Ima Fivestar General gets his chance
Eight-year-old pacer Ima Fivestar General has managed one placing from his past eleven starts and he has a losing sequence of 21. But he gets an ideal opportunity to end a 13-month drought when he begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the $30,000 Ascot Group WA Im Themightyquinn Listed Classic over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class, and part-owner and trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams will be anxious to use the gelding’s good gate speed in a bid to set the pace.
Punters should disregard Ima Fivestar General’s recent unplaced efforts --- when he has been hopelessly blocked for a clear passage.
Ima Fivestar General was restrained at the start from barrier No. 6 last Friday night when he raced four back on the pegs and was unable to get into the clear at any stage of the final lap before getting to the line full of running in eighth place behind Justcallmemiki.
At his previous appearance a fortnight earlier Ima Fivestar General was restrained from barrier five and raced five back on the pegs before coasting to the line with nowhere to go when tenth behind Steno.
Ima Fivestar General’s most recent victory was on February 16 last year when he led from the No. 2 barrier and sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.6sec. to beat Watts Up Sunshine by a half-head, rating 1.54.3 over 1730m.
One of Ima Fivestar General’s main rivals is expected to be Star Casino, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2. The Ray Williams-trained gelding began from the back mark of 40 metres in a field of nine last Friday night when he raced in sixth position before moving to the breeze in the middle stages and fighting on doggedly when a neck second to Ideal Tomado over 2503m.
He was a winner in moderate company at his previous outing, and three starts ago he had no luck at all when a most unlucky head second to Spyglass after starting off 60m.
Star Casino has been driven by Dylan Egerton-Green and Aiden De Campo at his past two starts. Both of those reinsmen are under suspension, and Aldo Cortopassi has been engaged to drive Star Casino this week for the first time in a race.
Cortopassi has enjoyed tremendous success for the Williams stable, having driven star pacer Magnificent Storm to 25 victories between 2020 and 2023.
Spyglass, trained and driven by Lindsay Harper, is in superb form and is capable of overcoming the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the second line.
Spyglass impressed when he charged home from fifth at the bell to finish an eye-catching second to Justcallmemiki over 2130m last Friday night. Two starts ago Spyglass finished a sound second to Magnus Victor after scoring excellent wins at Gloucester Park at his two previous appearances.
Joey Suvaljko will drive Magnus Victor (barrier seven) for trainer Aiden De Campo, who praised the five-year-old’s sterling effort when third behind the frontrunning Insta Gator over 2130m last Friday night. He surged home powerfully from seventh at the bell.
“That was a super effort last week,” said De campo. “Barrier seven is a bit awkward, but I still expect Magnus Victor to run a good race.”
Trainer-reinsman Gary Hall jnr is more than happy with Dalvey Robyn’s form but agrees that the seven-year-old will be tested from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
“Dalvey Robyn will find it hard having to come around the whole field at some stage,” said Hall. Dalvey Robyn’s past three runs have been a head victory over Swingband, a nose second to Hampton Banner and a head win over Rockandrollartist.
Ten-year-old Rock Me Over will be driven by Chris Voak from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, with trainer Matt Scott saying: “His numbers don’t look good, but he is racing well. He should be three back on the fence and is a definite place chance.
Wishing Belle will look to lead
Classy youngster Wishing Belle has drawn perfectly at barrier one in the $35,000 North Coast Fibreglass Gold Bracelet for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and trainer Aiden De Campo declares: “She will be out to lead and prove hard to beat.
“I’m happy with her and she probably has improved since her latest run (when second to Ma Petite Dame in the Sales Classic final a fortnight ago).”
De Campo is currently serving a term of suspension, and he has engaged Trent Wheeler to drive Wishing Belle, whose only previous run before her last-start second was a nose victory over the talented Ma Petite Dame.
Miss Red Velvet, trained by Ryan Bell and driven by Kyle Symington, looms as Wishing Belle’s most serious rival, who will start from the No. 4 barrier.
“I’m happy with Miss Red Velvet but she is unlikely to be able to cross Wishing Belle and get to the front,” said Bell.
Koh I Noor Camel, trained and driven by Donald Harper) and Cinch (to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond) are last-start winners but their prospects diminished when they drew the two outside barriers.
Veteran trainer Colin Brown will be looking for a strong debut performance from The Sea Siren, who will be driven by his daughter Maddison from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
The Sea Siren impressed in winning recent trials at Pinjarra and Byford, and she is capable of a bold effort. She rated 2.63 when an easy winner in a 1684m Pinjarra trial on Wednesday of last week, and she rated 2.2.2 when winning a 1750m trial at Byford last Saturday.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr has a drive in seven races, and he expects his best winning chances will come late in the ten-event program --- when he is confident of success with Chumani in the Harleys Plumbing Trot over 2130m and Cyclone Jordy in the TCS Washroom Supplies Pace.
Hall drove the Terry Ferguson-trained Chumani when the eight-year-old raced in the breeze before getting to the front 350m from home and winning by 2m from the odds-on favourite Patched, who enjoyed a perfect sit behind Chumani all the way.
“Chumani went awesome last week,” said Hall. “And it is hard to see how Patched can turn the tables this week. He sat on Chumani’s back and couldn’t get over him.”
Chumani will start from barrier five on Friday night, with Patched out wide at barrier seven. They are unlikely to have matters all their own way, with the Michael Munro-trained Nickys Son in splendid form and with the advantage of drawing inside of Chumani and Patched.
Chris Lewis is sure to be keen to take advantage of Nickys Son’s more favourable barrier at No. 4.
Cyclone Jordy, trained by Gary Hall snr, will be at extremely short odds when he begins from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the final event. The outstanding three-year-old has won very easily at his first four starts in WA, and he should carry too many guns for his older and more experienced rivals on Friday night.
“Of my other drives, I expect Princess Katie to perform well (from barrier seven in the Vale Dr Ed Dewar Pace),” said Hall. “She is a chance with the right sort of run,” he declared.
A long road back for Shalini
Shalini is a five-year-old mare bred in the purple who will be making an overdue return to racing when she lines up at barrier four for trainer Matt Scott and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko in the $21,000 Foton Media Autumn Series Maiden Final Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be only her fifth start in a race and her first appearance for 14 months.
Shalini, bred by Bryan Cousins, is by boom American sire Sweet Lou and is out of the brilliant mare Innocent Eyes, who was retired with earnings of $421,875 from 18 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts, with her wins including the Victorian and Australian Oaks in 2005, the 2006 Chariots Of Fire and the Vicbred Super Series for four-year-old mares.
“Chris Voak gave Shalini two starts as a two-year-old at Gloucester Park in August 2022 when she broke in running and was unplaced,” said Scott. “He then recommended that I should take over training her, and she won a trial for me at Byford in December 2023.
“I then started Shalini in a race at Pinjarra the following month when she galloped and finish a distant sixth. At her next start, at Pinjarra a month later, she finished second to Louis Rouge. But she then suffered a minor tendon injury and went out for nine months.
“She has now come back without any problems and has pulled up well after finishing third behind Haveyoumetted in a Byford trial last Saturday and is ready to run a good race on Friday night, even though she will need the run.
“She is not the best out of the gate and is still learning. She has got ability and will win races.”
Miki Windermere, an inexperienced four-year-old, is expected to be a short-priced favourite in Friday night’s event in which he will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, with Stuart McDonald driving the horse for part-owner and Bunbury trainer Steve De Campo.
Miki Windermere notched his first win at his sixth start when he set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and scored by four and a half lengths from Ee Jay Why, rating 1.59 over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday.
A week earlier at Pinjarra, Miki Windermere led when an excellent 2m second to Gaitcrasher when the final 800m was covered in 56.2sec.
Another fancied runner is likely to be the polemarker Alreddy Flyin, who is owned, trained and driven by Dean Miller. The four-year-old mare notched her first win at her 23RD start when he led from the No. 2 barrier and won by 10m from Graces Star, rating a modest 2.3.9 over 2242m.
Get on Gaitcrasher
WA-bred four-year-old Gaitcrasher has resumed after a ten-month absence in wonderful form for his new trainer Aiden De Campo and he should give punters a flying start by winning the opening event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will begin from the No. 3 barrier in the $23,000 Bathroom Central Autumn Series Pace and will be driven by Joey Suvaljko, who replaces De Campo, who is serving a term of suspension.
Gaitcrasher has had two starts at Pinjarra for two convincing victories, and De Campo is confident he will complete a winning hat-trick this week.
He resumed after his lengthy absence when he worked hard in the breeze before beating Miki Windermere by 2m over 2185m, rating 1.58.3 after final quarters of 27.8sec. and 28.4sec. on February 24 and then raced wide early before taking up the running and winning by almost five lengths from Major Class, rating 1.59.4 over 2185m last Monday week.
“I’ve had him for three months and he worked really well on the track, leading up to those runs,” said De Campo. “I think he is going to win a lot more races. He’s pretty tough and also has a bit of speed. We will be looking to find the front on Friday night and should be hard to beat.”
De Campo is also looking for another all-the-way win --- with Showpony, who will be handled by Suvaljko from the No. 1 barrier in the $23,000 Lori Ki Pace over 2130m.
“He went a lot better last week (when sixth behind Cyclone Jordy),” said De Campo. “I lost him the previous couple of runs, and last week he wanted to hang out wide. He should be a lot more suited from barrier one this week when he will lead and give the others something to chase.”
Last Friday night Showpony began out wide at barrier eight and settled at the rear before making a fast move to go to the breeze with 1200m to travel. He wilted late after a hard run.
Showpony’s stablemate Frisky Styx will resume racing after a three-month absence when he begins from barrier four, with Trent Wheeler in the sulky. “He will need the run, first-up,” said De Campo.
Hillview Bondi (Kyle Symington; barrier seven) and Mister Macedon (Emily Suvaljko; barrier six) are tough competitors who excel when working hard in the breeze, and they should ensure a strong, competitive race.
Race four, the 2130m JMD Pressure And Window Cleaning Pace, looks an extremely open affair, with ten-year-old Yankee Lincoln, unplaced at his past 13 starts, likely to be prominent from the No. 1 barrier for Byford trainer Amy Baxter and driver Maddison Brown.
Yankee Lincoln is a proven frontrunner and is capable of causing an upset.
Mikipelo is in sound form for trainer Matt Scott and reinsman Kyle Harper, but he faces a stern test from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. He has been performing well recently against pacers of the calibre of Waverider, Spyglass, Magnus Victor, Vanderbilt and Soho Shakedown.
“He has been running home very well in good mile rates,” said Scott. “He has exceeded our expectations, and I think he can win but he is going to need a good pace on.”
