing burst.
He is a last-start winner, scoring a neck victory over the pacemaker Rocknroll Hammer in 1.51.9 in a $20,000 Free-For-All over 1609m at Geelong three Fridays ago. The quarters were run in 27.3sec., 30.2sec., 27.5sec. and 26.9sec.
That followed his last placing behind Don Pedro in the Miracle Mile at Menangle three weeks earlier. He had little chance when he began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and was restrained to the rear.
Noted speedy beginner and successful frontrunner Hoppys Way is favourably drawn at barrier one. He began from the outside of the back line and raced four back on the pegs before running home strongly along the inside to finish fourth behind Mister Smartee last Friday night.
Trainer Mike Reed said that Hoppys Way, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, was returning to his best form. “This is a good field, and we have the speed to lead if we want to,” he said.
Hoppys Way led from barrier four and won from stablemate Ragazzo Mach over 2130m last Friday week.
Marbeechsam is back on track
“There were a lot of positives when Marbeechsam won at Gloucester Park on Tuesday last week,” said Ryan Warwick, who drove the WA-bred five-year-old to a convincing victory over Sidstrepo.
Warwick will again be in the sulky when the Mike Beech-trained Marbeechsam begins from the No. 3 barrier in the opening event, the $21,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Autumn Series final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“That was a drop in grade for him last week, and he can build on that win and it’s not beyond him to beat nice horses,” said Warwick.
“It was good to see him the way he went. It was a bit out of his comfort zone, going (three wide) that far from home (with 950m to travel). But I was forced to when a horse (Sidstrepo) was coming. He was travelling very well all the way. He also has good gate speed.”
Last week’s win ended a losing sequence of 16 for Marbeechsam, who will again clash with veteran pacer Sidstrepo and other in-form pacers, including Kingseat (barrier six), Spiritofanangel (one), Torrevean Pinky (four) and Priddah (12).
Kingseat, who is trained and driven by Aldo Cortopassi, is a lightly-raced eight-year-old who has won at five of his twenty starts and will be popular with punters.
He began from the back line, raced wide early and then in the breeze when a fighting third behind Cams Boulder over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. He won in good style at Bunbury and Pinjarra at his two previous starts.
Warwick is also expecting a strong effort from the Beech-trained Rollindowntheriver, who will begin from the number four barrier in the $21,000 Vale Bill Crabb Pace over 2130m.
“Rollindowntheriver is going really good, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in some serious money on Friday night,” said Warwick.
Rollindowntheriver has been prominent in his four appearances after resuming from a lengthy spell. He was restrained at the start from barrier six and settled down in last place before starting a three-wide burst approaching the bell when a promising fourth behind Beyond Bling on Tuesday of last week.
That followed a third and a fourth placing behind up-and-coming star pacer Justcallmemiki at his two previous outings.
Rollindowntheriver will clash with Dawson and Caberneigh, smart four-year-olds trained by Jocelyn Young. Kate Gath will drive the New Zealand-bred Dawson, who will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) at his West Australian debut, while Madeliene Young will handle Caberneigh, who will begin from the inside of the back line at his second appearance after a spell.
Dawson won at three of his eleven starts in New Zealand and his five starts in Victoria in February and March this year produced one win (over 2150m at Bendigo three starts ago) and two thirds. He led at his latest start and finished a close third behind Smoken Ace over 2240m at Melton on March 15.
Caberneigh reappeared after a six-month absence when he began from barrier five, raced three wide for the first 200m and was then restrained back to last before starting a three-wide move at the bell and sustaining his three-wide run in the final circuit to finish a close second to Gaitcrasher over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.
History beckons Aardiebytheseasside
There have been only three multiple winners in the 55-year history of the Empress Stakes --- and now the powerful pacer Aardiebytheseaside is poised to become the fourth mare to win the $75,000 event more than once by proving too strong for her rivals in the 2536m group 2 feature at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Aardiebytheseaside, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, has the speed and strength to overcome her awkward draw at barrier six at her third outing after a spell.
She won the Empress Stakes as a four-year-old on April 19, 2024, when, from the No. 1 barrier at her Australian debut, she was beaten for early speed by Steno and then trailed that brilliant mare before forging to the front 120m from the post and winning easily from Steno, rating 1.54.6 to set a race record and course record for a mare over the 2536m journey.
Aardiebytheseaside went on to win at her following six starts, and she is unbeaten at her three starts over 2536m after her two runs over 2600m at Addington produced a win and a second placing.
Multiple winners of the Empress Stakes are Bellagena (1971 and 1972), Golden Goddess (1997-98-99) and Sensational Gabby (2014 and 2015).
Aardiebytheseaside should be close to peak fitness this week after third placings at her first two runs after a spell. She raced in the one-out, one-back position when third behind Nullarbor Navajo in the Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra and she set the pace before wilting to third behind Wonderful To Fly in a 2130m Free-For-All at Gloucester Park last Friday week.
Penny Black, trained by Michael Young and to be driven by Gary Hall jnr, looms large as a serious threat to Aardiebytheseaside, despite drawing the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Penny Black was a most unlucky second when beaten by a head by Nullarbor Navajo over 2130m last Friday night. She broke into a gallop moments after the start and dropped back to a distant last in a field of six before she put up an outstanding performance to fight on grimly, with the final 400m sections being covered in 27.5sec. and 27.6sec.
A week earlier Penny Black began from the 30m mark in the Race For Roses and broke and lost about two lengths soon after the start before sustaining a powerful run from last to take the lead 250m from home and win by more than a length from Chilli Punter.
“Penny Black was awesome last week,” said Hall. “They probably will run along on Friday night which will suit her.” Hall has won the Empress Stakes with Aussie Made Lombo (2013), The Parade (2017) and Bettor Get It On (2022).
Little Darling, trained by Barry Howlett and driven by Chris Lewis, is racing with wonderful enthusiasm and cannot be disregarded despite drawing out wide at barrier eight.
Lewis is the most successful driver in the history of the Empress Stakes, having won the race eight times, scoring with Candy Nacray (1988), Armbro Lucy (1992), Maggie Dear (2001), Classical Mover (2002), Shes Royalty (2007), Ima Spicey Lombo (2011) and Sensational Gabby (2014 and 2015).
Sweet Vivienne has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s race, with trainer-reinsman Chris Voak saying: “I will come out hard and then assess things after that. I don’t want to be any worse than the leader’s back. This is a big rise in class, but we have the barrier, and I imagine she will run in the top five.”
Trainer Mike Reed said that he was disappointed with Water Lou’s wilting third behind Nullarbor Navajo and Penny Black after setting the pace last Friday night. “I have increased her work on the track, but it looks hard again.”
Aiden de Campo has a busy night as usual, and he says that his best winning chances are The Big Kaboosh (barrier two) in race seven and Patched in the final event, a stand for trotters.
“The Big Kaboosh was unlucky last start (when second to Riggers River at Bunbury) when he got out late and ran home strongly,” he said. “He won very well at Bridgetown at his previous start, and if he finds the front he will be hard to beat.”
