Magnificent Storm Is Ready To Go
Evergreen champion Magnificent Storm fared badly in the random draw for the $50,000 Barbagallo Motoring Excellence Governor’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but the wide barrier at No. 8 on the front line should not prevent him from remaining undefeated as a nine-year-old this year.
He has competed with youthful enthusiasm to win Group 3 events at his four appearances this year, the 1730m Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park, the 2692m Pinjarra Cup, the 1684m Mount Eden Sprint at Pinjarra and the 2569m Bunbury Cup last Saturday week.
Veteran Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams will have Magnificent Storm in peak condition for this week’s assignment, a week before he contests the $1,250,000 TABtouch Nullarbor slot race.
“Starting in the Governor’s Cup has always been the plan for Magnificent Storm,” said his driver Aiden De Campo. “He seems to back up well from the run before a big race. Eight is not an easy gate, but he will run a good race which should top him off nicely for the Nullarbor the following week.
“He was good at his latest start, winning the Bunbury Cup when he did just what he had to.”
Magnificent Storm’s main danger is likely to be ace trainer Justin Prentice’s marvellous eight-year-old Mighty Ronaldo, who will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from a favourable draw at No. 2 on the back line.
“This is a perfect draw for him,” said Hall, who has been impressed with the WA-bred gelding’s recent efforts. Mighty Ronaldo worked hard early before setting the pace and finishing second to Minstrel in a 2130m Free-For-All two starts ago before he raced four back on the pegs and ran home powerfully to finish third behind Magnificent Storm and Hugotastic in the 2569m Bunbury Cup last Saturday week.
Prominent trainer Ryan Bell is looking for his five-year-old Franco Encore to cause an upset by taking advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier. The New Zealand-bred gelding, a noted frontrunner, will be driven by Ryan Warwick.
“Franco Encore is going very well,” said Bell. “He is a one-paced runner who has got the draw and will be aiming to make every post a winner.
“The plan will be to jump in front, and I’m not sure whether he has ever been beaten when he has led. So, we will be staying in front; we have nothing to lose, and he gets a chance to prove himself.”
Bell’s second Cup runner is Tiger Royal, who raced in the breeze before winning from Belly Up over 2130m two starts ago in considerably weaker company. “Tiger Royal is back in form and when he is he usually retains that form. But obviously the draw hurts.” He will be driven by Kyle Symington.
Star driver Deni Roberts is confident of a strong performance from the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Tualou, who raced in the one-out and one-back position before sprinting over the final 400m in 27.3sec. to snatch a last-stride victory over Rockandrollartist over 2130m last Friday night.
“Tualou is very fast and he has a nice draw,” said Roberts. “He likes to be right up on speed, and I’ll be hoping to get cover.”
The Michael Young-trained Hugotastic warmed up for this week’s Cup with an excellent effort to finish a half-length second to Magnificent Storm in the Bunbury Cup after trailing that pacer throughout and finishing along the sprint lane.
“He is racing really well, but it is a tricky draw for him,” said driver Emily Suvaljko. “I’m not sure what tactics we will adopt.”
Lazi Dais Seeking Five In A Row
Promising pacer Lazi Dais is unbeaten at his four starts on country tracks this season, and his trainer Ryan Bell is confident that he will extend this sequence when he contests the $23,000 Barbagallo Lamborghini Westbred Pace for four and five-year-olds over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lazi Dais, to be driven for the first time by Ryan Warwick, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six, but Bell does not see that as a negative, saying: “I think he is a great chance. He is not just a leader; he can win any way the race is run.
“He has been getting it his own way a bit in this campaign, but he has been running good sectionals. Last year he wasn’t the best pacer when he had bad stifles. But we seem to be on top of that at the moment.
“I’m confident he can acquit himself well. At home he works with Waverider and Franco Encore and matches them.”
Lazi Dais has raced four times this year, all in the space of 28 days in March, for comfortable victories at Pinjarra (twice), Bridgetown and Bunbury. The winning margins at his past three outings have been four lengths, eleven lengths and four and a half lengths.
At his most recent outing Lazi Dais rated 1.56 when he beat Bazaar Package over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday week when he sped over the final 400m sections in 26.8sec. and 27.3sec.
He has won at nine of his 19 starts, with five appearances at Gloucester Park resulting in three wins, one second and one fifth placing. His most recent city appearance was six starts ago on September 5 last year when he led from the No. 1 barrier and won the Group 2 Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings, beating Pinjarra Rocks by three lengths.
Lazi Dais meets strong opposition on Friday night, with Captain Stirling sure to prove hard to beat, and several other runners having realistic winning prospects.
Captain Stirling will be having his second start after a spell for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green. The four-year-old resumed in good style after a four-month absence when he worked hard early before getting to the front and dashing away to win by five lengths from South Side Story over 2185m at Pinjarra three Mondays ago.
Captain Stirling has shown excellent form in feature events, including a neck second to Belly Up in the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-olds, a victory over Belly Up in the Group 1 Sales Classic for three-year-olds and a second to Runkle Crunch in the WA Derby.
Belly Up should be prominent in Friday night’s event when having his third start after a spell. He flew home, out four wide, to finish a half-length second to Chaco Eagle on March 20, and a week later he sustained a powerful burst to finish second to Tiger Royal.
Five-year-olds Alta Tribute, Petes Honour and Thelittle Master have drawn the three widest positions but are all capable of a bold showing. Gary Hall Jnr said that he was impressed when Alta Tribute was last in the field of eight at the bell before charging home to finish third behind Justcallmemiki and Como El Viento over 2130m last Friday week.
An interesting runner is five-year-old Menemsha, who will start from the outside of the back line at his first outing for three and a half months. “He has come back good; this is not a bad draw, and he should get a decent run from there in an even field,” said his trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
As a two-year-old Menemsha won the Pearl Classic and Westbred Classic; as a three-year-old he finished second to Christopher Dance in the WA Derby, and as a four-year-old he won the August Cup last year.
Opal Hunter Back In Action
Lightly-raced five-year-old Opal Hunter will reappear after a beneficial spell when he begins from the No. 6 barrier in the Barbagallo Aston Martin Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and his trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams predicts a successful campaign for the WA-bred gelding, who has won at eight of his 21 starts.
“We would have liked a better draw, but he will run well,” said Williams. “He is a quality horse and though he will be a bit big first-up, he will go well. He trained off at the end of his last preparation, and after a break he has come back very well.
“He took a long time to mature, and now, fingers crossed, he will progress and at some stage should work right through the grades.”
Opal Hunter’s chief rivals on Friday night look to be A Little Silence, Hunger Strike and Luvbite.
A Little Silence, trained by Gary Hall Snr and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, with Hall Jnr declaring the inexperienced New Zealand-bred five-year-old as his best winning prospect on the ten-event program.
A Little Bit Of Silence impressed when he was eighth and last at the bell and sprinted home fast to finish second to Luvbite over 2130m last Friday night.
Luvbite, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko for trainer Michael Young, made a successful WA debut when he worked hard in the breeze before getting to the front leaving the back straight. He covered the final quarters in 27.8sec. and 28.7sec. and ended a losing sequence of 31.
“Luvbite was really good last week when he got out of the gate very good,” said Suvaljjko. “So, I will look at putting him into it (early) and he should be a good chance.”
Deni Roberts will drive Hunger Strike for trainer Nathan Turvey, and she is confident the four-year-old mare and the youngest runner in the race, will be prominent. “This is a lot easier race than what she has been up against at her recent starts,” said Roberts.
Hunger Strike, whose 45 starts have produced nine wins and 19 placings, will start from the No. 5 barrier.
Williams will also be producing Mysta Moon Walker for a first-up run from the inside of the back line in the 2130m Barbagallo Ferrari Pace.
“This is a good draw first-up (after a five-month absence) and he will probably need the run,” said Williams. “But it is not an over-strong field; his work has been good, and if he gets the splits, he will be thereabouts.”
First-up Test For Aardiebytheseaside
Outstanding mare Aardiebytheseaside will reappear after a four-month absence when she begins from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the $25,000 Barbagallo Jaguar Land Rover Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, Aardiebytheseaside boasts a splendid record of 22 wins, 14 placings and stakes of $629,962 from 47 starts. But she faces a stern test against some talented mares, notably Delightful Peg and Fakenit.
“The opposition looks pretty good, so it’s going to be pretty hard,” said Roberts. “She is working really good but it’s a tough draw. I haven’t yet decided how I’ll drive her.”
Aardiebytheseaside will be having her first outing since she was restrained from barrier eight at the start of the $50,000 Christmas Belles before dashing forward 650m later to move to the breeze outside Dame Valour at the 1200m and taking the lead 225m from home and being swamped by the fast-finishing $73 outsider Princess Katie and finishing a gallant second after the final 800m was run in 55.8sec.
Gary Hall Snr prepares Delightful Peg (barrier four) and Fakenit (barrier five), and these two four-year-olds are likely to make life tough for Aardiebytheseaside.
Delightful Peg, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is unbeaten at her first three Australian starts, at Gloucester Park last month, with Hall Jnr saying: “We will press forward and hopefully find the front, and then would be hard to beat, going on her latest run (when she set the pace and beat Fakenit and Penny Black last Friday week).”
Fakenit, to be driven by Maddison Brown, has performed superbly in a wonderful 11-start career of five wins, six placings and earnings of $191,218. She enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out and one-back position before finishing fast to be a one metre second to Delightful Peg over 2130m last Friday week.
There is no doubting the ability of every runner in Friday night’s race, with the return to racing after a spell of five-year-old Copy Cat Queen adding extra spice to what should be an extremely exciting affair.
Copy Cat Queen will be resuming after a five-month absence and will begin out wide at barrier eight for trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo, who was delighted with the mare’s form last season when she won at eight of her 15 starts.
“She’s flying and I’m really happy with her,” said De Campo. “But she is going to find it hard to get into the race from her wide barrier.”
De Campo is more confident with his smart three-year-old filly Wishing Belle, a winner at nine of her 12 starts, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Barbagallo Maserati Pace.
“It’s a good draw for her,” said De Campo. “She has shown good gate speed at her past couple of starts and she should be able to hold up, and if she does, she will be hard to beat. She has shown before that she can beat the boys, and so, hopefully, she can do it again.”
One of the “boys” is the brilliant colt Ideal Beach, a winner at five of his seven starts, with his victories including the Group 2 Pearl Classic and the Group 1 Westbred Classic last year. He will be making his first appearance for just over six months when he begins from the No. 5 barrier.
Ideal Beach is trained by Justin Prentice and will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr.
