Prentice seeks win No. 4
Outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice has proved to be a master preparer of juvenile pacers in recent years, and he has high hopes of winning the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings for the fourth time in eight years when his brilliant colt Ideal Beach begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the rich feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prentice has won this event with Highroller Joe in 2017, Major Martini in 2019 and Never Ending in 2022. He drove Highroller Joe and Major Martini, and Gary Hall jnr was the successful driver when Never Ending easily beat Rocket City and Skylord three years ago, rating 1.55.6, which stands as the race record.
Hall has driven Ideal Beach in all the colt’s five starts for four wins and a second placing behind El Mystro. Hall will be anxious to set the pace with Ideal Beach on Friday night when he will be fully aware that there are no certainties in horse racing.
He drove the Prentice-trained and Trotsynd-owned Paint The Palette when that pacer was the $2.65 favourite in last year’s Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in which he endured a torrid run in the breeze and when he was tightened and paced roughly on the home bend before finishing a close third to the fast-finishing Belly Up.
Prentice and Hall also combined when $2.80 favourite Tricky Miki was an unlucky third behind Rock On Top in the 2021 Classic when the youngster began from barrier five and settled down in eleventh position before making a fast move after 550m to move to third, three back on the pegs, and then being hampered for room and eventually getting into the clear 220m from home and flashing home.
Among Ideal Beach’s rivals is Wake Up Geoff, who is trained by Prentice’s father Kim, who prepared Your Call Lombo (2002) and Soho Monza (2011) for impressive victories in this classic event.
Wake Up Geoff, to be driven by Mitch Miller, is in good form. He broke briefly soon after the start and then enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before sprinting home fast to finish third behind the frontrunning Bettor Move Matty in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week. That followed a runaway six-length win over 2185m at Pinjarra eight days earlier.
That was the fastest of the three heats, with Bettor Move Matty rating 1.57.1 (gross time of 2min. 35sec.), while Ideal Beach led in his heat and was not extended in winning at a 1.57.8 rate (gross time of 2min. 35.9sec.), and Bettor Behave ran home determinedly to win the other heat, rating 1.59.3 (gross time of 2min. 37.9sec.).
Trainer Aiden De Campo qualified four colts for the final --- Bettor Move Matty (barrier four), Wheelsofortune (six), Bettor Behave (nine) and American Machine (inside of the back line).
De Campo will drive Bettor Move Matty, with Dylan Egerton-Green to handle Wheelsofortune, Trent Wheeler to drive Bettor Behave, and Joey Suvaljko engaged for El Raes Girl.
De Campo, who has won this event with Rock On Top in 2021 and Menemsha in 2023, said: “I like all four of my runners, and Bettor Move Matty is my pick from the draw. Ideal Beach will be very hard to beat, and Bettor Move Matty will go forward, and I’ll be happy to sit outside Ideal Beach and turn it into a real staying test. Bettor Move Matty is a nice colt who can do some work.
“Wheelsofortune and Bettor Behave were good in the heats and American machine should get an ideal run behind Ideal Beach which makes him a good place chance.”
Leading trainer Michael Young has three runners in the race --- Toby George, Butter Me Up and Cease To React --- with Emily Suvaljko choosing to drive Toby George from barrier three. “His work this morning (Tuesday) was really good, and hopefully we can get into a forward position.”
Butter Me Up (barrier five) will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, and Stuart McDonald will be in the sulky behind Cease To React.
Champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who have won this classic with Give us A Wave in 2020 and Belly Up twelve months ago, will be pinning their faith on Chugach, who is handily drawn at barrier two on the back line.
Chugach raced wide early and then set the pace before being beaten by a head by the fast-finishing Bettor Behave in a qualifying heat. Deni Roberts, who brought $20.50 chance Belly Up home with a dazzling burst from last at the 300m to snatch victory in this event last year, will be hoping to repeat the dose with Chugach this week.
Henley Brook trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams has El Mystro racing in superb form, but the gelding faces a tough assignment from out wide at barrier eight.
