Wheeler picks Elite Fleet
Outstanding Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler dominated the heats of the Pearl Classic for three-year-olds on Tuesday of last week, and he has chosen to drive Elite Fleet ahead of Paint The Palette and Im Massimo in the $50,000 Team Bond group 3 final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The three geldings are prepared by astute Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, who has won the group 3 classic with Gardys Legacy in 2020 and Never Ending in 2023.
Wheeler was successful in the qualifying heats with Paint The Palette and Im Massimo, and finished second to Belly Up with Elite Fleet, who worked hard in the breeze and fought on gamely when the final 400m sections were run in 28.5sec. and 27.4sec.
“All three of Justin’s horses went well in the heats, and he told me yesterday (Monday) that all were going well at home,” said Wheeler, whose decision to handle Elite Fleet was swayed by the fact that the Downbytheseaside gelding had fared best in the random draw and will begin from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Paint The Palette will be driven by Kyle Symington from barrier seven, and Gary Hall jnr will drive Im Massimo from out wide at barrier eight. The Pearl for three-year-olds has been run only seven times, with Hall winning with Gardys Legacy and Never Ending.
Im Massimo (1.56.4) was the fastest of the three heat winners when he led from the No. 1 barrier and beat Captain Stirling by a half-length after final quarters of 27.9sec. and 28.5sec.
Belly Up, driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was the second fastest of the heat winners when he set the pace and rated 1.56.6, with final sections of 28.5sec. and 27.4sec.
Paint The Palette impressed when he charged home from seventh at the bell and went three wide at the 600m and four wide at the 300m to take the lead at the 100m and win by a neck from the pacemaker Seaside Magic. The final quarters were covered in 28.7sec. and 29.1sec.
Seaside Magic is one of Hopeland trainer Aiden de Campo’s three runners in the final, the others being The Bettor Side and Major Disco. De Campo will handle Seaside Magic from the No. 1 barrier, with Joey Suvaljko engaged for The Bettor Side (barrier four) and Ryan Warwick for Major Disco (barrier five).
“Probably Seaside Magic has the best chance from barrier one,” said de Campo. “I thought he probably should have won his heat (when a neck second to Paint The Palette). He got star gazing in front when that was the first time he had been there for a long time. Hopefully, he will be a bit sharper on Friday night.”
Belly Up has the best record of the twelve finalists, having raced 16 times for six wins, five seconds and one third placing. “Barrier three is an okay draw for him, and he should be forward enough from there,” said Roberts.
The Bond stable has a solid second-string runner in Friday night’s 2130m event in When In Vegas, who will begin from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line, with Stuart McDonald in the sulky. He has raced seven times for three wins and two seconds.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has two runners --- Captain Stirling and Captain Paprika, with both pacers starting from the back line. Egerton-Green will drive Captain Stirling, and Maddison Brown has been engaged for Captain Paprika.
Captain Stirling has sound prospects. He has had 16 starts for three wins, seven seconds and two thirds. He began from the No. 9 barrier in a heat when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before fighting on grandly to finish a half-length second to Im Massimo.
Chase Me warms up in style
The appearance of exciting New Zealand-bred three-year-old Chase Me will be a major attraction at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he should make a successful Australian debut by winning the $23,000 Holey Moley Where Is Rolly Pace over 2130m.
Champion trainer Gary Hall snr set him the task of having a quiet warm-up in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday morning when Gary Hall jnr drove him to an effortless win against moderate opposition in a field of seven.
He began from the back line and Hall jnr sent him forward and into the lead in the first lap before coasting to a 2m victory over three-year-old gelding Write Rite Right (one placing, a third at Pinjarra last November from six starts), rating 1.57, with final 400m sections of 29.3sec. and 28.6sec.
“He is pretty good,” said Hall jnr. “We’ve had a few little issues with him, but he has plenty of ability. He is quite tough and has shown a good turn of foot at home as well. He seems to have it all.
“I don’t think he is as good as Cyclone Jordy, but he is better than Scooter B.” Cyclone Jordy has raced 14 times for twelve wins, including nine starts for nine wins in WA, and also including the group 1 Golden Slipper last September. Scooter B has had nine starts for three wins and four placings.
Chase Me will be having his first start since he won the $100,000 Golden Gate over 1609m in 1.55.5, with a final 800m of 56.5sec. at Alexandra Park on December 20.
A week earlier, Chase Me began from the back line and raced in seventh position for much of the way and out three wide for much of the final lap before winning by a half-neck from the fast-finishing Yourtheonethatiwant over 1700m.
Hall snr also has two other runners in Friday night’s event --- Blameitonthenight (Maddison Brown; barrier two) and My Watchlist (Stuart McDonald; barrier eight), with both having sound place prospects along with the Jocelyn Young-trained Caberneigh (Kyle Symington; barrier seven).
Harper is a harsh self-critic
Donald Harper has had 6797 drives and has landed 453 winners in his 21-year career as a talented reinsman --- and he remains as a harsh self-critic.
“I’ll take the blame for Spirited Whitby’s defeat two weeks ago,” he said when assessing the three-year-old filly’s prospects in the $21,000 The Minstrel Team Bond Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He gives the inexperienced Spirited Whitby a good chance of making amends for her narrow defeat at the hands of Oceanfront last Friday week by winning this week when she begins from the awkward barrier at No. 7.
“She was a bit green, and I left myself a bit open when I let the horse behind me (Oceanfront) to get off my back and get up and roll me,” he said.
“She has got a bit better every start and has come a long way in a short time. She has good gate speed, and I think she can figure in the finish this week. If she produces a similar run to her last effort, she should be right in it.”
Oceanfront was hemmed in behind Spirited Whitby, with Wicked Lover in the breeze before Harper dashed away on the home turn, which enabled Deni Roberts to get Oceanfront into the clear and finish fast to get up and snatch victory.
Spirited Whitby has had only five starts for two wins and two seconds, and her most serious rival this week looms large as Delulu, who will be driven by Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond. Delulu, who was scratched from the group 3 Diamond Classic final last Friday night after forcefully striking the arm of the mobile barrier when it was stationary, has won at five of her twelve starts and will begin out wide at barrier eight.
“Delulu took no harm from that incident and her work yesterday (Monday) was really good,” said Roberts. “This looks a good race for her as long as she is on her best manners.”
Delulu and Spirited Whitby are unlikely to get things all their own way, with them expected to receive stiff opposition from the Ryan Bell-trained Wicked Lover (four wins from 25 starts) and the Justin Prentice-trained Poppyonthebeach, a promising filly who has won twice and been placed twice from six starts.
Harper also has sound prospects in the $21,000 Team Bond Handicap for trotters, a stand over 2503m in which he will drive Sellune for Waroona trainer Nigel Johns. Sellune will start from the 20m mark, which is virtually a 10m handicap because there are no runners on the front line.
Harper drove Sellune two starts ago when the experienced seven-year-old began from 30m in a 2116m stand at Pinjarra and impressed in finishing strongly from eighth at the bell to win from Betty Bootz Off and Majestic Ga Ga.
“Sellune likes the stand, and he loves it when the speed is on,” said Harper.
Majestic Ga Ga, trained by Michael Young and to be driven by Emily Suvaljko, gave a sample of her class last Friday night when she began out wide at barrier seven in a 2130m mobile event, was four wide early before being restrained to seventh and began a three-wide move 850m from home which took her to the front with 550m to travel on her way to winning by a length from Harper’s drive Luvaflair.
Majestic Ga Ga will start from the 10m line which is virtually the front.
Harper is also looking forward to driving experienced performer Eldaytona, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2 in the $27,000 Smartee Spoilt The Party Pace over 2536m.
“I would like Eldaytona to cross Lil Happy Fella (barrier one) and enjoy a good trip,” he said. “I was quite happy with him last week (when he improved from ninth at the bell to finish seventh behind Lion Queen), with the winner rating 1.54.” he said.
Prince Of Pleasure likes to sprint
While eight-year-old Prince Of Pleasure’s past four victories have been two over 2536m and two over 2130m, the veteran is an outstanding sprinter who looks set to fight out the finish of the $31,000 Team Bond Build A Hanger Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will begin from out wide at barrier seven, with another brilliant sprinter Jawsoflincoln at barrier eight.
The New Zealand-bred Prince Of Pleasure, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for trainer Gary Hall snr, has raced over 1730m at Gloucester Park five times for four wins (with rates of 1.53.5, 1.54.7, 1.53.1 and 1.54.2), as well as a sixth placing. He has also won twice over 1684m at Pinjarra, rating 1.53.3 and 1.52.9.
Jawsoflincoln, to be driven by Trent Wheeler for trainer Justin Prentice, has raced over 1800m at Globe Derby Park eleven times for seven wins and two placings. His four runs over 1730m at Gloucester Park have resulted in a sixth and three wins, including fast-finishing efforts to beat Chal Patch at a 1.53.1 rate in the Nights Of Thunder in January 2024 and his notable triumph at a 1.52.9 rate to beat Captain Ravishing and Jumpingjackmac in the Member Sprint last November.
Prince Of Pleasure began out wide at barrier No. 8 when he surged home, out three wide, from seventh at the bell to finish second to Sugar Apple over 2130m last Friday night. He set the pace from the No. 1 barrier when he won the 2536m Parliamentarians Cup two starts before that.
Jawsoflincoln impressed at his first appearance for 54 days when he started from the outside barrier in a field of eight and was last at the bell before running home fast to finish a close third behind Montana D J and Vegas Strip over 2536m last Friday week.
“He likes the mile, and it looks tough from barrier nine,” said Wheeler. “But if he gets home as good as he did last start, he will be there again this week.”
An important runner in Friday night’s race will be eight-year-old Longreach Bay, who will start from the No. 6 barrier. He possesses dazzling gate speed and is a smart frontrunner who has won at seven of his past twelve starts over distances between 2130m and 2536m.
Longreach Bay, to be driven by Joey Suvaljko for trainer Peter King, set the pace before fading to finish a well-beaten sixth behind Gee Heza Sport in the 2662m Narrogin Cup last Saturday night. It is also worth noting that he has contested ten 1730m events at Gloucester Park without finishing in the top four in any of those races.
In significant driving engagements on Friday night Shannon Suvaljko has chosen to drive the Mike Reed-trained Bettors Pride ahead of stablemates Lion Queen (Chris Lewis) and Dark Eyes (Kyle Symington) in the Remembering Josh Dunn Pace over 2130m; and Trent Wheeler has opted to handle the Peter Anderson-trained Pushbutton Rock (barrier six) ahead of the Hayden Reeves-trained Recover Lover (inside of the back line) in the Gee Heza Sport Team Bond Pace over 2130m.
“Lion Queen is flying, but Bettors Pride has the advantage of drawing inside of her,” said Suvaljko. “Bettors Pride has good gate speed, and you can drive him a few different ways. He will be hard to beat.”
Deni Roberts had no hesitation in declaring Gee Heza Sport as her best winning chance on the night. He will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the $27,000 Smartee Spoilt The Party Pace over 2536m.
“He’s my little favourite who has a tough gate,” she said. “But it’s a long trip and he’s pretty versatile. He was a class above them when he raced in the breeze and won the Narrogin Cup last Saturday.”
