Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell is hoping to ring in the new season in fine style by producing a quinella result with It Is Crunch Time and Oh Miki in the $30,000 Trotsynd Warwick Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bell got a flying start to last season when he was successful with Hillview Bondi at the opening city meeting in 2025 --- and he has excellent prospects of winning the Warwick Pace this week.
Four-year-old It Is Crunch Time is the youngest runner in the Warwick Pace in which he will be driven by Liam Elliott from the favourable No. 2 barrier, with the gelding’s five-year-old stablemate Oh Miki at No. 3.
It is Crunch Time has won only three times from 26 starts, but his recent efforts have been most encouraging. He was a $9 chance when he began from the inside of the back line in a 2130m event last Friday night when he trailed the pacemaker Hunger Strike and was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the final stages, finishing full of running in fourth place behind the pacemaker but with nowhere to go.
At his previous appearance, ten days earlier, It Is Crunch Time also began from the inside of the back line when Elliott immediately eased him off the pegs, and the gelding raced in eighth place before starting a three-wide burst with 950m to travel. He moved to fourth, out wide, at the bell and took a narrow lead approaching the home turn before finishing a close third behind Captains Creek and Sebastian James.
Oh Miki has been driven by Elliott at his six runs in his current campaign --- for two wins and three seconds. At his most recent appearance Oh Miki began out wide at barrier No. 8 when he raced wide early and then in the breeze outside Hi Sugar Rush before finishing a splendid second to Spring Line.
He got to the front 550m from home and led by two lengths at the 250m before being beaten by a neck by the fast-finishing Spring Line.
Bell has engaged Ryan Warwick to drive Oh Miki for the first time, and Warwick would dearly love to win the race which celebrates the outstanding contribution of the Warwick family in WA harness racing over more than 70 years.
While It Is Crunch Time and Oh Miki are expected to dominate betting discussions on Friday night, they could meet with stiff opposition from veteran pacer Alfa Prince, who will be driven by his trainer Shane Young from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Alfa Prince, an oldtimer with a record of 98 starts for 17 wins and 23 placings, has begun only twice from the No. 1 barrier at his 34 appearances at Gloucester Park --- for all-the-way wins over Heza Hotwire in June 2020, and over Alcippes Delight in June 2023.
Alfa Prince warmed up for Friday night’s assignment with a strong-finishing second to Dawson in a 2030m stand at Busselton last Friday night.
Warwick has three other drives --- Franco Encore (race one), Bull Shark Betty (race six) and Marbeechsam (race eight) --- with all three having sound each-way claims.
Bull Shark Betty, who is prepared by Chris Beckett, will be handled by Warwick for the first time in a race when she has the ability to overcome the disadvantage of starting out wide at barrier seven in the 1730m Vale Richie Polak Pace.
She began from the 20m mark when she ran home strongly to finish a close second to Three Flames over 2030m at Busselton last Friday night.
