New Zealand-bred four-year-old Beetastic, a costly failure when leading and fading to third as a $1.16 favourite last Friday week, is responding to a more strenuous training regime and is poised to bounce back to winning form when she begins from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Christmas In July Free-For-All for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Her work at Jandakot this morning (Tuesday) was really good,” said her driver Emily Suvaljko. “She worked with Heavenly Gipsy, who couldn’t get over her, and Gipsy is one of the stable’s best trackworkers.
“Beetastic’s last-start third was a bit disappointing, so she has been gone to boot camp, and we have stuck the work into her. I think she is ready to fire, and if she wants to make it into the big races for mares later this year, she should be leading and, hopefully, winning.”
Beetastic’s stablemates Heavenly Gipsy (barrier eight) and Penny Black (nine) face tough assignments in this sprint event from the outside barriers.
Hunger Strike, to be driven by Gary Hall jnr for trainer Nathan Turvey, will have many admirers. The four-year-old is capable of significant improvement at her return to racing after a month’s absence.
“On her best form she would be a good chance, especially if she can lead,” said Hall.
The Justin Prentice-trained Ruby Lovera, to be driven by Trent Wheeler, should appreciate a favourable draw at barrier two and is capable of fighting out the finish.
Trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo is also looking for a strong performance from Its Maa Time, who will begin from barrier five.
“We will probably press forward,” said de Campo. “At her latest start she finished only fifth behind Lou Lamour, but she was three wide from the 1000m, and they ran home in quick time.
“And there were excuses for her sixth behind Stormyskyes at Pinjarra before that when I shouldn’t have started her after a false start. She had run hard the first time around, and then in the re-start she led and got hammered.”
Beetastic is trained by Michael Young, who has excellent each-way prospects with Blaze Away (race two), Hugotastic (race three), Lincoln Lou (race five), Stormy Vista (race seven) and Katama (race ten).
Blaze Away is ready for a strong effort at his fourth appearance after a spell, and Hugotastic drops considerably in class when he begins from the No. 8 barrier in the Christmas In July Pace.
“Hugotastic is probably sick of me pulling him out six wide on the final corner,” said his driver Emily Suvaljkjo. “This is the easiest field he has been in for a while, and it is a winning assignment if he brings his A game.”
Stormy Vista will begin from the 20m mark in the 2503m Swan Draught Handicap and he should prove hard to beat following his encouraging WA debut last Friday night when he began from the outside of the back line and settled down in last position before sustaining a spirited burst from the rear to finish third behind Im Massimo in a 2130m mobile event.
“We got pushed four and five wide on the last bend which probably cost him the race,” said Suvaljko. “Apparently, he flies away in the stand, so I’ll be trying to get him away as good as I can.”
Katama will start from barrier four in the 1730m Bridge Bar Pace for three-year-olds in which she will clash with the speedy gelding Chugach, who burst to the front from the outside barrier last Friday night and set a brisk pace before finishing fourth behind American Machine in the group 3 Pearl Classic.
“Katama has found the front at her first three starts in WA (for a first-up third followed by convincing victories at Gloucester Park and Pinjarra).
“She got home in a couple of 27s (27.3sec. and 27.7sec.) when she won at Pinjarra on Monday,” said Suvaljko.” We didn’t know that she had that high speed. We thought that she was stronger than faster.”
