Spyglass ready to shine at WA debut
Veteran trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper is forming a successful partnership with leviathan Leeton harness owner Mick Boots, and he is hoping for a first-up win with Spyglass when the five-year-old makes his WA debut in the first qualifying heat of the Nights Of Thunder at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Boots, who owns hundreds of pacers and trotters, sent Spyglass to Harper’s Martin stables after the gelding had finished an excellent third behind Ghost Of Time over 1720m at Melton on November 30.
Spyglass has drawn perfectly at barrier No. 1 in the first qualifying heat of the Nights Of Thunder over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and he should perform strongly against several smart and speedy rivals, including Rockandrollartist, Ventura, Dalvey Robyn and Thenu Came Along.
Over the past 16 months Harper has trained and driven 14 winners for Boots --- eight with Chivalry, four with Unlucky and two with Sugar Apple.
The New Zealand-bred Spyglass has done all his racing in Australia, with his 22 starts producing ten wins (seven in Victoria and three in New South Wales) as well as six placings for earnings of $65,105.
At his most recent appearance Spyglass began from barrier two on the back line at Melton on November 30 when he raced three back on the pegs and was sixth on the home turn before finishing solidly to be third, 8m behind Ghost Of Time, who rated 1.53.2 over the 1720m, with final 400m sections of 27.5sec. and 27sec.
Three starts before that Spyglass was successful over 1740m at the Riverina Paceway in Wagga when he started from the No. 7 barrier and was restrained back to eighth. He improved to be fifth 400m from home and he finished fast, out four wide, to beat Charlies Angel by a half-neck, rating 1.54.5, with a final quarter of 26.4sec.
Spyglass warmed up for Friday night’s event in good style when he won a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning. Harper restrained him at the start, and he settled down in fifth position in the field of six before racing four back on the pegs.
Harper eased him off the pegs with about 700m to travel and the gelding then gained an ideal sit behind the pacemaker Sly Terror before he again moved off the inside approaching the home turn. He dashed to the front in the final 50m and was not extended in winning easily from Sly Terror, rating 1.59.6. The final three quarters were run in 29.6sec., 30.5sec. and 28.4sec.
Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo has given Rockandrollartist a freshen-up, and the six-year-old will be making his first appearance for five weeks when he begins from the No. 5 barrier. The gelding is one of the fastest beginners in the State and De Campo appears certain to attempt to steal a march on his rivals by setting Rockandrollartist on fire in a bid to burst to the front and then set the pace.
Rockandrollartist rated a smart 1.56.3 when he dashed to the front from barrier eight and then set a fast pace before winning by four lengths from Joey James over 2130m five weeks ago. He is a brilliant sprinter, as he revealed when he led and won twice over 1177m at Pinjarra last April.
Ventura, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, is in top form and will have many admirers at his first outing for three weeks. He has the ability to overcome the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Ventura started from barrier five in a 2536m event on December 27 when he raced in the breeze in the first lap and then set the pace before winning from the fast-finishing Dalvey Robyn and Soho Santorini.
Two starts before that Ventura led from barrier three and won by just over a length from Rockandrollartist, rating 1.55.2 over 2130m, with final quarters of 27.8sec. and 27.6sec.
Thenu Came Along, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, warmed up for Friday night’s race by finishing strongly from the rear to win by a half-length from Arionrock at a 1.58 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when the final quarters were run in 27.7sec. and 28.4sec.
Four-year-old Thenu Came Along, who will start out wide at barrier seven, has earned $103,027 from seven wins and 12 placings from 32 starts.
Hold That Gold is poised for eight in a row
Emerging star square gaiter Hold That Gold is at the top of his game and is poised to extend his winning sequence to eight when he begins from barrier four in the $31,000 Trotters Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop declares that the six-year-old’s sparkling gate speed is Hold That Gold’s biggest asset, and Deni Roberts will be anxious to use that ability when he begins from the No. 4 barrier.
Hold That Gold led easily from barrier three before he set a brisk pace and won comfortably at a 1.58.8 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon after defying an early challenge from outsider Mriya Dream. He dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.3sec. and scored by 5m from the strong-finishing Line The Starzzz.
That followed Hold That Gold’s all-the-way win over Patched at Gloucester Park last Friday week. It was a strong effort by Patched who worked hard without cover all the way. Hold That Gold has certainly progressed since he was a $41 outsider when he began from the back line, raced at the rear and finished ninth in the Trotters Sprint last January.
Pinjarra trainer David Young is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky for Patched on Friday night when the eight-year-old will be contesting the Trotters Sprint for the third year in a row. He will be driven by Aiden De Campo and should enjoy a good passage after being the only runner off the back line.
Patched has been the beaten favourite in the past two Trotters Sprints. He was a $1.50 chance when he began from barrier five and raced five back on the pegs before finishing solidly into third place behind the pacemaker Luvaflair and Line The Starzzz in March 2023.
Patched was the $3 favourite when he started from the No.1 barrier in the Trotters Sprint last January. He galloped badly and dropped back to a distant last before making up a lot of lost ground with a fast-finishing eighth placing behind the frontrunning Our Maestoso.
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett prepared Our Maestoso, and he will be hoping to repeat the dose with lightly-raced six-year-old mare Sunnys Little Rose, who will begin from the No. 1 barrier with Chris Voak in the sulky.
Sunnys Little Rose will be making her third appearance at Gloucester Park --- where she raced in the breeze and won from Tilthesunsets in a 2503m stand last August and then raced in fifth place and fought on to finish fourth behind Hold That Gold four Fridays ago.
Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, who has enjoyed outstanding successes with trotters this century, holds a strong hand in Friday night’s event, with four of the ten runners --- Aldebaran Sundown, Dark Secret, Sellune and Luvaflair. He will drive Aldebaran, who is capable of figuring in the finish after starting from the No. 2 barrier.
Is barrier No. 1 a hoodoo?
The No. 1 barrier in mobile events at Gloucester Park is generally regarded as a perfect draw and a stepping stone to victory.
But that’s not the case with speedy five-year-old Spicey Major, who looks hard to beat from the inside barrier in the second qualifying heat of the Nights Of Thunder over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Spicey Major, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, has started from the No. 1 barrier five times in his 42-start career for just one victory, a second and three unplaced efforts.
At his most recent appearance, Spicey Major was the $1.22 favourite from barrier one in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week. His nose hit the arm of the mobile barrier, and he broke into a bad gallop and dropped back to last before finishing in that position behind the winner Chivalry.
A week earlier he began from barrier one when he was beaten for early speed by Soho Santorini and was shuffled back to fifth on the pegs before finishing fifth behind Ventura.
Spicey Major began from the No. 1 barrier three times in Victoria for a second at Warragul over 1690m and an all-the-way win over 1710m at Ballarat as a two-year-old in December 2021 and then he raced three back on the pegs before finishing eighth over 2240m at Melton last September.
Spicey Major will meet some stiff opposition on Friday night, with his main dangers appearing to be Heez A Vibe (barrier three), Franco Ecuador (eight), Heavenly Wage (two) and Brickies Dream (six).
Heez A Vibe, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko for trainer Michael Young, has won effortlessly at his past three appearances and will have many admirers. He created a big impression last Friday week when he began from the outside of the front line of eight runners and was last at the bell before thundering home out wide to win by more than two lengths from Torpedo Rock, rating 1.56.2 over 2130m.
Deni Roberts will drive the Bob Mellsop-trained Heavenly Wage, who raced in the breeze before taking the lead on the home turn and winning from Secret Reaction over 1177m at Pinjarra three Mondays ago. Heavenly Wage is a brilliant sprinter who has competed over 1177m at Pinjarra 16 times for seven wins, two seconds, four thirds and three fourths.
Brookies Dream, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, is a speedy beginner in good form. He impressed two starts ago when he led from barrier four and won the 2130m Christmas Gift, rating 1.55.2.
Chance for Maungatahi
Bad luck cost Maungatahi the chance of winning last Friday week when he was badly blocked for a clear passage in the final lap. He still had plenty in reserve when he was blocked for a run in the home straight and finished sixth behind Chivalry.
The six-year-old gets a good chance to return to the winning list for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green at his fourth start in his current campaign when he begins from barrier four in the 2130m North Coast Fibreglass Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Maungatahi is a versatile pacer who has earned $92,066 from nine wins and 14 placings from 42 starts, and his main rival could be Showpony, who will start out wide at barrier eight.
Showpony was a brilliant Gloucester Park winner three starts ago, and if he reproduces that form, he will take plenty of beating. He will be driven by his regular reinsman Aiden De Campo, who has taken over the preparation of the handsome six-year-old.
Ideal Tomado, who will start from the outside barrier in the field of nine, will have friends after catching the eye with a fast-finishing sixth behind stablemate Lamandier last Friday night.
Noted frontrunner Longreach Bay will be suited by the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Hoist Solutions Pace in which he will be handled by De Campo.
Longreach Bay has been freshened up by trainer Peter King and will be having his first start for seven weeks. He has been unplaced at his past three starts after he led and won at a 1.57.2 rate over 2130m on November 1. He dashed over the middle quarters in 28.1sec. and 28.6sec. before covering the final 400m in 29.4sec. and beating Awaitinginstructions by one and a half lengths.
The most recent occasion he began from the No. 1 barrier was ten starts ago when he set the pace and won from Rock Me Over over 2130m on September 6.
Longreach Bay is likely to give the expected favourite and last-start winner Storyteller something to catch. Storyteller was untroubled to lead from barrier one and win from Blaze On last Friday night. He faces a sterner test this week.
Teenager Liam Elliott has excellent prospects of winning the $20,000 Albany Cup over 2690m at Albany on Saturday night when he drives the Ryan Bell-trained Hillview Bondi, who will start from barrier three on the back line.
Hillview Bondi will be making his first appearance in Albany after his past 44 starts have been at Gloucester Park. He has earned $193,989 from 19 wins and 20 placings from 89 starts. Two starts ago he set the pace for Joey Suvaljko and won at Gloucester Park, and at his previous outing he led and finished a close second to star pacer Lavra Joe.
