McDonald fills the void
With champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr enjoying a well-deserved fishing holiday in the south of the State talented driver Stuart McDonald has been called into action as a deputy to handle five of the Hall stable’s runners at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“If I get some winners, it will be good,” said the 31-year-old McDonald. “But if I don’t, it won’t be so good.”
McDonald, who has eight drives on the ten-event program, has strong each-way prospects with Seaside Pond, Ultimate Miki, Chase Me and Raklou, who are prepared by Gary Hall Snr, and with Final Collect, who is trained by Hall Jnr.
Creating the most interest of those five runners is Seaside Pond, who will make his Australian debut when he begins from the No. 4 barrier in the Trotsynd, Join The Fun Pace over 2130m.
Five-year-old Seaside Pond has won four times from 30 starts in New Zealand, but he arrived in WA just over two months ago with a glowing reputation. He is a last-start winner in a 2600m stand at Addington on February 13 when he began smoothly from the front line and gave a strong frontrunning performance to win by just under a length from Foliejon Star, who trailed him all the way. He rated 2.1.3.
Seaside Pond is expected to vie for favouritism with the brilliant New Zealand-bred four-year-old mare Fabulous Dream, a most impressive winner in 2130m mobile events at Gloucester Park at her past three starts.
Interestingly, Seaside Pond will need to record an unusual first if he is to win on Friday night. He has not finished in the top four placegetters in nine appearances in mobiles. His four wins from 21 runs in stands have been over 2000m, 2400m and 2600m (twice).
“I will probably be looking to go forward at the start, and it would be good if we could find the front,” said McDonald. “I would like to stay in front of Fabulous Dream.”
An indication of McDonald’s confidence in Seaside Pond is that he has opted to drive the son of Downbytheseaside ahead of Hall senior’s other runners in the race --- New Zealand-bred five-year-olds A Little Silence (outside of the back line) and Sweet Pins (outside of the front line).
Maddison Brown will drive A Little Silence, who has raced eight times for three wins and five seconds. He performed strongly last Friday night when he began from the outside of the front line, raced three wide early and then without cover before fighting on to finish second to Fabulous Dream when the final 800m was covered in 56.7sec.
Dylan Egerton-Green has been engaged to drive Sweet Pins, who is poorly drawn on the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. He has won at six of his 16 starts and will appreciate a major drop in class after contesting the group 3 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship which was won by Golden Lode last Friday night. Four days before that he surged home from the rear to win easily from Del Bocavista Bay over 2185m at Pinjarra.
Four-year-old Ultimate Miki notched his seventh win from ten starts when he finished powerfully from sixth at the bell to get up and snatch a last-stride won by a head from Rox The World over 2130m last Friday night despite being badly checked in the back straight.
Ultimate Miki will begin from barrier five in the Bridge Bar Open This Sunday Pace and is sure to prove hard to beat. “If he gets to the breeze, I expect him to be right in the finish,” said McDonald.
McDonald also is confident that Wave Rebellion, a four-year-old mare he trains and drives, will fight out the finish of the Swan Draught Pints Pace over 2130m, despite drawing the outside barrier (No. 9).
Wave Rebellion has won impressively at her past two outings, taking her record to 13 starts for six wins and two placings. “The wide draw shouldn’t be a problem because she will go back at the start,” said McDonald.
Roberts opts for Cinch
Champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand with four of the eight runners in the 2130m Pick Your Race Name Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and star driver Deni Roberts has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to handle Cinch.
Cinch, one of the five fillies in the race, will begin from the No. 4 barrier, with her stablemates being Manuka Bay (Stuart McDonald; barrier three), In Rare Air (Kyle Symington; barrier seven) and The Final Offer (Tom Nally; barrier eight).
Cinch has won at three of her 17 starts and caught the eye three Tuesdays ago when she settled down in ninth position and was seventh on the home turn before flying home with a dazzling late sprint to finish third behind Manuka Bay and Ravenous.
Eight days before that Cinch began from the No. 1 barrier when she set a brisk pace to win easily from Drop The Ace and The Sea Siren, rating 1.54.1 over 1684m at Pinjarra, with final 400m sections of 28.2sec. and 27.6sec.
Cinch is by champion stallion Bettors Delight, who is also the sire of In Rare Air and The Final Offer.
In Rare Air is racing enthusiastically and he notched his fourth victory at his 13TH start when he was eighth at the bell in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week before sustaining a powerful burst which enabled him to get up in the final stride to beat American Machine by a nose, rating 1.56.5, with final quarters of 28.9sec. and 28.3sec.
The inexperienced Manuka Bay has been handled by Roberts at her only two starts (both over 2130m at Gloucester Park) for a debut second to Methuselah followed by an easy win over Ravenous after racing without cover for the first 500m and then setting the pace on April 28.
Roberts faces a busy evening on Friday night with seven drives, and she has no hesitation in declaring her best winning chance is with the Bond-trained Rumble Strip, who will begin from the outside (barrier three) on the back line in the 2130m Trotsynd Shares Available Now Pace.
Rumble Strip, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old with a record of six wins and six second placings from 18 starts, has resumed after a spell in fine form. He ran on solidly from sixth at the bell to finish fourth behind Ultimate Miki three Tuesdays ago and a week later he raced in the breeze for 1100m before taking the lead on the home turn and winning by two lengths from Sound Wave at a 1.57.3 rate over 2130m.
Roberts has several other strong winning prospects on Friday night, and she is also looking forward to driving star pacer Golden Lode in the $30,000 Manea Classic for four and five-year-olds over 2100m at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Saturday night.
Golden Lode gave further proof of his class at Gloucester Park last Friday night when he was restrained to last and then sustained a powerful three-wide burst to win the group 3 Allwood Stud Four and Five-Year-Old Championship from Runkle Crunch.
Hugotastic needs to lift
New Zealand-bred pacer Hugotastic began his Australian career in grand form last year when he won at his first four starts in WA, but he needs to shake off the unwanted reputation as a non-winner after notching one second and three third placings from nine starts as a six-year-old.
The Sweet Lou gelding, trained by Michael Young, gets a good chance to break through for an overdue win when he starts from barrier five in the $31,000 The Bridge Bar Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He put the writing on the wall last Friday night with an eye-catching performance to finish a close third behind Menemsha and Justcallmemiki. He was not bustled early from barrier six and settled down in eleventh place and was tenth three wide with a trail at the bell before being switched five wide with 300m to travel and flashing home.
Hugotastic’s best performance this season was in the Bunbury Cup five starts ago when he trailed the frontrunning Magnificent Storm and finished a half-length second to the champion pacer.
Hugotastic’s main rivals are expected to be Belly Up, Menemsha, Chase Me and Bettors Pride, with trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo saying: “It will be harder for Menemsha than last week when he enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail because he will be further back in the field this week. However, it is an even field, and I can’t see why Menemsha can’t win again.”
Belly Up warmed up for this week’s assignment in fine style when he was seventh at the bell and sustained a strong three-wide burst to finish fourth behind Chivalry last Friday night.
“It is a strong field but Belly Up is racing well and I didn’t drive him well last week,” said the four-year-old’s driver Deni Roberts. “I probably will sit back with him on Friday night.” Belly Up showed his sit-sprint ability at his previous start when he was tenth at the bell and was saved up until the final 300m and charged home to snatch a nose victory over Bettor Arcade.
Chase Me, to be driven by Stuart McDonald for trainer Gary Hall Snr, will have admirers after drawing favourably at barrier No. 2. He raced five back on the pegs and was hampered for room in the late stages when eighth behind Menemsha last Friday night. A week earlier he ran on from fourth at the bell to finish second to Heres Herbie.
Bettors Pride continues to race keenly for trainer Kevin Keys and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko, and he cannot be left out of calculations. He should gain a soft passage after starting from the inside of the back line.
He began from the outside of the front-line last Friday night when he was tenth (three wide) at the bell and went five wide on the home turn before charging home to finish third behind Golden Lode and Runkle Crunch.
Last Hard Copy can redeem himself
Smart four-year-old Last Hard Copy was in a skittish mood last Friday night when he blotted his copybook by breaking in the mobile score-up and being out of position at the start before dashing forward, out four wide, to take the lead after 400m following a hectic lead time of 35.5sec. He dropped out over the final 350m to finish ninth behind Chivalry.
Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo took Last Hard Copy to the Pinjarra trials on Wednesday when the stallion was on his best behaviour in the score-up and at the start of a trial.
“He is a little horse who likes to play around a bit,” said De Campo. “His work on Tuesday morning was good, and I think he can make amends for his failure last week in what appears to be a winnable race for him.”
At his previous outing, a fortnight before last week’s race, Last Hard Copy overcame the disadvantage of beginning from the outside of the back line to score an easy victory over Ruby Lovera and Sugar Shake.
He settled down in seventh place before starting a three-wide dash after a lap to move to the breeze and then take the lead on the home turn.
Last Hard Copy will need to be at his top on Friday night to prove the master of his main dangers and last-start winners Ultimate Miki and When In Vegas.
Ultimate Miki, to be driven by Stuart McDonald for trainer Gary Hall Snr, has won at his two outings since resuming from a spell, and When In Vegas, to be driven by Deni Roberts for co-trainers Greg and Skye Bond, gave an outstanding performance to win over 1730m at Kellerberrin last Sunday week.
When In Vegas was having his first start for four months when he failed in an early bid for the lead and then travelled three wide for the entire event before winning by a head against modest opposition.
“It was good that he had such a hard run before racing at Gloucester Park,” said Roberts. “He has pulled up in good shape, and from barrier three on Friday night I’ll probably press forward.”
Opal Hunter, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, should appreciate a considerable drop in class when he begins from the inside of the back in the 2130m Book Into Steelo’s Tonight Pace.
He raced three back on the pegs and did not threaten danger when he finished eighth behind Golden Lode in the group 3 Allwood Stud Four and Five-Year-Old Championship last Friday night. Opal Hunter impressed a week earlier when he was seventh with 250m to travel before running home strongly out wide to finish second to the pacemaker Maximum Rock.
Opal Hunter will begin from the inside of the back line, leaving Williams with the task of easing off the pegs in plenty of time to figure in the finish. One of his chief rivals is expected to be Bettor Arcade, who is unfavourably drawn on the outside of the front line for trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
