Monterio, the youngest runner in the opening event, the Linoleum Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, is poised to give punters a flying start by taking full advantage of the favourable No. 2 barrier, setting the pace and proving the master of his ten rivals.
Four-year-old Monterio’s only success from 20 starts was at his third appearance when he led and dashed over the final quarters in 29.4sec. and 28.3sec. and beat No Messing About by a half-length over 2100m at Bunbury last August.
However, his recent efforts have been most encouraging. From barrier five he enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before running home doggedly, out three wide, over the final 770m to finish a half-head second to the frontrunning Seminole Junior over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
At his previous outing, at Pinjarra on January 5, Monterio caught the eye when he was ninth at the 400m before charging home, out six wide, to finish third to Dunamis when the final 400m was run in 28.1sec.
Monterio, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green for trainer Phil Costello, is the seventh foal out of former smart pacer Before Night Falls, who was retired to the breeding barn after racing 38 times for 12 wins, eight placings and $169,279. As a two-year-old in 2008 Before Night Falls won the Western Crown and the Diamond Classic for fillies.
His elder half-brothers The Kraken and Era have performer creditably, with the big gelding The Kraken earning $200,873 from 13 wins and 44 placings from 157 starts, and Era having raced 60 times for eight wins, 13 placings and $84,741.
Trainer Lang Inwood has three runners in Friday night’s race ---My Ultimate Kevvie (Mitch Miller), Vintage Blu (Stuart McDonald) and Goggins (Emily Suvaljko) --- with his main prospect expected to be Vintage Blu, who is capable overcoming the disadvantage of starting out wide at barrier eight.
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive the Annie Belton-trained Alta Allure in preference to Madam Maggie in the $21,000 Nova 93.7 Pace.
Lewis handled the David Gravolin-trained Madam Maggie in a 1730m event last Friday night when she worked hard in the breeze before taking a narrow lead 550m from home and fighting on doggedly to finish second to The Beach Master.
This week Madam Maggie is favourably drawn at barrier one, and she will be driven by Kyle Harper. Alta Allure is poorly drawn at barrier eight, but she is racing with plenty of enthusiasm and commands plenty of respect.
Alta Allure also began from the No. 8 barrier last Friday week when she raced without cover early and then enjoyed an ideal sit, one-out and one-back, before running home solidly to finish a three-length second to the pacemaker Hunger Strike, with the final quarters being run in 28.3sec. and 27.9sec.
A week earlier, Alta Allure began from barrier five when she ran on from seventh in the middle stages to take the lead on the home turn and win by almost two lengths from Xcite Me and Soho Vesper Lind, rating 1.57 over 2130m.
Hunger Strike, trained by Nathan Turvey and to be driven by Abbey Vidovich, also looks hard to beat. She will start from the No. 7 barrier and has bright prospects of notching her fourth win from her past five starts.
