Outstanding driver Deni Roberts has handled Jaspervellabeach at seven of his 118 starts, and she will be reunited with the nine-year-old after a 54-week absence when he begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Kids Activities Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jaspervellabeach, owned by Kristy Elson and trained in Pinjarra by her father Gary, is a smart frontrunner with excellent prospects of winning his 19TH race (and his 15TH at Gloucester Park).
He showed that he is far from a spent force when he set the pace for Trent Wheeler and won easily from Miki Windermere over 2100m at Bunbury three starts ago, on December 9.
Roberts has been unplaced with Jaspervellabeach the past five times she has driven the gelding after her first two drives with him, in October 2021, resulted in second placings behind Mandy Joan and Al Guerrero.
Jaspervellabeach has been a good performer for the Elsons, having amassed $320,638 in prizemoney from 18 wins and 18 placings from 118 starts. He made a wonderful start to his career when he won at his first three starts, all at Gloucester Park as a two-year-old in April 2019. They included the group 2 Champagne Classic, and then at his fifth start he won the group 1 Golden Slipper in July 2019.
His toughest rival on Friday night looms large as four-year-old Pinny Noir, the youngest and least experienced runner in the field of eleven, boasting a record of 16 starts for three wins and four placings.
Pinny Noir, trained by Michael Young, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko. He was a winner at Northam and Bunbury in November before being unplaced at Gloucester Park at his next two appearances.
He enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position in a 1730m event last Friday night before dropping back and finishing sixth behind Lincoln River.
“He got a flat tyre at the 600m, was four wide around the last bend and was beaten by only seven metres,” said Young. “The tube was around the rim, and if it wasn’t for that he probably would have won or at least run second.
“He has been luckless at his past two starts. This week he will go forward and he looks a decent chance. If he doesn’t get to the front, I’d be quite happy for him to race outside Jaspervellabeach.”
