Chance for Wonderful To Fly
Last-start winner Penny Black is a warm favourite for the $50,000 Lombardo Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but the brilliant six-year-old Wonderful To Fly gets a good chance to notch her 32ND win when she begins out wide at barrier seven in the field of eight.
This group 3 event is over 2536m, and Wonderful To Fly has the ability to break through after having finished second at her past four appearances over this distance --- behind Simply Shaz in the Empress Stakes in March 2023, behind Simply Shaz in the Mares Classic in November 2023, behind Tricky Miki in the Golden Nugget in December 2023, and beaten a neck by Aardiebytheseaside in the Mares Classic last November.
Trainer-reinsman Shane Young has freshened up Wonderful To Fly after her latest outing, when she raced three back on the pegs and finished fourth behind Steno, Peaceful and Water Lou in a 1730m group 3 feature for mares four weeks ago.
Penny Black, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for trainer Michael Young, will begin from the No. 5 barrier, with Hall saying: “I think she is the best mare in the race, but the best horse doesn’t always win.
“However, she has a good chance from an awkward draw, and the 2536m should suit her. She led and won over that journey two weeks ago.”
That win, when she beat Rockandrollartist and Montana Glory, came after a two-month break from racing. This was the New Zealand-bred Penny Black’s eighth win from14 starts in WA.
Young and Hall are hoping for a change of luck after smart mare Nevermindthechaos had finished third behind The Amber Hare in the 2023 Lombardo Pace, and third behind Nullarbor Navajo and Cyclone Charlotte in last year’s event.
Hall set the pace when the Justin Prentice-trained Platinum Sparkle was successful in the 2022 Lombardo Pace.
Jocelyn Young, who trained and drove The Amber Hare for her all-the-way win two years ago, has two runners in this week’s event --- Peaceful from barrier three and Castella Dellacqua from barrier two. She will handle Peaceful, and Maddison Brown will drive Castella Dellacqua.
Peaceful is in sound form and has finished second twice from her past four starts. She raced in the breeze when second to Montana Glory, and she trailed the pacemaker Steno when second to her brilliant stablemate.
Eight-year-old Nullarbor Navajo, the oldest runner in Friday night’s event, will be driven by her trainer Corey Peterson. She is a consistent performer whose most recent success was when Stuart McDonald drove her for Peterson when she led from the No. 1 barrier and won the Lombardo Pace by three lengths 12 months ago.
Lightly-raced six-year-old Alta Allure, driven by Chris Lewis, has struck a purple patch for owner-trainer Annie Belton, racing with a sit before finishing strongly to win at her past two runs at Gloucester Park. From the prized No. 1 barrier Alta Allure should enjoy a favourable trip.
Bettor Have Faith is shining
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred mare Bettor Have Faith made a spectacular city debut at Gloucester Park late on Tuesday afternoon, and she has excellent prospects of notching her second win in the space of four days when she lines up in the $21,000 Westside Auto 24/7 Online Pace over 2130m at headquarters on Friday night.
She will start out wide at barrier eight and will be driven for the first time by Emily Suvaljko, who replaces talented novice reinsman Ajay Markham, who drove the mare to a most impressive victory on Tuesday.
Bettor Have Faith was restrained to last from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and she was tenth at the bell before Markham switched her three wide with 700m to travel. She went four wide 350m later and quickly burst to the front before careering away to win by four and a half lengths from Balingup Boy.
This was her fifth start for Northam trainer Lang Inwood, who was delighted to receive the pacer, along with another New Zealand-bred five-year-old mare Brulee, five weeks ago from their Busselton owner-trainer Barry Howlett, who was anxious to spend more time in the education and preparation of several youngsters in his stable.
Inwood will have three runners in Friday night’s race --- Bettor Have Faith, Brulee and Eye Better (who raced wide early and then without cover before fighting on to finish third behind Bettor Have Faith on Tuesday).
“They are all racing well,” said Inwood. “Bettor Have Faith is probably the best of the three. It is a winnable race for her on Friday night, providing if there is a bit of speed and she gets a cart into the race. I think she is capable of winning two or three on a Friday night.”
Brulee, whose five starts for Inwood on country tracks have produced three wins and two placings, will be driven on Friday night by Joey Suvaljko and she faces a stern test from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Eye Better will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko and will start from barrier six. She began from barrier eight on Tuesday night and impressed in finishing third behind Bettor Have Faith after racing three wide in the early stages and then in the breeze.
“All of my three runners will back up well after racing on Tuesday,” said Inwood. “They are thriving on racing.”
One of the main dangers to the Inwood trio is likely to be the Tonia Stampalia-trained Jaxon Morgan, who is in good form with thirds behind Bettor Move and Galaxy warrior at his past two outings.
There will be no rest for Bettor Have Faith, who will contest the $20,000 Village Kid Sprint over 1780m at Northam on Saturday night. She will start on the inside of the back line, with Brulee alongside her at barrier two, and tablemate Tux And Tails drawn at barrier five on the front line.
Chief Copy gets his chance
Veteran Wanneroo owner-trainer Charlie Luca has prepared five winners over the past ten years, and he gets an ideal opportunity to add to his tally when Chief Copy starts from barrier six in the $21,000 Westside Auto Tailored Financing Available Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chief Copy, a WA-bred four-year-old, has been knocking on the door for his regular driver Hayden Charles and is certainly overdue to end a sequence of second placings from his past four starts.
He caught the eye last Friday night when he began from the outside of the back line and ran home strongly from seventh at the bell to finish second to brilliant filly Quintessa. He is sure to appreciate a drop in class this week.
Chief Copy, a for-year-old horse by My Hard Copy, has won only once from 28 starts --- when Charles drove him to an all-the-way victory in the $30,000 Westsired listed classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in June 2023. But he has also finished second ten times and third on four occasions.
The 77-year-old Luca has always had only a small team in work, but he has a second string in Friday night’s race, with five-year-old gelding Starlight Song, a winner at one of his 29 starts, favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier. He will be driven by Vance Stampalia.
Chief Copy’s main rival looks likely to be the Brad Lynn-trained Ciganda, who will be driven by his son Toby from barrier five. Since scoring a narrow win at Bunbury in January, Ciganda has shown promise with his third placing behind Pinjarra Rocks at Gloucester Park and his second to Bogart at Gloucester Park.
Star three-year-old Cyclone Jordy, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Gary Hall jnr, has not been extended in winning at his first three appearances in WA, including the group 1 Golden Slipper last September, and he looks outstanding in the $23,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Pace on Friday night.
He will start from the No. 4 barrier and will line up against nine much older and more experienced rivals at his second appearance after a spell, following his easy win at Pinjarra on Monday of last week when he made most of the running.
“His work has been really good since his first-up win at Pinjarra,” said Hall jnr. “He should be pretty hard to beat.”
Among Cyclone Jord’s rivals is four-year-old Thelittle Master, who will be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond. “He will need the speed on after starting from barrier nine,” said Roberts.
Another of Cyclone Jordy’s opponents is Winegum, who will start from the No. 3 barrier with Stuart McDonald in the sulky. The six-year-old Winegum, trained by Katja Warwick, reappeared after a spell in fine style at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening when he began from the outside of the back line and charged home from ninth at the bell to win from Under The Alta.
Winegum gave 17-year-old Darcy Kulcsar his first success as a reinsman at his 51ST drive in a race.
Another stand for Greatgreat Boulder
“You can’t do much about his bad habits --- it’s just him,” said star driver Deni Roberts when assessing the prospects of enigmatic four-year-old Greatgreat Boulder in the 3000 Vehicles Auto Wholesale Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Greatgreat Boulder has raced in stands at three of his past four starts and has galloped away in all three events before making up considerable lost ground at his past two appearances to finish second to Henrik Larsson at Pinjarra and then winning from Triroyale Brigade and Ideal Tomado at Pinjarra on Monday this week.
He galloped for only a few strides on Monday and lost ground before settling down in fifth position, about eight lengths behind the early leader Triroyale Brigade, and then dashing forward to take up the running after about 550m. He sprinted over the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 27.4sec.
“I liked his run on Monday when it was nice that he was able to find the front,” said Roberts. Greatgreat Boulder will start from the 10m line on Friday night, well ahead of his main rivals Star Casino (40m), Ideal Tomado (30m) and Lamandier (20m).
Roberts declared that her best winning prospect on the ten-event program was Justcallmemiki, who will start from the No. 1 barrier for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond in the $31,000 Westside Auto Fixed Price Servicing Free-For-All over 2130m.
Justcallmemiki, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old, made an auspicious Australian debut when he set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and won by almost three lengths from the brilliant Waverider in the group 3 Chandon Classic for four-year-olds last Friday week.
“He has good gate speed, and the plan will be to lead and give the others something to chase,” said Roberts. “He goes very good and should be very hard to beat.”
Justcallmemiki’s ten-year-old stablemate Mighty Conqueror will resume racing after a seven-month absence when he begins from the outside of the back line in this event.
Mighty Conqueror, a winner of 22 races and $697,791, will be driven by Stuart McDonald. “It’s been a bit of a campaign to get him back, but he is now going really good,” said Roberts.
Also resuming after a spell is Aiden De Campo’s The Miki Taker, a winner of 15 races and $300,275 from 57 starts. He is awkwardly drawn out wide at barrier eight.
The Miki Taker’s stablemate Rockandrollartist will be driven by Joey Suvaljko and is favourably drawn on the inside of the back line, immediately behind Justcallmemiki, whose major danger is expected to be Ryan Bell’s Waverider, who is in sparkling form.
Roberts is also looking forward to driving the Bond-trained Vegas Strip, who will be reappearing after a spell when he begins from barrier four in the $23,000 Westside Auto Service Now Available Pace.
Vegas Strip, winner of the Golden Slipper in September 2023, has won at eight of his 20 starts and should prove hard to beat at his first appearance since mid-November.
“If he gets a good run, he should be a good chance,” said Roberts. “I’ll need to study the opposition before deciding how I will drive him.”
