Victorian-bred mare Alice Kay has drawn the No. 1 barrier for the first time in Western Australia, and she has bright prospects of notching her first win in the State when she contests the $18,000 Better Your Bet With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was most unlucky last Saturday night when, at her first appearance for 29 days, she raced in eighth position in the one-wide line before being hopelessly blocked for a run in the final stages and finishing seventh behind Typhoon Banner.
“She has come back cherry ripe and in good order after that freshen-up, but she just didn’t get a chance last week,” said trainer Katja Warwick. “She never got a run and came back with the blocks still up and the ear plugs still in.
“It’s the ideal draw this week to try to hold the front. There is a bit of speed on her outside, and hopefully we can get her nice and sharp on Friday night to enable her to hold the lead. She is a good frontrunner and is pretty tough, with the 2536m not being a worry.”
Alice Kay, who will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, has had 11 starts in WA for two seconds and two thirds. Her latest success was when she led from barrier two and held on to beat Puntarno Stride by a short half-head over 2240m at Melton on January 30 this year.
Alice Kay, one of two mares in Friday night’s field of 11, is likely to find the Nathan Turvey-trained The White Rabbit the hardest to beat. The White Rabbit fought on from sixth at the bell to finish fifth behind Typhoon Banner last Saturday night after producing strong finishing bursts to win at Pinjarra and Bunbury at his two previous outings. The White Rabbit will be driven by Suvaljko’s daughter Emily.
