Hotly Pursued gets his chance
Six-year-old gelding Hotly Pursued is blessed with sparkling gate speed and it is that important attribute which is sure to make him hard to beat when he contests the $31,000 Western Australian of the Year, Dr Jim Giumelli Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hotly Pursued, to be driven by Kylah Madden for trainer Murray Lindau, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six, but he should overcome that disadvantage by storming to the early lead and then dictating terms in front.
He resumed racing after an 81-day absence last Friday night when he was fastest to begin from out wide at the No. 7 barrier but was unable to cross to the front and was forced to work in the breeze outside the pacemaker Spyglass, who sped over the final 400m sections in 27.4sec. and 28.2sec. and won in a tight four-way photo, rating 1.54.5 over 1730m.
Hotly Pursued fought on determinedly to finish fifth, just a fraction over one length behind the winner. He is a noted frontrunner who has led at ten of his 13 wins.
Gary Hall jnr has given punters a lead by choosing to drive Youre So Fine ahead of Master Publisher and Gully Gum. He drove Youre So Fine when the seven-year-old led from the No. 1 barrier and won from Gee Heza Sport and Justcallmemiki, rating 1.54 over 1730m last Friday night.
Youre So Fine will start out wide at barrier eight, with Hall saying that the gelding’s task was not an impossible one. “Hopefully, he will be not too far from them (the leaders), and with no back line helping his cause.”
Youre So Fine is trained by Gary Hall snr, who also prepares Master Publisher, who will begin from the No.1 barrier with Stuart McDonald in the sulky. The New Zealand-bred nine-year-old is on the comeback trail after an injury-enforced 17-month absence.
Hall jnr drove Gully Gum for Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop when the six-year-old led from barrier four and held on to win narrowly in a three-way photo finish from Quinton and Hold The Ammo over 2130m last Friday night.
Gully Gum faces a rise in class this week when he will be handled by Kyle Symington from barrier four.
Menemsha (barrier five), Justcallmemiki (nine), Petes Honour (three) and Alcopony (two) all have each-way claims, with Menemsha, to be driven by Joey Suvaljko for trainer Aiden de Campo, sure to have admirers, following the five-year-old’s fast-finishing second to Youre So Fine two starts ago, a week after winning in fine style from Justcallmemiki and Hugotastic.
Petes Honour, trained by Jemma Hayman, impressed last Friday night when he was ninth at the bell before charging home late, out five wide, to finish a close third behind Spyglass and Alcopony, who trailed the pacemaker and flashed home along the inside.
Emily’s plan to turn the tables
Two weeks ago, Stormy Vista, driven by Emily Suvaljko, was the $2.90 favourite when he finished fourth behind his Michael Young-trained stablemate Luvbite in a 2503m stand, and Suvaljko is now planning to reverse the result by guiding Stormy Vista to victory in the Bridge Bar Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“This is a race we’ve been looking for Stormy Vista, starting off the front,” said Suvaljko. “The last time the two horses met Luvbite (30m) and driven by Kylah Madden, gave Stormy Vista (20m) a ten-metre start, and this week Luvbite will begin off 40 metres, and Stormy Vista will start from the front mark, and I don’t think he will be able to give Stormy Vista a 40m start on Friday night.
“I’ll be trying to get to the top and rating the backmarkers out of the race.”
When the pair clashed last Friday week Stormy Vista had a tough run in the breeze all the way before finishing fourth behind Luvbite, who was eighth at the bell before finishing strongly to get to the front 100m from the post and winning from Chivalry.
Stormy Vista has not raced since then, while Luvbite completed a hat-trick of victories last Friday night when he began out wide from the No. 8 barrier in a 2536m mobile event and burst straight to the front before giving his rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.6sec. and winning by just under three lengths from stablemate Beetastic.
Gary Hall jnr had the choice of three drives in Friday night’s event, and he has given punters a lead by opting to handle A Little Silence ahead of Alta Tribute (30m) and Blazing Reactor (20m).
Alta Tribute will be driven by Stuart McDonald, and Kyle Symington will drive last-start winner Blazing Reactor for Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop.
The New Zealand-bred A Little Silence, trained by Gary Hall snr, will begin from the 20m mark, and this will be the lightly-raced five-year-old’s first appearance in a standing-start event.
He has raced only eleven times for three wins, six seconds and two thirds. He began from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in a 2130m event last Friday night and settled in last position in the field of twelve before Hall sent him forward after about 650m. He was then forced four wide before getting to the breeze and fighting on to finish third behind the pacemaker Opal Hunter.
“A Little Silence went really good last week, and he will be hard to beat if he gets away okay,” said Hall.
Big test for Eastbro Chrissy
Experienced former Victorian mare Eastbro Chrissy made a splendid WA debut with a fighting win at Pinjarra last Monday week, and her trainer-reinsman Gary Hall jnr is quietly confident she will continue her winning ways when she begins from the No.1 barrier in the 2130m Beau Rivage Xmas In July Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eastbro Chrissy began from the back line at Pinjarra and settled down in ninth position before making a fast move after about 400m to get to the breeze. She then raced without cover, just over one length from the frontrunning Lord Publisher before taking the lead 500m from home and being driven out to win by almost a length from the fast-finishing Curadh. She rated 1.56 over the 2185m journey after final quarters of 28.7sec. and 28.2sec.
“That first-up run was pretty good,” said Hall. “I didn’t want to be in the breeze, but she ended up there and overraced, and she still won easily. We will find out on Friday whether she has gate speed. The girl who drove her in Victoria said that when she led, she was able to beat the good mares.”
Eastbro Chrissy’s record indicates she is a capable frontrunner who has led and won three times at Mount Gambier and was an all-the-way winner over 2240m at Melton last December.
“I give her a good chance on Friday night of beating the good mares when I’ll be trying to lead,” said Hall. “She can bowl along and is quite tough.”
Five-year-old Eastbro Chrissy has raced 60 times for 13 wins, 12 seconds and four thirds for earnings of $80,817 and is sure to receive considerable opposition from Aardiebytheseaside (23 wins and $660,590), Heavenly Gipsy (14 wins and $193,454), Fakenit (six wins from 16 starts and $213,864) and Captainshavtime (11 wins and $141,907).
Salsawithsierra seeks a hat-trick
Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey made a wise decision earlier this year to purchase Salsawithsierra, a handy five-year-old mare who has bright prospects of completing a winning hat-trick when she contests the 2130m Congratulations Dr Jim Giumelli Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I picked her up cheap from Victoria, and she has been doing a good job without being a star,” said Turvey. “Barrier eleven (No. 2 on the back line) is a good barrier and she can make her own luck and can be driven a number of ways.”
Salsawihsierra has been driven by Kylah Madden at midweek Gloucester Park meetings for excellent wins at her past two starts --- over 1730m and 2130m when Turvey engaged the 22-year-old to handle the mare in events in which she was eligible to start, using Madden’s claim.
On Friday night Salswithsierra will be contesting a metropolitan-class event for the first time when having her 37TH start in a race. “I have used Kylah’s claim at the mare’s latest two starts but I didn’t require a claim this week,” said Turvey. “But Kylah deserves to drive her again after she had handled her so well for her two recent wins.
“Salswithsierra’s run two starts ago when she came from behind (three back on the pegs at the bell) revealed a good turn of foot. Then at her next start Salsawithsierra led from barrier one and beat Goggins and Leeroy Rox.”
Turvey bought Salswithsierra after she had raced in Victoria 27 times for two wins (in minor events at Cranbourne and Melton) and four placings. The mare now has had nine starts in WA for Turvey for four wins and three seconds.
Friday night’s event will see Madden in action for the sixth time on the program in which she has each-way prospects with Miss Uneek (race one), Official Rock (two), Blaze Away (three), Hotly Pursued (five) and Luvbite (seven).
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr also is looking forward to an extremely busy night during which he will be in action in nine of the ten events, with his best winning prospects likely to be Elite Fleet (race one), Final Collect (two), Ultimate Miki (four), A Little Silence (seven) and Eastbro Chrissy (nine).
“Final Collect gets his chance to break through for a win,” said Hall, who trains the New Zealand-bred six-year-old who has been unplaced at his past nine appearances following his victory as the $1.80 favourite at Gloucester Park on February 27 this year when he came from the rear early to work in the breeze and then take the lead 1300m from home.
