New Zealand-bred pacers Sweet Pins and Franco Motu have been racing in wonderful form for Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, but his son Gary has given punters a massive lead by choosing to drive the WA-bred stablemate Alta Tribute in the $50,000 Taste Of WA Four-Year-Old Championship over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Alta Tribute warmed up for the group 3 feature event in splendid style with a smart victory in a 2130m event last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier eight and raced in seventh position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst with 900m to travel.
Alta Tribute sprinted strongly to hit the front 440m from home and he went on to win by a half-neck from Quinton, rating 1.55.6.
That was Alta Tribute’s third appearance after a spell, and it ended a losing sequence of five and took his record to eight wins and three placings from 16 starts. He has an awkward draw at barrier five on Friday night, leaving Hall with a variety of options.
Sweet Pins, a winner at five of his seven starts, will begin from the No. 3 barrier, with Trent Wheeler in the sulky, while Maddison Brown will drive Franco Motu, a winner at six of his seven starts, out wide at barrier seven.
In a quality field of eleven, Copy Cat Queen, the only mare in the race, has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, and she will have a legion of fans after having raced brilliantly this season, with six wins from nine starts.
Copy Cat Queen, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, has revealed remarkable improvement this year when she has excelled as a sit-sprinter. Whether De Campo decides to attempt to win the start and set the pace is problematical.
Copy Cat Queen’s past seven wins have resulted after she has unleashed dazzling finishing bursts from the rear. She has good gate speed, and De Campo is sure to be considering using this asset this week.
She has drawn the No. 1 barrier twice in her 35-start career of 13 wins and seven placings --- in the space of twelve days in the 2024 winter.
In a 2185m event at Pinjarra on August 26 last year Copy Cat Queen was first out from barrier one and led for the first 60m before De Campo opted to surrender the front to Rock Rosie Rock before dashing to the front 200m later and setting the pace on her way to an easy victory over World Secret in a heat of the Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies.
Then, at Gloucester Park eleven nights later Copy Cat Queen held up from barrier one before De Campo was happy to surrender the lead to Water Lou 300m after the start. Copy Cat Queen was hampered for room until she got into the clear 50m from the post when she ran on to finish second, a length behind the pacemaker.
Justcallmemiki, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, notched his tenth win from 20 starts when he led from barrier one and ambled over the opening quarters of the final mile in 30.7sec. and 29.5sec. before sprinting the final 400m sections in 27.5sec. and 26.6sec. to win the 2185m Pinjarra Four-Year-Old Classic by a length from Waverider, rating 1.55.3. That was his sixth win from eight WA starts.
Waverider trailed the pacemaker and finished second, with Franco Motu a fighting third after working in the breeze all the way. Copy Cat Queen raced in sixth place in the one-wide line before surging home out four wide over the final 300m to finish fourth.
“It’s a horrible draw for Justcallmemiki on Friday night,” said his driver Deni Roberts. “He is a horse who likes room, and this week he will be following out Copy Cat Queen, who is probably not going to lead.”
Opal Hunter, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, has impressed in winning at his two Gloucester Park appearances last month, following a five-month absence. He faces a stern test from out wide at barrier eight.
But his task is far from impossible, considering the ease of his victory against modest opposition on Tuesday of last week when he began from the outside barrier (No. 9) and was seventh at the bell before he sprinted fast to burst to the front 500m from home and then racing away to win by nine lengths, rating 1.55.3 over 1730m.
“Opal Hunter will step up,” said Williams. “He had a leg injury and had a long time away from the track. We have put a lot of time and hard work into him, and he has come back really well.
“Realistically, it was very moderate company when he won last week, and now he is in a very good field. However, I strongly believe he is as talented as any of the other runner. But obviously from the wide barrier he will need the pace to be on. And if they do go hard and he is just sitting back doing nothing he can figure in the finish.”
Golden Lode, a stablemate of Justcallmemiki, will be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 4 barrier, and he is a speedy and versatile pacer capable of a bold showing.
Im Lightning Banner, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, is favourably drawn at barrier two and should be in a commanding position throughout. It is well worth considering that he led and won four races in a row last December and January.
