Speedy New Zealand-bred pacer Golden Lode has contested six group feature events without being placed, but his driver Deni Roberts is confident the gelding will make a significant breakthrough by winning the $200,000 group 1 Retravision Golden Nugget over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Golden Lode, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will begin from the prized No. 1 barrier, and Roberts said: “I’ll be trying to get out of the gate as quickly as I can, and if he leads, I’d pretty much say he will win.
“His past couple of runs from unfavourable draws have been really good.”
Golden Lode’s only win from eleven starts as a four-year-old this season was six starts ago, when he began from the outside of the back line and had a tough run in the breeze before beating Gully Gum and Rockandrollartist, rating a smart 1.54.9 over 2130m after final 400m sections of 28.7sec., 28.6sec. and 27.4sec.
His most recent appearance was in the group 2 Four-Year-Old Classic over 2130m last Friday week when he began from the inside of the back line and trailed the pacemaker Im Lightning Banner before being shuffled back when the leader wilted in the final lap and then was held up for a clear passage, finishing an unlucky fourth behind Franco Motu.
The Bonds will be looking for a Golden Lode victory which would give them their fourth success in the Nugget and equal the record of Greg Harper, who was successful with Sinn Fein (1982), Classic Garry (1983), Mr Yankee (2006) and Schinzig Buller (2008).
Star trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo, fresh from driving a treble in consecutive events at Gloucester Park on Wednesday, is also confident that Copy Cat Queen, the only filly in Friday night’s race, can prove the master of her eleven male rivals.
Copy Cat Queen, who will start from the No. 2 barrier, warmed up for the Nugget in grand fashion last Friday night when she started from barrier five and raced in the breeze for the first 570m before enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, and finishing strongly to win easily from Dawson, rating 1.56 over 2130m when the final three quarters were run in 28.3sec., 285sec. and 28.8sec.
“She was super last week, and this is a perfect draw for her,” said De Campo. “It means that she’s already in the moving line and not too far from the lead. We just need some speed on and then hopefully she can get over the top of them, late.
“Waverider (barrier three) has good gate speed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he crosses Golden Lode to lead.”
De Campo, who drove Shockwave to victory in the 2019 Golden Nugget, has a good second-string runner in Menemsha, who will be driven by Joey Suvaljko from barrier four.
“Menemsha should perform well,” said De Campo. “He has been racing very well and has been luckless at his past two runs.”
The Bond stable which has won the Nugget with Ana Malak (2018), Minstrel (2021) and Himself (2022), will also be represented with Tualou (barrier nine) and Justcallmemiki (inside of the back line) on Friday night. Tualou will be handled by Tom Nally, and Donald Harper will drive Justcallmemiki. Both pacers are in good form and are capable of a strong showing.
Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr has won the Nugget with The Gold Ace (2011) and Beaudiene Boaz (2015), and he has two runners in this year’s classic --- Franco Motu (barrier eight) and Alta Tribute (outside of the back line).
Stuart McDonald has chosen to drive Alta Tribute, who is in excellent form, and Chris Lewis has been engaged to drive Franco Motu, a last-start winner over Alta Tribute and Waverider in the group 2 Four-Year-Old Classic last Friday week.
Alta Tribute’s latest four runs have produced a win and three placings --- behind Copy Cat Queen, Tualou and Franco Motu.
A splendid first-up effort by Dawson last Friday night when he ran home strongly to finish second to Copy Cat Queen has earned the Sweet Lou gelding a start in Friday night’s event in which he will be driven by Kyle harper from the No. 6 barrier.
“It was a very impressive run by Dawson,” said Harper. “I don’t know who was more surprised, myself or Ray (trainer Ray Jones). But we were pleasantly surprised.”
