Machnificent is a star sprinter
“He’s run fast times over a mile, and I expect a strong performance from him in the Village Kid Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night,” said trainer and part-owner Katja Warwick when assessing Machnificent’s prospects in the $50,000 feature over 1730m.
Seven-year-old Machnificent is a sprint specialist, having contested ten 1730m events at Gloucester Park for five wins, three thirds and two fourth placings, including notable victories in the Nights Of Thunder (1.52.4) in January 2022, and the Members Sprint (1.53.2) 13 months ago.
Warwick has engaged star Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler to drive Machnificent for the first time, following Stuart McDonald’s decision to stick with the in-form High Price.
Wheeler will be the 13TH driver to have handled the WA-bred Machnificent, a speedy seven-year-old who is handily drawn at the No. 3 barrier. Machnificent is an extremely versatile pacer, who has earned $286,941 from 18 wins and 18 placings from 75 starts.
Machnificent gave a sample of his class four starts ago when he was seventh at the bell before sprinting home powerfully to get up and win by 2m from star pacer Lavra Joe, rating 1.55.5 over 2130m. Two starts ago Machnificent was a $71 outsider when he enjoyed a perfect passage in the one-out, one-back position before running home with a solid burst to finish second to the frontrunning Lavra Joe over 2536m.
High Price, trained in Northam by Garry Sayers, is in career-best form, with his past six starts producing two wins, two seconds, one third and one sixth placing. He revealed excellent gate speed last Friday night when he led from barrier two and finished a desperately close third behind Hampton Banner and Dalvey Robyn over 2130m when the final quarters were run in 27.8sec. and 28.3sec.
Hampton Banner, who began from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, raced wide early and then in the breeze for the rest of the first lap. Dalvey Robyn moved to the breeze after a lap, giving Hampton Banner a good sit, one-out and one-back, before he was switched three wide with 230m to travel and got up to snatch victory by a half-head from Dalvey Robyn, with High Price a head away in third place.
That was Hampton Banner’s third win for trainer Debra Lewis and driver Jocelyn Young from his past four starts. He has raced over 1730m nine times for three wins, two seconds, one third and three fifths.
“We know he has really good gate speed, and the mile suits,” said Young. “His win last Friday night was gutsy. He was wide for a long time and was able to make a second run to win. We will be going forward, and if we can get to the front, it will be a good head start because he can roll along.”
Trainer-reinsman Gary Hall jnr has six-year-old Ventura racing in splendid form, with his nine starts in his current campaign producing four wins and three placings. The New Zealand-bred gelding was untroubled to lead from barrier three and go on to win by a length from Rockandrollartist over 2130m last Friday night. “Drawing out wide has dented his claims,” said Hall.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has two runners --- Otis (barrier two) and To Fast To Serious (barrier three on the back line) --- in Friday night’s sprint, and he has chosen to drive nine-year-old To Fast To Serious --- and he has engaged Maddison Brown to handle Otis --- after he has driven the seven-year-old in all his 58 starts for 13 wins and 25 placings.
“Both horses have been working very well, with Otis working particularly well the other day,” said Egerton-Green. “I expect both to run good races. I will drive To Fast To Serious because the mile suits him a bit better. He got home good last Friday night (when he ran on strongly from tenth and last at the bell to finish a very close fourth behind Hampton Banner).”
Lightly-raced eight-year-old Franco Ecuador, to be driven by Mitch Miller for trainer Kim Prentice, will have admirers after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier. He possesses good gate speed, and no doubt Miller will seriously contemplate bursting straight to the front and setting the pace.
Captainshavtime can buck the odds
The odds appear heavily stacked against star three-year-old filly Captainshavtime when she clashes with older and more experienced mares Freyja and Champagne Everyone in the $23,000 Gordon and Cecilia Cox Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Captainshavtime, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, will begin from the outside barrier in the field of six, with Freyja (barrier five) and Champagne Everyone (barrier four) having a significant advantage over their younger rival.
Seven-year-old Freyja, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, is in wonderful form, with her seven starts in her current campaign producing four wins and three seconds, while Champagne Everyone has resumed after a four-month absence with a first-up second to Princess Katie followed by an all-the-way victory by five lengths over Hunt The Magic last Friday week.
Captainshavtime reappeared after a spell last Friday night when she dashed to the front from barrier three and was not extended in leading throughout and winning by 4m from Unlucky, rating an extremely modest 2.1.8 over 2536m. That improved her record to ten starts for seven wins and two thirds.
“Obviously, this is going to be a test for her, racing against older mares, including Freyja, who has a better draw and is racing very well,” said Roberts.
“I might have to drive her a bit differently this week. I think she would have improved from her run last week. She has a lot of ability.”
Young expects Freyja to prove hard to beat, saying: “She is in very good form, and if she runs another first, second or third we will be pleased. She should fight out the finish. It will be nearly a fortnight between runs, because the race at Pinjarra on Monday didn’t hold up.”
Dylan Egerton-Green, who trains and drives Champagne Everyone, is pleased with the six-year-old’s form since resuming after a spell. “She is racing good, but will probably need a bit of luck,” he said.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding Friday night’s race will be the appearance of speedy seven-year-old Blaze Coops, with Kyle Harper expected to take advantage of her draw at barrier No. 3 by using her natural speed to dash to the front and set a solid pace.
Blaze Coops, who is prepared by Shane Tognolini, has won 14 races and at her past four starts she has recorded seconds to Freyja and Machlani and a third placing behind Montana Glory. She set the pace when a Pinjarra winner over 2185m six starts ago.
De Campo opts for Its Maa Time
Ace Hopeland trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive promising filly Its Maa Time over up-and-coming stablemate The Khukri in the $21,000 Vale Diane Richards Pace for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Its Maa Time, making her first appearance for eight weeks, is favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m event, with The Khukri at barrier three, with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky.
“This is a good draw for Its Maa Time, and hopefully, she’s got the gate speed to lead,” said de Campo. “I think she has enough ability to definitely put her best foot forward, and if she leads, she should be hard to beat.”
Its Maa Time warmed up for this week’s assignment with a smart trial win at Pinjarra three Wednesdays ago when she raced three back on the pegs, moved off the inside 750m from home and then raced in the breeze before getting up in the final stride to win by a short half-head from the pacemaker Damage Done, rating 2.1 over 2185m after final 400m sections of 27.8sec. and 28.3sec. She was not extended.
Its Maa Time has won at her past three starts, two at Gloucester Park and one at Pinjarra, in November and December.
“Her trial was good,” said de Campo. “She needed it; it was two and a half weeks ago, and she has stripped a lot fitter since the trial and seems to be on the right track. She was a lot more relaxed in the trial.”
The Khukri, a Pinjarra winner in late December, then finished second at three of his next four starts. “His latest run (a nose second to Hold The Ammo) was good, but he is still figuring what racing is all about,” said de Campo. “He doesn’t have a heap of gate speed and will need some luck. But he will run a decent race.”
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell had five acceptors for Friday night’s event, which was reduced to four with the scratching of American Major. This left Bell with Wicked Hustler (Chris Voak), Wicked Lover (Maddison Brown), Charivari (Kyle Symington) and Control The Room (Deni Roberts).
Symington had the choice of the Bell runners, and he gave punters a lead by choosing to handle Charivari, who is awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 6. “Charivari won by a big margin and broke the track record at Narrogin at his latest start and he looks Ryan’s main chance,” said Symington. “Tactics from barrier six probably will depend on what the others do.”
Symington drove Charivari when the gelding scored by 25m, setting a Narrogin track record for all ages, rating 1.55.2 over 1823m on December 17. He began from the back line and after a couple of front-line runners galloped, he dashed to the front soon after the start.
Bell’s other runners should all perform strongly. Wicked Hustler, ideally drawn at barrier one, has been placed at his first two outings after resuming from a spell; Wicked Lover has won at four of his 16 starts, including wins at Gloucester Park and Northam at two of his latest three runs; and Control The Room has won at Bunbury and been placed five times from eight starts.
Hold The Ammo, trained by Katja Warwick and to be driven by Stuart McDonald, possesses a sparkling turn of foot and has won at five of his eleven starts, including a spectacular last-start performance at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he was last in the field of five 650m from home before he charged forward with a sizzling burst to dash straight to the front, running the third 400m section of the final mile in 27.4sec. He wilted late and held on to win by a half-head from The Khukri.
Jaxs Ideal and Reinette are talented fillies, with the Michael Young-trained Jaxs Ideal (barrier seven) an impressive winner at her past three appearances, and the Frank Nafranec-trained Reinette (barrier eight) a winner at six of her twelve starts, including a dashing first-up all-the-way victory over The Khukri at Bunbury last month.
Bettor Move Along gets going
Veteran Collie pacer Bettor Move Along ended a losing sequence of ten when he revealed splendid fighting qualities to score a decisive victory over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening, boosting his trainer Brian Wheeler’s confidence that the seven-year-old was capable of making it two wins in the space of four days when he contests the Bill The Better Butcher Pace on Friday night.
“His strength is his toughness,” said Wheeler, an indication that the seven-year-old would go forward in the early stages from his wide draw at barrier eight.
Bettor Move Along also began from the No. 8 barrier in the field of eight on Tuesday night when Wheeler’s son Trent sent the gelding forward soon after the start to race in the breeze outside the pacemaker Ruby Lou. Bettor Move Along got to a narrow lead approaching the home turn and went on under vigorous driving to win by a length.
Captains Beachbabe, an easy winner at Narrogin three starts ago, is the likely favourite from the No. 4 barrier. However, some punters will be reluctant to invest on the Michael Young-trained mare who will be driven by Emily Suvaljko. They will be wary because Captains Beachbabe has a poor record at Gloucester Park, having raced there 34 times for one win (as a three-year-old on June 4, 2021), two seconds and five third placings.
Eight-year-old Joey James, trained by Brad Lynn and driven by his son Toby, will have admirers because of his favourable barrier at No. 2. He has a losing sequence of 20 and has been unplaced at his past eight starts.
Dalvey Robyn, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, drops considerably in class from Free-For-All company when he contests the $23,000 Prince Brino Pace over 2130m. He is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven but should prove hard to beat following his shock victory over Swingband two starts ago and his nose second to Hampton Banner last Friday night.
“Dalvey Robyn will be right in it,” said Hall. “I was happy with his run last week when he was not suited by racing in the breeze. I have plenty of respect for Rockandrollartist, who is flying.”
Trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo said that Rockandrollartist would need some luck after starting from the outside barrier in the field of eight. “It’s not an ideal draw but he is racing very well,” he said. “His past two runs have been career-best, and he showed he can do a bit and come from back in the field.”
Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop’s runners Heavenly Wage and Gully Gum are in excellent form and should be prominent. Deni Roberts have given punters a lead by choosing to drive Gully Gum from barrier four, while Kyle Symington has been engaged to handle Heavenly Wage from the No. 1 barrier.
“It was a hard decision,” said Roberts. “Both pacers are going quite well, and I chose Gully Gum because I think he is more versatile than Heavenly Wage.”
Roberts is also looking forward to a strong performance from Thelittle Master, who will start from barrier seven in the $23,000 Womencan-Teal Team Pace over 2536m.
“Thelittle Master has drawn poorly but this field is not as strong a race as the ones he has been in lately,” she said. “He needs a bit of speed on, and he should come home strongly again.”
Symington is looking to open the meeting on a winning note by driving the Jemma Hayman-trained Chilli Punter to victory in the $21,000 Bill and Norma Horn Memorial Pace over 2130m. “The good draw is a big help, and she should have taken benefit from her latest run when third behind Champagne Everyone and Hunt The Magic,” said Symington.
Mellsop and Roberts are hoping that Hold That Gold will bounce back from his surprise last-start defeat when he raced without cover before fading to a distant eighth behind Luvaflair four Fridays ago by fighting out the finish of the 2130m Village Catering Trot.
“Hold That Gold had a few issues which caused him to miss the Trotters Cup two weeks ago, but he has been working well in the past couple of weeks,” said Roberts.
Hold That Gold won seven in a row before his last-start failure, and he again should prove to be hard to beat against Trotters Cup winner Patched and other in-form trotters Nickys Son and Aldebaran Sundown.
