Veteran pacer Steel the Show is set to end a ten-month drought and score a first-up victory by proving too fast for the opposition in the $31,000 WATA Members Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Steel the Show, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the prized No. 1 barrier under the preferential barrier draw conditions, and star driver Deni Roberts is planning to set the pace.
“It’s a good draw over the mile; he’s got good gate speed, and I’d say we will be taking full advantage of the draw,” said Roberts. “He is a good sprinter, and his work has been very good. He doesn’t work on the track too much at home where he is more of a galloper on the sand.”
Steel The Show, an eight-year-old gelding by champion sire Bettors Delight, has amassed $431,084 in prizemoney, having won six races in New Zealand and ten in WA (all at Gloucester Park) as well as having revealed his class in finishing fourth behind Betterzippit in the Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park in March 2023.
Adding interest to Friday night’s race will be the return to action of brilliant four-year-old mare Water Lou, who will be resuming racing after a ten-week absence.
Water Lou is trained by Mike Reed and has won 21 times from 34 starts for stakes of $440,972. She has yet to win as a four-year-old, with her six starts this year producing one second and two third placings.
She is one of three Reed-trained runners in the race, with Shannon Suvaljko opting to drive her in preference to her stablemates Hoppys Way and Blitzembye, with the trio drawn to begin from the three back line position.
“Water Lou has the job ahead of her from barrier twelve over a mile,” said Reed. “I’m happy with the way she is working, and my main aim with her is the $100,000 Westbred Classic for four-year-old mares next week. Whatever she does this week, she will improve on.”
Arma Xfactor (barrier seven) and Magnus Victor (six) have sound place prospects, with the Colin Brown-trained Arma Xfactor knocking on the door for his 16TH victory after splendid efforts on the past two Friday nights --- working hard in the breeze when a neck second to Mighty Ronaldo and finishing determinedly from the one-out, one-back position to be third behind Menemsha and Rolling Fire.
Reed and Suvaljko will also join forces when Water Lou’s four-year-old stablemate Lion Queen begins from the outside in the field of eight in the $23,000 Anne Gartrell Member Since 2025 Pace over 2130m.
Lion Queen has won at eight of her 21 starts and is on target to contest the rich Westbred event the following Friday night. “This is a tricky draw for her, and I’m not sure whether to go forward or back (at the start),” said Reed. “I’d say it is most likely that we will come out with her. She is working well.”
Reed also has sound claims with Lion Queen’s stablemate, five-year-old Heez Good As Gold, who is favourably drawn at barrier one and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko.
Heez Good As Gold, driven by Shannon Suvaljko, began from the No. 1 barrier in a 1730m event last Friday week when he set the pace and held on to win by a head from the fast-finishing Tantabiddi, rating 1.55.8.
Ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo has two runners in this event in which he has chosen to drive four-year-old Ideal Muscle from barrier six in preference to last-start winner Cold Hard Cash, who will be driven by Joey Suvaljko from barrier five.
“Ideal Muscle drops a long way in grade,” said De Campo. “He has probably been just okay at his past few starts, and I’m hoping he can return to form.
“Cold Hard Cash was good on his return (racing first-up for three months when he won by a head from Flyin Disco). I thought he should have won a bit easier, but he pulled and wanted to get up the track. I expect him to improve.”
Nobody will be busier at Gloucester Park on Friday night than De Campo, who will drive in all ten events as well as being the trainer of seven horses.
He is sure to have a massive following when he drives Maddy Lou, Mydadtheterror, Codename Marcus, Magnus Victor, Gaitcrasher, Dame Valour, Rock Me Over, Copy Cat Queen, Ideal Muscle and Tubbs Farquhar.
