Im Lightning Banner ready to strike
With forecasts of tempestuous winter weather on Friday night punters should pay to seriously consider taking heed of the topical tip and investing in Im Lightning Banner in the Christmas In July In The Beau Rivage Pace at Gloucester Park.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, has a losing sequence of 20 and has not been successful for 17 months.
But he makes strong appeal after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m event in which he should also take advantage of a considerable drop in class.
Im Lightning Banner did not enjoy working hard in the breeze before wilting to finish sixth behind the frontrunning Opal Hunter last Friday week. He impressed at his two previous starts when he finished third behind Gee Heza Sport and second to Runkle Crunch.
“This is a good draw for him; he has good gate speed and, hopefully, he can return to the winners’ circle,” said Egerton-Green. “I’ve been happy with him this week.”
Im Lightning Banner’s most recent victory was when he set the pace and defeated Waverider and Magnus Victor over 2130m on January 31 last year. His chief rivals on Friday night are sure to be the two four-year-olds in the event --- Our Crunch Time (barrier four) and Ultimate Miki (barrier two).
Our Crunch Time, a winner at six of his 13 starts, has resumed racing after a spell in splendid fashion, setting the pace in all three of his starts in his current campaign for a first-up victory over Last Hard Copy and close seconds to Soho Moonraker and Bettors Pride.
“His second last week was an excellent effort,” said Deni Roberts, who drives the New Zealand-bred gelding for trainers Greg and Skye Bond. “He is a big horse who is much better suited when he leads.”
Ultimate Miki, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Gary Hall jnr, looks set for a highly successful career after his 14 starts have resulted in eight wins and four second placings.
Ultimate Miki was extremely unlucky last Friday week when he began from the outside of the front line, was trapped five wide early and then restrained to the rear before charging forward, out wide, in the first lap to move to the breeze. He took a narrow lead 50m from the post and was narrowly beaten by Louie Lebeau, who took advantage of a lucky inside run.
Egerton-Green and Roberts will be keen rivals in Friday night’s final event, the 2130m Beau Rivage Pace for three-year-olds, in which Egerton-Green will handle A Precious Gem, and Roberts will drive Manuka Bay.
A Precious Gem made a successful debut when she raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing solidly to win from Westburn Rockstar over 2185m at Pinjarra last Monday week. A Precious Gem will start from barrier three, with Manuka Bay at No. 2.
“She has a tricky draw, and I will have to play things by ear,” said Egerton-Green. “She has a fair bit of ability and I’m confident she will run a good race.”
Manuka Bay, trained by the Bonds, raced twice at Gloucester Park in April after arriving from New Zealand, finishing a first-up second to Methuselah, and then getting to the front after 500m and going on to win by more than a length from Ravenous, rating 1.58.2 after final quarters of 29.5sec., 28.5sec. and 29.1sec.
“She has a nice draw in what is a good field,” said Roberts. “Her work at home has been really good.”
Adding considerable interest to the race will be the first appearance in Australia of Lincoln Lover, a Bettors Delight gelding who will be driven by Emily Suvaljko for trainer Michael Young.
Lincoln Lover is the most experienced runner in the race whose 20 starts in New Zealand produced two wins, five seconds and one third placing. Many punters will be swayed by the adage of a good colt or gelding will always beat the fillies (in this case Manuka Bay, A Precious Gem and Better Together).
Lincoln Lover warmed up for this week’s race in fine style with an impressive performance in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he raced in last place in an Indian file affair of four runners before surging home to win by three lengths from Devil In Disguise, rating 1.59.1 after final quarters of 28.6sec. and 27.6sec.
“He is lazy at home, but his trial was really good when he was switched on and ran home in fast time, and did it pretty well within himself,” said Suvaljko. “I’m not sure what we will do on Friday night.”
New tactics for Major Buzz
Seasoned country performer Major Buzz has been driven tough to score fighting wins at Bunbury and Northam at his past two starts, and now Kylah Madden is planning vastly different tactics when the WA-bred six-year-old begins from the No. 1 barrier in the Bridge Bar, Meet Up Before The Game Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“We will come out of the gate and hopefully lead,” said Madden. “He should love it and will be a winning chance if we get to the front.”
Madden is a stablehand at Michael Young’s Banjup stables, and the trainer has engaged Madden to use her concession to drive Major Buzz and to guarantee the gelding gaining the inside barrier.
Major Buzz has begun from the back line at his latest two starts --- the first runs for the Young stable --- and he has revealed admirable fighting qualities to win both times.
He settled in seventh position before gaining the one-out, one-back position and then began a three-wide move 600m from home on his way to winning from Madam Tiger and Duncan Twentytwo over 2100m at Bunbury two Saturdays ago.
Then at Northam last Saturday he began from the back line and was eighth at the bell before starting a three-wide burst which took him to the front 270m from home and on to a neck victory over Sports Central over 2190m.
One of Major Buzz’s expected main dangers is seven-year-old mare Catch The Red Eye, who will start from barrier three and will be driven by Toby Lynn for trainer Chris Voak. Catch The Red Eye will be making her first appearance for three months.
Catch The Red Eye reappeared after a 20-month absence when she raced twice in 1177m sprints at Pinjarra in March for a first-up win when after racing in the breeze, followed by a close-up fifth behind Repossession.
Madden faces a busy time on Friday night with drives in seven of the ten events, and she is looking forward to handling the Bob Mellsop-trained Saifa in the Book Into Steelo’s Pace over 2130m in which the New Zealand-bred five-year-old will start from the inside of the back line.
Saifa began from the back line and caught the eye when he raced in eighth position before starting a three-wide move 500m from home and finishing with a powerful burst to be second to Medieval Man over 2100m at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Saturday week.
Voak to drive Eastbro Chrissy
Gary Hall jnr has two fancied runners from his stable engaged in the $30,000 Lewis Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he has chosen to handle Sweet Coco in preference to Eastbro Chrissy.
Hall drove six-year-old Sweet Coco when the mare ended a losing sequence of nine after enjoying the one-out, one-back trail and finishing strongly to win from Full Swing Denario over 1684m at Pinjarra three Mondays ago.
That was Sweet Coco’s eleventh win from 44 starts, and she is awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 7 on Friday night, with Eastbro Chrissy drawn out wide at barrier eight.
Chris Voak has been engaged to handle Eastbro Chrissy, who has been driven by Hall at her three runs in Western Australia for smart wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park before racing one-out and one-back and finishing solidly to be an excellent second to the brilliant Fakenit in the group 3 Kerry Clarke event over 2130m last Friday night.
Friday night’s event looks a very open affair, with Ruby Lovera, Wave Rebellion, Up And Alive, Poppyonthebeach, Delulu, Starlight Dream and Official Rock all having sound claims.
Ruby Lovera, to be driven by Trent Wheeler for trainer Justin Prentice, will start from the outside of the back line and is capable of running home strongly and figuring in the finish. She has been unplaced at her two most recent outings after being badly hampered for room in the closing stages.
Wave Rebellion, trained and driven by Stuart McDonald, will start from the inside of the back line. She lacks early pace but possesses a powerful finishing burst like she revealed last Friday night when she raced three back on the pegs and surged home out wide to finish third behind Fakenit and Eastbro Chrissy.
Stormy Vista set to bounce back
Stormy Vista had a torrid battle in the 2560m York Cup at Northam last Saturday night when a fading ninth behind his stablemate Luvbite --- and now star driver Emily Suvaljko is planning for the four-year-old to bounce back and win the Christmas In July Handicap, a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Stormy Vista, trained by Michael Young, will begin from barrier three on the front line, with Suvaljko hellbent on getting the New Zealand-bred gelding away smoothly in a bid to set the pace.
“If he steps good, he will bounce to the front and should be able to win,” said Suvaljko. “He led when he won from A Little Silence in a stand two starts ago.”
A Little Silence, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for trainer Gary Hall snr, will begin from the 20m mark and looks set to fight out the finish. The five-year-old has a splendid record of 13 starts for three wins, seven seconds and three thirds.
Seven-year-old Luvbite is racing in superb form with four wins and a fourth placing from his past five starts. He began from the 50m back mark in the York Cup and sustained a powerful three-wide burst to win from Our Vinnie. He is sure to appreciate starting from the 30m mark on Friday night.
Luvbite’s driver Kylah Madden says she is confident that the evergreen gelding will be one of the main contenders in Friday night’s race, while Abbey Vidovich is also upbeat about the prospects of the Kiara Davies-trained Medieval Man, who will begin from the 30m mark.
Vidovich has driven Medieval Man at his past four starts for wins in mobile events at Pinjarra and Bunbury after racing without cover, and in mobiles at Gloucester Park for a third behind Luvbite and a second to Sweet Pins last Friday night.
“Medieval Man has been racing strongly from the breeze, and hopefully we can find a forward position,” said Vidovich. “He is racing well enough to do well from any position.”
Vidovich is also hoping for a strong effort from the Ryan Cummins-trained Shes A Tiny Dancer, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line in the 2130m Free Entry Pace.
Shes A Tiny Dancer was a smart winner from Charivari five starts ago, and she finished a close second to Koojan over 2130m last Friday night after taking a narrow lead on the home turn.
“She is a little weak mentally and drops the bit when she is close to the winning post,” said Vidovich. “She has a nice draw on Friday night and should race close to the lead.”
Charivari should prove hard to beat after drawing the No. 2 barrier. The four-year-old, to be driven by Liam Elliott for trainer Ryan Bell, has been placed at four of his five starts in his current campaign and is overdue for a change of fortune.
Talented New Zealand-bred six-year-old Holy Hecka will have many admirers when he begins from the inside of the back line for trainer Kevin Keys and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. The Sweet Lou gelding should enjoy a soft passage before finishing strongly. He was given an easy task when a first-up eighth behind Art Ideal last Friday night.
As usual, Deni Roberts will have a busy time on a Friday night when all her drives --- Kinky, Rumble Strip, Our Crunch Time, Munroes Mate, Delulu, Arista, My Ultimate Chevron and Manuka Bay --- will have a big following.
Three of her best prospects are likely to be Our Crunch Time (barrier No. 4 in Christmas In July Pace), Munroes Mate, who will start from barrier one in the $9 Swan Draught Pints Pace, and Arista, who will begin from barrier seven in the Bridge Bar Open Pace.
“It’s a big jump in grade to Free-For-All company for Munroes Mate (a first-up all-the-way winner), but he has really good gate speed and we can choose what we do,” said Roberts.
