Lavra Joe gets his chance
Lavra Joe’s whirlwind finishing burst to run a close fourth behind Jumpingjackmac in the Bunbury Cup last Saturday delighted star reinsman Kyle Harper, who is looking forward to a strong effort in the $50,000 group 3 Governor’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The stylish six-year-old, trained by Ray Jones, began from barrier four on the back line and he settled down in last position in the field of twelve. He was 11TH at the bell and with 250m to travel he was tenth before he unleashed a scintillating sprint, out wide, to finish less than a length behind the winner after dashing over the final 400m in 26.5sec.
“Ray has done a tremendous job to get Lavra Joe back to his brilliant best,” said Harper. “Lavra Joe was outstanding in the Bunbury Cup and he can definitely win on Friday night. It’s just a matter of how the race is run.
“He has a sticky draw at barrier five, but he can probably win from three different ways. But so can three, four, five, six or seven other horses. It’s a very strong field and it’s anyone’s race. Lavra Joe was really impressive last Saturday, and he has strings to his bow. We’ll have to assess things and work out what we’ll do, depending on what unfolds.”
Jumpingjackmac’s prospects on Friday night diminished when he drew the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, with reinsman Stuart McDonald predicting he would employ different tactics to those that proved successful in the Bunbury Cup.
In the Bunbury Cup Jumpingjackmac started out wide at barrier seven and McDonald dashed him forward soon after the start to move to the breeze and then gained the one-out, one-back sit before finishing fast to win from Pinny Tiger, Swingband and Lavra Joe.
“It’s not the ideal draw this week,” said McDonald. “But he’s used to being out there. I’ll probably drive him as a sit-sprinter. I probably won’t be able to get forward like we did in the Bunbury Cup, considering the horses with good speed drawn inside of us. I’m hoping there will be plenty of speed, enabling Jumpingjackmac to get into the race late as a sit-sprinter.”
Jumpingjackmac is trained by Gary Hall snr, who has won the Governor’s Cup with Chicago Bull (2018), Wildwest (2021) and Diego (2023).
Diego, driven by Maddison Brown, won the Cup last year when he defeated Sangue Reale, Minstrel and Lavra Joe, with Jumpingjackmac finishing ninth.
Diego, to be driven for the first time by Trent Wheeler, faces a stern test from out wide at barrier eight at his second appearance after a spell.
Hall jnr has been engaged to drive smart last-start winner Ideal Agent from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. Ideal Agent is prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who will also be represented by other top-flight last-start winners Minstrel (barrier six) and Tenzing Bromac (barrier four).
Minstrel, to be driven by Deni Roberts, is in devastating form with five wins and an extremely close second placing at his past six starts. He made most of the running when he scored an easy win over Alcopony and Pinny Tiger in the Pinjarra Cup five Mondays ago.
Tenzing Bromac had a tough run before winning from Tricky Miki last Friday week. He will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green.
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice also holds a strong hand in Friday night’s Cup, in which Mighty Ronaldo (Emily Suvaljko) will start from the prized No. 1 barrier, and Tricky Miki (Maddison Brown) is handily drawn at barrier No. 3.
Swingband, who is racing in splendid form for trainer Ryan Bell and reinsman Kyle Symington, has drawn awkwardly at barrier seven. He led from the No. 1 barrier when beaten into third place in the Bunbury Cup.
“I was happy with his run,” said Symington. “And I think he is a lot better with a sit. He was travelling well when I pulled the blinds at the top of the straight, and it switched him off a bit. I think Ryan will remove the pull-down blinds this week.”
Valentines Brook, who raced three back on the pegs and was blocked for a clear passage when an unlucky eighth in the Bunbury Cup, is handily drawn at barrier two. He is trained by Jocelyn Young and will be driven for the first time by Aiden De Campo, who was successful in the 2020 Governor’s Cup with Handsandwheels.
Koolbardi Navajo capable of surprising
Lightly-raced Albany-trained mare Koolbardi Navajo will be making her first appearance at Gloucester Park on Friday night for 17 months when she lines up in the $35,000 Race For Roses --- and reinsman Stuart McDonald predicts that she is capable of running a bold race.
Koolbardi Navajo underlined her wonderful potential at Pinjarra last Monday week when she began from the outside barrier (No. 7) on the front line in a field of eight and raced in last position until McDonald switched her three wide 800m from home, and she sprinted brilliantly to burst to the front 200m later before careering away to win by seven lengths from Make Your Mark, rating 1.55.2 over 2185m, with final quarters of 27.1sec., 27.9sec. and 29.6sec.
This week Koolbardi Navajo will be having her first start in a stand when she will begin from barrier four on the front line, with smart and seasoned city performers Cyclone Charlotte (20m), Turn The Page (10m), Three Rumours (20m), Fly To Fame (front) and Fleur Du Marquis (10m) all in good form and sure to be fancied.
“If Koolbardi Navajo steps away she will be hard to beat, with her rivals having a hard time to run her down,” said McDonald. “Hopefully, I can get her away safely. I think she is a top mare who is capable of going all the way, and by the end of the year I expect her to be racing in Perth every week and racing in Free-For-All mares’ company.”
Koolbardi Navajo is trained by Tim Stone, who has given the mare two trials in stands at the Albany track with mixed success.
On December 15 last year Koolbardi Navajo stood flat footed and lost several lengths at the start of a 2247m trial. She was last in the field of four util she surged forward 400m from home to dash to the front 80m later and win by eight lengths from Mummas Little Star, rating a modest 2.5.5.
Then on December 31 she began safely in a trial field of three when she set the pace and won by 70m from Step It Up, rating 2.2.9.
Koolbardi Navajo has appeared twice at Gloucester Park --- when she won by five lengths in an event for three-year-olds on February 1, 2022, and then in October that year when she overraced and choked down before finishing more than a half-lap behind the rest of the field.
Her past 13 runs have been in the country for three wins at Albany and one win at both Wagin and Pinjarra.
Cyclone Charlotte, to be driven by Aiden De Campo for Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams, is overdue for a win after being placed at seven of her past eleven starts since winning a $30,000 event for mares from Beyond The Sea and Taking The Miki on October 13 last year.
Turn The Page, to be driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has won at eight of her 13 starts. She disappointed last Friday night when she raced without cover for much of the way and finished third behind Mighthavtime and Fleur Du Marquis. Roberts blamed laziness for her below-par effort, and she will be looking for a more genuine performance this week.
Menemsha set to bounce back
Talented gelding Menemsha raced in the breeze before wilting to finish seventh behind Bet The House in a qualifying heat of the APG WA Gold Bullion for three-year-old colts and geldings on Tuesday of last week, but trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is confident he will make amends by winning the $50,505 final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Menemsha, winner of the group 2 Pearl Classic and the group 1 Westbred Classic last year, has drawn perfectly with the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m final.
“So, from this barrier he gets a good chance to bounce to the front and hopefully he will lead and win,” said De Campo. “On face value, I’d be disappointed with his run in the heat. But he was having his first start for 25 days, and the winner went 1.54.1.
“He has pulled up really well, so I wasn’t too stressed about that effort, and I expect him to return to his best on Friday.”
Grevis, a stablemate of Menemsha, will start from the No. 3 barrier with Trent Wheeler in the sulky. Grevis ran home strongly from the rear when third behind Bet The House in the Gold Bullion heat before he raced wide early and then in the breeze outside Off The Charts over 2130m last Friday night before fading to finish fifth behind Kabochon.
“I thought Grevis was a touch disappointing last week,” said De Campo. “He looked like the winner on the corner, but he went sideways a little bit, lost concentration and didn’t finish off like he felt. His work this morning (Tuesday) was good, and he rarely runs a poor race.”
Opal Hunter, Bet The House and Ten To The Dozen are likely to be the toughest rivals for Menemsha.
Opal Hunter, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, has won at four of his eleven starts. He began from the back line in last week’s heat when he raced in seventh position before finishing solidly into fifth place. He is favourably drawn at barrier two on Friday night.
Bet The House, trained by Ron Huston and to be driven by Chris Voak, impressed in the heat when he enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before running home strongly to win from the pacemaker Ten To The Dozen and the fast-finishing Grevis.
“I have a high opinion of Bet The House, and he has a perfect draw on Friday night, as the only runner on the back line,” said Voak. “Menemsha looks the leader, and we will probably have the sit behind him. We have got to hope that a horse drops off at the right time, giving us the chance to get into the clear and go forward.”
Ten To The Dozen, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the No. 6 barrier, and with a fine record of eight wins and five placings from 17 starts he cannot be overlooked as a strong winning chance. He led until the final ten metres when a close second to Bet The House last Tuesday week.
The Bond stable also has two other runners in the final --- Thelittle Master (barrier five) and Thenu Came Along (barrier nine). Thelittle Master Has won at five of his 19 starts, and Thenu Came Along has had 18 starts for four wins and six placings.
The Mike Reed-trained Water Lou, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, appears to have a stranglehold on the $50,505 final of the APG WA Gold Bullion for three-year-old fillies after drawing the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Water Lou notched her 12TH victory from 16 starts when she set a brisk pace and dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 27.5sec. when she scored an effortless victory in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week.
The Colin Brown-trained Xceptional Arma also is an outstanding pacer with a wonderful record of 22 starts for 12 wins, five seconds and one third placing. She will be driven by Maddison Brown from the No. 4 barrier.
Xceptional Arma began from barrier one when she won a qualifying heat by a length from the frontrunning More Sass. Xceptional Arma was beaten out at the start, and she was eased off the pegs after a lap and raced in the breeze for the final 950m before finishing too strongly for More Sass.
Xceptional Arma rated 1.54.8 compared with Water Lou’s rate of 1.55.2 in winning the other qualifying heat.
Hall opts for Miki Jet
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr has surprised many pacing pundits by choosing to drive New Zealand-bred five-year-old Miki Jet ahead of outstanding four-year-old Skylou in the 2130m WA Foton Diesel At Catalano Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall trains Miki Jet, but he had the option of being granted permission to handle Skylou, who is trained by his father, Gary Hall snr.
Hall jnr drove Skylou when the gelding led and scored an easy victory in the group 3 Easter Cup last Friday week. That was Skylou’s first appearance after winning the group 1 WA Derby on November 3 last year.
Skylou, who has won at seven of his ten starts, will be driven by Stuart McDonald on Friday night. Skylou will begin from the No. 3 barrier, with Miki Jet drawn at barrier No. 1.
“Skylou is a better drive, but I’ve got to see where Miki Jet is at,” said Hall jnr. “Miki Jet is getting out better and better and I’ll do my best to hold up, and hopefully he will lead, and we will see what he has got.
“It is a really good field and if Miki Jet is ever going to beat a horse like Skylou, he gets his chance here.”
Miki Jet has impressed in WA with his first six starts in the State producing four wins and two placings after he had raced 21 times in New Zealand for four wins and eight placings.
The Hall father and son combination has excellent prospects of winning later in Friday night’s program with outstanding four-year-olds Mister Smartee and Im The Black Flash.
Mister Smartee, a winner at six of his eight starts, should carry too many guns for his rivals in the 2130m Cowden Serving Since 1972 Pace despite starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Im The Black Flash, a winner at eight of his 19 starts, will begin from barrier three on the front line in the 2503m standing start The Countryman Handicap. He gave a strong staying performance last Friday night when he raced in the breeze and fought on grandly to finish second to stablemate Skylou in the group 3 Easter Cup.
His main danger is sure to be the Robbie Williams-trained Brickies Dream, who will start from the favourable No. 2 barrier on the front line. He maintained his splendid form when he finished solidly to be third in the Easter Cup.
