Five-year-old mare Sweet Coco arrived at Gary Hall junior’s Serpentine stables this year after finishing a distant last at her final three appearances in New South Wales --- and then she made a splendid debut in WA with a strong win at Pinjarra last Monday week.
She broke into a gallop at her final two runs in NSW in May this year and was placed out of the draw. She was restrained at the start of the Pinjarra race and raced in eighth position in the one-wide line before sprinting home strongly to beat Majic Bay and Soho Vesper Lind.
“She went super,” said Hall. “And I think it’s a winnable race on Friday night despite drawing the outside barrier on the front line. Now I’ve got to get rid of that disadvantage to enable her to draw better barriers and be more competitive.”
Sweet Coco is one of several excellent each-way prospects for Hall, whose other drives behind Mister Smartee, Sweet Pins, Her Presence, Bettathanlife and Alta Tribute are sure to be popular with punters.
“I expect Sweet Pins to be hard to beat (from barrier six in race six),” said Hall. “I think he is capable of sitting outside (likely pacemaker) Goodtime Louis and beating him.”
Sweet Pins began from barrier eight and settled at the rear in a 2130m event last Friday night before he was hampered for room inn the last lap and then running home strongly to finish a close third behind Arionrock and Shes A Tiny Dancer.
Her Presence also caught the eye when she finished a close fourth, a metre behind Sweet Pins last week after working hard in the breeze and taking a narrow lead approaching the home turn.
She will start from barrier three in the $23,000 The Camel From Hawthorn Pace over 2130m and should fight out the finish with the Dylan Egerton-Green-trained Grand Couteau, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier.
Grand Couteau showed a return to her best form at Pinjarra on Monday this week when she raced four back on the pegs and ran home fast along the sprint lane to finish a half-length second to Ekara Navajo.
“Grand Couteau broke 27sec. over the final 400m, and she is back to somewhere she needs to be,” said Egerton-Green.
Alta Tribute is likely to be tested when he begins from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the $27,000 Thank You Gino Monaco Pace over 2536m. He broke in the score-up and was left ten lengths at the start of a 2130m event last Friday night before making up a lot of lost ground to finish third behind Illawong Mustang and Hale Saint Louie.
“He will be driven cold this week and will go back before running home,” said Hall.
Aiden De Campo considers he has sound each-way prospects with several of his drives, and he said: “There is no stand-out, with Bettor Arcade, each-way, looking my best chance. It is a good draw (inside of the back line in the Punters Club Pace) for him. He is racing really well, though his form doesn’t suggest that. He will run a good race.”
De Campo also expects a strong effort from Dame Valour, who will start from the No. 2 barrier in the third event. “I thought she was career-best last week (settling in last place and running home from fifth at the bell to finish second to Aardiebytheseaside),” he said.
