Minstrel ready to go one better
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts is optimistic that Minstrel, the oldest runner in the $1.25 million Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park on Friday night, possesses the speed, strength and stamina to win the big race and erase the disappointment of finishing second to Catch A Wave in this event 12 months ago.
“He is in tip-top shape and has the draw advantage on our main rivals,” she said after the eight-year-old drew the No. 4 barrier in the rich feature event over 2536m.
“Last year Minstrel started from barrier nine and was three wide for quite some time in the first lap and ended up in the breeze after being made to work to get there.”
Minstrel forged to the front 350m from home but was unable to hold out Catch A Wave, who took off three wide from seventh with 900m to travel and took the lead in the final 60m before beating Minstrel by a length.
“I didn’t think Minstrel was going to win because after getting to the front I had a look where Catch A Wave was, and I knew I had opened up my bloke, and Catch A Wave was way too close to me,” said Roberts. “He’d had a perfect run and found me out late.
“If we can find the front on Friday night, we should have a bit more up our sleeve. As long as we can hold all the others on our outside, I think Minstrel should find the fence ahead of the horses drawn the three inside barriers. And then Minstrel is likely to take the brunt of the good horses (Mister Smartee, Catch A Wave and Swayzee).”
Minstrel, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will be making his first appearance at Gloucester Park since he won the WA Pacing Cup last November when he began from barrier two and raced in the breeze outside Pinny Tiger until eventually getting to the front 600m from home and fighting on grimly to win by a half-length from Mister Smartee, who had enjoyed a perfect passage in the one-out, one-back position.
“In the Pacing Cup I thought that Mister Smartee was going to beat me,” said Roberts. “But I didn’t have to open up in that race in which Minstrel had a more controlled breeze and had a bit more left in the tank. I don’t expect Mister Smartee and Swayzee to leave us alone on Friday night.
“The 2536m won’t worry Minstrel. We wish the race would be over three thousand metres.” Minstrel has won over trips between 2503m and 2692m 13 times and has a record of 70 starts for 27 wins, 16 seconds, six thirds and $1,447,308.
“Minstrel has been a great horse and has taken us further than we thought he would,” said Roberts. “His Inters campaign (in New South Wales last December when he finished second to Don Hugo in the final) was exceptional, and we should have gained a lot of respect from that.
“Minstrel’s stablemates Gee Heza Sport (barrier five) and Justcallmemiki (barrier eight) are talented pacers and will be snipers. They have been working together and there is much between them.”
While Roberts is bubbling with confidence that Minstrel will prove hard to beat, so too is Jason Grimson, the trainer and part-owner of the New South Wales-bred champion pacer Swayzee, who has amassed $2,150,893 in prizemoney from 30 wins and 15 placings from 66 starts.
Swayzee is a grand stayer who has won the 3200m New Zealand Cup at Addington in the past two years for Grimson and ace Sydney reinsman Cam Hart. He is the only runner on the back line in Friday night’s field of ten.
Grimson and Hart, who combined to win the inaugural Nullarbor with Betterzippit in 2023, are planning to make life extremely tough for Swayzee’s rivals, with Grimson saying: “I know from his trackwork this morning (Tuesday) that he is ready to roll. He will run a big race; so, look out.
“He is a superstar and is good enough to sit outside the leader, and win. As much as people probably think that I would like barrier ten, I do like it.
“He is the only horse off the second line and he can get straight off (the pegs), and with the other big guns (Catch A Wave and Mister Smartee) drawn out wide (at barriers nine and seven, respectively), it wouldn’t surprise me if Swayzee got in front of them. He has enough time to get around them and bully them (the leaders).”
WA’s champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr said he was planning to come out of the gate with Mister Smartee. “I’ll slide forward and probably sit in the breeze and wait until Swayzee comes and then take the one-one sit behind that horse.
“And, finally, we would like to come with the sucker punch and finish over the top,” he said. “His run last week (when he raced in the breeze and finished second to Catch A Wave over 2130m) was good. The way the race was run made it just too hard for Mister Smartee to win.”
Five-year-old Mister Smartee, a winner at 16 of his 21 starts, is prepared by Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, who has had three runners in the first two Nullarbor events, finishing third with Jumpingjackmac and sixth with Diego in 2023, and finishing fifth with Jumpingjackmac last year.
Kate Gath, who drove Catch A Wave to victory in last year’s Nullarbor, is expected to restrain the six-year-old when he begins from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. Her husband Andy, who trains Catch A Wave, said that the gelding is a terrific sit-sprinter and driven that way would give him his best chance of winning again this week.
Sit-sprinting also looks the best plan for the Justin Prentice-trained Mighty Ronaldo, who will be driven by Will Rixon from the favourable No. 2 barrier. Mighty Ronaldo will become the only runner to contest the first three runnings of the Nullarbor. He finished last from barrier nine in 2023, and sixth from the No. 2 barrier last year.
Four-year-old Waverider is the youngest runner in Friday night’s race. He will start from barrier three and will be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, who said: “He’s top notch but he needs to be. However, we’re confident he is in better shape than (stablemate) Swingband was last year when he finished third in the big race.
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green was delighted when seven-year-old Otis drew the prized No. 1 barrier, saying: “He is getting better with every run, and he loves the fence. If he can get out late, he should be right in the mix.”
Egerton-Green trained and drove $71 outsider Typhoon Banner from the No. 1 barrier when he finished fifth behind Betterzippit in 2023.
Shannon Suvaljko, who will drive six-year-old Hoppys Way for Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed, said he had an open mind regarding tactics from the No. 6 barrier.
“Hoppys Way is very fast and if we wanted, he could cross to the front easily,” he said. “Hoppys Way led from barrier seven when a half-length second to Tricky Miki in the 2022 WA Derby, and he led from barrier eight when a very close third behind Star Casino in the Four-Year-Old Championship in November 2023.
“I’ll just play it by ear, but more than likely over the 2536m he will settle in the field, and then I’ll take it from there.”
Steno draws No. 1 barrier
Six-year-old Steno, a brilliant beginner and noted frontrunner, has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier for Ravenswood trainer-driver Jocelyn Young in the $50,000 Sibelia Stakes for mares over 1609m at Menangle on Saturday night.
Steno, a winner of 24 races from 50 starts and $576,150 in stakes, is capable bursting straight to the front and setting a merry pace at her first outing since she raced three back on the pegs and finished a close second to the fast-finishing Nullarbor Navajo in the 1684m Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra on March 17. The winner rated 1.50.6.
Looming as one of her toughest opponents is seven-year-old Tay Tay, who will start from the No. 3 barrier for trainer Jason Grimson and ace reinsman Cam Hart --- who are confident of winning with the brilliant Swayzee in the $1.25 million Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Tay Tay, who boasts a record of 78 starts for 22 wins, 17 seconds and seven thirds for stakes of $350,341, She warmed up for Saturday night’s event in fine style with a time of 1.50.5 over 1609m at Menangle three Saturdays ago when she began out wide at barrier nine and won by a length from stablemate Bella Danza.
She mustered excellent early pace and dashed forward out wide to take up the running after 250m. A scorching opening quarter of 25.9sec. was followed by 400m sections of 28.1sec., 28.7sec. and 27.7sec.
Another major player in Saturday night’s event is sure to be Victorian six-year-old Rakero Rebel, who will be driven by Greg Sugars for trainer Jess Tubbs.
Rakero Rebel has won at each of her three appearances --- two at Melton and one at Geelong ---after resuming from a spell to take her record to 50 starts for 15 wins, 20 placings and $385,610. Her latest outing was over 2240m at Melton last Saturday week when she rated 1.52.4 after sitting behind the pacemaker using the sprint lane to beat Yambukian by ahead.
Quinton is Suvaljko’s best
No-one will be as busy at Gloucester Park on Friday night as star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko, who will be in action in all ten events.
And his message to punters is that the Mike Reed-trained four-year-old Quinton is his best winning prospect.
The Victorian-bred pacer has resumed after a spell with a fourth, a third and then a second in the space of 21 days in April. He will begin from the No. 3 barrier in the $25,000 You’ve Got The Touch With TABtouch Pace over 2130m.
He caught the eye with is strong effort in the 2185m Harvey Cup at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when he started from the back line and was eighth at the bell before starting a three-wide 600m from home and finishing determinedly to be second to Master Leighton, who rated a smart 1.55.2 after final 400m sections of 26.7sec. and 29.6sec.
“Nothing hit the line better, and he’s a good chance,” said Suvaljko. “I like him, and he doesn’t have to lead.”
Other Reed-trained pacers Bettors Pride (race three) and Lion Queen (race four) also have strong winning prospects, according to Suvaljko.
Bettors Pride will begin from the No. 4 barrier in the $25,000 TABtouch Same Game Multi Bettorzippit final over 2130m in which he has sound prospects against smart rivals Mikis Beach, Blazing Reactor and Cold Hard Cash.
Bettors Pride has won at three of his six starts, with his latest victories coming when he has set the pace and won comfortably over 2185m at Pinjarra and over 2130m at Gloucester Park (when he ran the final 800m in 55.3sec.
“Bettors Pride is getting better all the time, and he doesn’t have to lead,” said Suvaljko, who has a healthy respect for Mikis Beach and Blazing Reactor.
Lion Queen, the only mare in the $27,000 TABtouch Catch A Wave final over 2130m, and Belly Up, the only three-year-old in the race, look set to fight out the finish.
Lion Queen has a distinct advantage, having drawn a favourable barrier at No.3, while Belly Up will start from the outside (barrier three) on the back line.
Lion Queen made a superb return to racing after a five-month absence when she was restrained at the start from barrier seven and was ninth and last at the bell before finishing powerfully to win by a length from Sweet Vivienne, rating 1.56.3 over 2130m last Friday week. That was her sixth win from twelve starts.
“Lion Queen has good gate speed and is capable of holding out (speedy beginner) Longreach Bay (barrier eight),” said Suvaljko. “It was a super first-up run, particularly because she is not normally that type of pacer coming right around the field.
“This is a perfect draw and a perfect race for her, and she can beat Belly Up.”
Menemsha impresses De Campo
A flying finish by Menemsha into fourth place behind Hugotastic last Friday night delighted trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo, who is confident the four-year-old will win the $29,000 Westside Auto Wholesalers Memorial Day Stakes over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Menemsha began out wide at barrier seven last week and he was last in the field of nine at the bell before he thundered home to finish fourth after dashing over the final 400m sections in 27.18sec. and 28sec.
“He will start from barrier five and he should be able to find the front this week, and if he does, he will be hard to beat,” said De Campo.
“It was a super run last week, and his previous form was really good.” A week earlier Menemsha set the pace from the No. 2 barrier and finished an excellent second to up-and-coming star Justcallmemiki.
Menemsha’s clash with Golden Lode should be one of the highlights of the night’s pacing. Golden Lode, the only other four-year-old in the field, will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line at his first outing since he finished with a powerful burst to be third behind Brickies Dream in the Christmas Gift last December.
Golden Lode, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, won at his two previous starts in which he covered a lot of extra ground, beating Vegas Strip at a 1.56.4 rate over 2130m and then beating The Beaudster and Tualou in the 2130m San Simeon Pace, rating 1.55.2.
“Golden Lode is pretty classy and is forward enough to fight out the finish,” said his driver Deni Roberts. “I’m excited to have him back. It’s not a great draw for him, first-up, but his work at home has been very good.”
Another Bond-trained pacer who will be resuming after a spell on Friday night is the New Zealand-bred Lusaka, who will start from the outside of the back line in the $31,000 TABtouch Parliamentarians Cup over 2536m.
The five-year-old Lusaka boasts a splendid record of 37 starts for 14 wins and 16 placings for stakes of $235,727. He last raced when he finished third behind Lavra Joe in a 2130m Free-For-All on December 27. He was placed at his four previous outings, twice behind Mister Smartee.
“Lusaka has been working with Golden Lode, and he meets horses with good form, first-up, when I probably will drive him quietly,” said Roberts.
One of his main rivals is likely to be New Zealand-bred eight-year-old Prince Of Pleasure, who will begin from the No. 1 barrier, with Gary Hall jnr in the sulky.
Prince Of Pleasure should appreciate a drop in class after being unplaced behind star pacers Mister Smartee and Catch A Wave at his two runs this month after resuming racing following a 17-month absence. He has raced only 41 times for 15 wins and nine placings.
