Leading trainer-reinsman Aide de Campo is planning a change of tactics when he drives New Zealand-bred gelding Runkle Crunch in the $31,000 Ray Duffy Memorial over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Runkle Crunch, winner of the WA Derby last year, has drawn awkwardly at barrier five and de Campo is aiming to win this feature event to make up for the four-year-old’s fourth behind Lincoln Lou and Golden Lode in the Manea Classic at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Friday week.
“Things didn’t work out for Runkle Crunch in Bunbury,” explained de Campo. “I elected to drive him a bit softer but there wasn’t enough speed in the race and they came home quickly. He was four deep around the final bend and that made it hard for him.
“I couldn’t be happier with him; his work at home this morning was super and on Friday night we will be pushing through hard in a bid to get to the front or the breeze. If he finds either position without doing too much, he will be hard to beat.”
It is in Runkle Crunch’s favour that he will have the advantage of starting inside his chief rivals, Lincoln Lou (barrier six) and Mad Monday (seven).
Emily Suvaljko is looking forward with confidence to driving the Michael Young-trained Lincoln Lou, who led early from the No. 5 barrier in the Manea Classic before surrendering the lead to Golden Lode and then finishing strongly along the sprint lane to beat that star pacer by a half-length after final 400m sections of 27.8sec. and 27.3sec. following slow previous quarters of 32.3sec. and 30sec.
“Lincoln Lou is in a purple patch of form,” said Suvaljko. “We always considered him as a sit-sprinter but now he is showing good gate speed, and we could possibly be using it on Friday night and if he gets to the front, we might try to hold it.”
Mad Monday, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has been freshened up after his disappointing ninth behind Golden Lode in the group 3 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship three Fridays ago when he raced wide early and again in the final circuit. That failure followed stylish wins at his four previous appearances at Gloucester Park.
Sweet Pins is racing with tremendous enthusiasm for trainer Gary Hall snr, with his past two outings resulting in a strong-finishing victory over A Little Silence and Fabulous Dream and a head second to Gee Heza Sport last Friday night after setting a brisk pace.
“Sweet Pins is flying,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “He should get a nice run, no worse than three back on the pegs, and from there he will be fairly dangerous.”
