Mighty Ronaldo aiming for Winter Cup
Star pacer Mighty Ronaldo will resume racing after a nine-week absence when he begins from the No. 7 barrier in the $31,000 Ultimate Sniper Standing at Allwood Stud Farm Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night as a stepping stone to the $50,000 Winter Cup a week later.
He is following a similar pattern employed by his brilliant stablemate Never Ending, who won the Winter Cup 12 months ago when he charged home from eighth at the 250m mark to get up and snatch a last-stride head victory over Tenzing Bromac for trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice. That was Never Ending’s first run for three months.
Seven-year-old Mighty Ronaldo will be seeking to end a 15-month drought and a losing sequence of 14 when champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr will resume driving him --- for the first time since he burst to the front from the No. 8 barrier and set a fast pace before finishing a half-head second to Tenzing Bromac at a 1.55.3 rate over 2130m on March 21 this year.
Mighty Ronaldo, who is also a brilliant sit-sprinter, will be having his first start since he raced three back on the pegs and fought on to finish fifth behind Mister Smartee in the 2936m Fremantle Cup on May 2.
He was most impressive a week earlier when he raced three back on the pegs and finished a close-up fifth behind Mister Smartee in the $1.2 million Nullarbor slot race over 2536m. He was hopelessly blocked for a clear run until the final 200m when he flew home out for wide on the track.
“Mighty Ronaldo has had a bit of a freshen up since those big races,” said Prentice. “I have set him for the Winter Cup, his work has been good, and he should perform well first-up. The wide draw is not great, and with Gee Heza Sport drawn barrier three it makes it hard.”
Gee Heza Sport, to be driven by Deni Roberts for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will be making his first appearance for six weeks.
After finishing second in the Nullarbor and third in the Fremantle Cup Gee Heza Sport won very easily at his next two appearances, racing in the breeze before beating Penny Black in the 2662m Narrogin Cup, and then coming from last after 700m to charge to the front 150m later and going on to win by more than two lengths from Arma Xfactor over 2536m at Gloucester Park.
“I’m happy to have Gee Heza Sport back at the races,” said Roberts. “Barrier three is a good draw for him and he should race in a prominent position. If he can’t get to the front, then he doesn’t mind the breeze. He has had a nice little freshen up and his work has been pretty good.”
Veteran trainer Colin Brown will be hoping for spirited performances from Arma Xfactor (barrier one) and Arma Einstein (barrier two). His daughter Maddison Brown has chosen to drive Arma Xfactor, with her brother-in-law Dylan Egerton-Green taking the drive behind Arma Einstein.
Arma Xfactor possesses excellent gate speed and is a smart frontrunner, who has set the pace at his past three victories, wo over 2130m and one over 1730m.
With Hall jnr in the sulky behind Mighty Ronaldo, Trent Wheeler has been engaged to handle 2023 WA Derby winner Skylou, trained by Gary Hall snr.
Skylou, who is handily drawn at the No. 2 barrier on the back line, had no luck last Friday night when he finished fourth behind Paul Edward after having a tough run in the breeze and then being hampered by a flat sulky tyre in the final lap.
Elliott’s chance for a hat-trick
Promising teenage reinsman Liam Elliott will be a seeking a notable hat-trick when he handles six-year-old Swagger Man from the outside of the back line in the $21,000 Interdominion Winner Ultimate Sniper Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eighteen-year-old Elliott has driven Swagger Man for trainer Ryan Bell at his past two outings --- for wins at Bunbury last Saturday week and at Gloucester Park last Friday night (when that gave him his first metro-class driving success).
“Barrier 12 is a good draw for Swagger Man because he is at his best when you don’t use him early, as he proved last week when he came from well back to win,” said Bell. “He can win again.”
Swagger Man’s main rival is likely to be My Watchlist, a lightly-raced six-year-old prepared by Gary Hall snr, who faces a tough assignment from out wide at barrier No. 8, with Gary Hall jnr in the sulky.
Hall jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive My Watchlist in preference to stablemate Blameitonthenight, who will be driven by Maddison Brown from out wide at barrier seven.
“This is a wide-open race,” said Hall. My Watchlist had no luck when tenth behind Mikis Pride over 1730m last Friday night when he began from barrier seven and was trapped four wide early before being restrained to the rear. The previous week My Watchlist raced in the breeze when a fighting third behind Feeling Aces and Dark Eyes.
Elliott, who has driven 47 winners, has sound prospects with the Bell-trained Whataretheodds (race three) and Lady Mermaid (race nine).
Whataretheodds will start from barrier four in the $23,000 Michael Holtham Pace over 2130m and is capable of a bold showing at his sixth outing in his current campaign. He drops in class after fighting on from sixth at the bell to finish fourth behind Talks Up A Storm last Friday week. That followed sound efforts when placed at two of his three previous starts.
“Whataretheodds hasn’t been finding the line like he should, but he has been consistent,” said Bell. “It’s a tricky draw (No. 4) and I think he is at his best when you don’t use him early. Dark Eyes looks like he will be hard to beat.”
Dark Eyes is one of three runners in the race who are trained by Mike Reed. Dark Eyes will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from barrier three, with his stablemates Quinton (barrier five) and Flying Rumour (barrier six) also racing well and with sound prospects.
Quinton, who won twice at Gloucester Park in May, will be handled by Tom Nally, while Toby Lynn will drive Flying Rumour.
“Dark Eyes went well when he led and finished third behind No Noney and Blaze On last Friday night but will find it hard to lead this week with Haveyoumetted drawn on his inside,” said Reed.
Quinton also has been racing consistently, with his past five starts, all at Gloucester Park, having produced two wins and three third placings. However, Reed fancies Flying Rumour as the stable’s best winning chance.
“I was happy with Flying Rumour’s seventh behind Paul Edward last Friday night when he couldn’t get a clear run, and if he had he would have been hard to beat.”
Good drive for Symington
Talented young reinsman Kyle Symington, who is awaiting to obtain a working visa to travel to America, has been engaged to drive smart four-year-old Caberneigh in the $30,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Pace for four and five-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will replace Madeliene Young, who drove the gelding to a superb all-the-way victory over Pocket The Change over 1730m last Friday night, rating 1.53.4 after flying straight to the front from out wide at barrier eight.
Symington got the chance to drive Caberneigh after Young decided to take four drives --- Sugar Boo, Sweet Ivy, Headline Adda and Betty Boots Off --- at the Bunbury meeting at Donaldson Park on Friday night.
Young’s elder sister Jocelyn is the registered trainer of Caberneigh, but she has been away in Sydney and Brisbane campaigning with the brilliant mare Steno in recent weeks, and during that time Symington has been assisting at her Ravenswood stable.
There is a strong possibility that Symington will use the gelding’s sparkling gate speed in a bid to burst to an early lead. However, Caberneigh is no certainty to get to the front ahead of noted speedy beginner and excellent frontrunner Our Sandy Shore, who will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Our Sandy Shore, who is trained by Colin Brown and will be driven by his daughter Maddison, will be reappearing after a spell. The five-year-old who has an imposing record of nine wins and 12 placings from 33 starts, will be making her first appearance since she broke in running and was distanced behind Steno in the group 3 Christmas Belles on December 20.
Our Sandy Shore rated 1.59.6 when she set the pace and won a 2150m trial at Byford last Saturday week, beating Im Spiderman by two lengths.
The 23-year-old Symington has driven with great skill to land 323 winners, and he has arranged to work in the New Jersey stables of former Queensland trainer Noel Daley. However, problems in gaining a visa are delaying the trip to America.
Symington is anxious gain further experience in the sport of harness racing by working for Daley, who was voted as the North American Dan Patch Trainer of the Year in 2024 when his horses earned $4.87 million.
Many of Daley’s winners have been driven by former outstanding Sydney reinsmen Andy and Todd McCarthy, with Todd in the sulky when Captain Albana won the prestigious Little Brown Jug in Delaware last September. Daley also prepared trotter Sig Sauer, who won the group 1 Kentucky Futurity in October.
Livy Ann set for first-up win
A slight edge in experience should pave the way for promising two-year-old filly Livy Ann to gain a first-up victory in the $21,000 Christmas In July Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She has grown and matured a bit following her first campaign in January and February,” said her trainer and driver Dylan Egerton-Green.
“She has a bit of racing experience, and she has done a fair bit in her races --- and I expect her to run a solid race, first-up.”
Livy Ann, who will start from the No. 4 barrier, showed plenty of promise with two seconds and two thirds from her four outings early in the year.
“The hardest for her to beat appear to be Drop The Ace and Crunchnsip, from better draws,” said Egerton-Green. Drop The Ace, to be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Shane Quadrio, is favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier.
Drop The Ace reappeared after a spell with a neck second to Lady Mermaid over 1730m on Tuesday of last week. She led early from barrier three before taking the sit behind Lady Mermaid.
Lady Mermaid, to be driven by Liam Elliott for trainer Ryan Bell, should be improved by her first-up victory but is likely to be tested from the outside barrier in the field of seven.
“She is a handy little filly, but it looks hard from the outside barrier,” said Bell. “She gets a bit lost when she’s out in front, and I prefer her when she is sat up.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be looking for strong efforts from Crunchnsip (barrier three) and Cinch (barrier five), with Deni Roberts opting to drive Crunchnsip. Stuart McDonald will handle Cinch.
Crunchnsip made a sound debut when she raced in the one-out, one-back position and finished third behind Lady Mermaid and Drop The Ace.
Cinch raced three times in February and March for fourths at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park and a fighting half-head win over Wheres My Halo at Gloucester Park.
“Crunchnsip is a little bit green, but she should improve on her third on debut,” said Roberts. “Cinch has come back really good and is pacing a lot better. Both have equal chances, I’d say. Their work at home has been similar.”
