Speedy mare Water Lou has managed only four placings and is yet to win from eight starts this season, a far cry from her record of 21 victories as a two and three-year-old.
But her driver Shannon Suvaljko can see plenty of light at the end of the tunnel, and he is expecting a strong showing from the Mike Reed-trained four-year-old Water Lou when she contests the $27,000 Taste Of WA Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She will begin from out wide at barrier No. 8 at her third appearance after resuming from a 12-week absence when her clash with her smart stablemate Lion Queen (barrier six), Aardiebytheseaside (nine), Little Darling (seven) and Nase Vira (inside of the back line) is expected to produce plenty of fireworks.
A dazzling first-up performance by New Zealand-bred filly Bettathanlife at Pinjarra on Monday of last week showed that she should earn a start in the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 3 by winning the Food Vans and DJ Oaks Prelude at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She is a newcomer to the Serpentine stables of trainer-reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who produced the daughter of Captain Crunch in fine fettle for her first start for four months when she outclassed her seven rivals in a 2185m event at Pinjarra.
She began from barrier two on the back line and settled down in sixth position before she made a fast move after 350m to burst to the front 200m later. After opening quarters of 30.7sec. and 31sec. she sprinted brilliantly over each of the final 400m sections in 27.6sec. to stroll to victory, eleven lengths ahead of Pipers Parade, rating 1.56.8.
That was a superb exhibition at her first outing since her debut over 1609m at the Central Southland Raceway in New Zealand on May 4 when she began from barrier seven and was restrained to tenth before making a fast move to the breeze with about 900m to travel. She then surged to the front and led until the final 20m before she wilted slightly to finish third, one length behind the winner and odds-on favourite Tosana.
Bettathanlife is owned by Steve Levar and his father, Steve, who also own the Hall-trained Ill Be Gone, who will be on trial for the WA Oaks when she begins from the coveted No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s event in which she will be handled by Chris Lewis, with Hall choosing to drive Bettathanlife.
The Victorian-bred Ill Be Gone has had ten starts for four wins, four seconds, one third and one fifth, with the fifth placing being in the $200,000 New South Wales Oaks at Menangle on May 10.
Three months after her run in the NSW Oaks Ill be Gone had her next (and most recent) start at Kilmore where she finished strongly to win by a half-length from Ideal Moth, rating 1.55.8 over 1690m. She began from the back line and was fifth at the bell before dashing forward into the breeze and then taking a narrow lead 400m from home.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be represented by Delulu and Captainshavtime, and No. 1 stable driver Deni Roberts has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to handle Captainshavtime from the awkward barrier at No. 7. Dylan Egerton-Green will drive Delulu from an ideal draw at barrier No. 2.
Roberts has driven Delulu at all her 15 starts for five wins and five placings, and she has driven Captainshavtime at eleven of her 12 starts in WA for six wins and three placings.
Captainshavtime has been freshened up since she began from the outside of the back line and was last in the middle stages before sustaining a strong three-wide burst to finish third behind Copper Head Lady over 2130m five weeks ago. “She is going well and I think she should run a place,” said Roberts.
Fakenit, a fast-finishing third behind Its Maa Time in the $100,000 Westbred Classic last Friday night, will be driven by Maddison Brown from barrier two on the back line, and is sure to have many friends. Other in-form fillies Aretha, Ruby Lou, Reinette and Poppyonthebeach cannot be underestimated.
