SVILICICH AND LEWIS OUT TO REPEAT THE DOSE

Astute trainer Tony Svilicich and star reinsman Chris Lewis are poised to become the first multiple winners of the Stallion Station FHRC New Seasons Pace when champion pacer Has The Answers contests the $25,000 feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The all-conquering Has The Answers will start from his regular barrier on the outside of the front line and should again have just too much speed for his rivals.

The New Seasons Pace has been run only five times, with Svilicich and Lewis combining to win with Taihape Tickler in 2006. Taihape Tickler, favourite at 6/4, began speedily from the No. 5 barrier and was untroubled to set the pace and win by 10m from outsider Am I Tough.

Now Svilicich and Lewis are out to repeat the dose, with Has The Answers setting the pace. Has The Answers continues to begin with dazzling speed and it is difficult to envisage any of his rivals being able to prevent him from getting to an early lead and then dictating the terms of the race.

The classy Mysta Magical Mach, a stablemate of Has The Answers and one of six Svilicich-trained runners in the race, again appears to be the horse capable of getting close to Has The Answers.

Mysta Magical Mach started from the No. 8 barrier and raced in fifth position in the one-wide line before finishing solidly to be second to Has The Answers in the Spring Stakes last Friday night. The winning margin was just under four lengths.

Mysta Magical Mach, who finished gamely when third to Im Themightyquinn and Has The Answers in the 2536m Easter Cup at his previous outing, again will start from barrier eight, with Morgan Woodley in the sulky.

Adding quite some interest to Friday night’s race will be the appearance of the lightly-raced, but highly-promising New Zealand-bred five-year-old Motu Treasure, an M0-class pacer who will start from the inside barrier.

Motu Treasure possesses good gate speed and is a splendid frontrunner. But it is hard to see him possessing sufficient speed to keep Has The Answers at bay in the early stages.

Motu Treasure, a winner at ten of his 24 starts, has raced five times in WA for four wins. He warmed up for the New Seasons Pace with a smart trial win at Byford last Sunday when he sprinted the final 800m in 57.4sec. and rated 1.58.7.

 IM MARK ANTONY HAS THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS

New Zealand-bred six-year-old Im Mark Antony, a winner of $179,743 from 16 victories and 15 placings, has the credentials to succeed at his Gloucester Park debut when he runs in the Cool Clear Water Leading Driver Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A concession for junior driver Michael George will enable Im Mark Antony to start in Friday night’s event which is restricted to M1-class pacers.

The Live Or Die gelding will be having his first start for Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond, having been recently transferred from the Capel stables of Andrew de Campo and he caught the eye when he dashed over the final 400m in 28.4sec. in winning a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday.

A winner of four races in New Zealand, two in Tasmania and ten in Victoria, Im Mark Antony has had four starts in WA, all at Pinjarra, for a first-up second, a fifth and two seventh placings.

He is a smart frontrunner and he set the pace from barrier one at his most recent victory, over 1930m at Devonport last December. He now has a losing sequence of 13.

Im Mark Antony showed his class as a three-year-old when he finished second to Tanabi Bromac in a heat of the Victoria Derby at Moonee Valley and then fourth to the same pacer in the final in March 2008.

He then won the 2579m Tasmanian Derby in Hobart, beating Crusaders Castle, Im Full of Fire and Tanabi Bromac, with Maffioso finishing sixth. Maffioso went on to win the $200,000 Chariots of Fire at Harold Park in July of last year when he beat star WA pacer Im Themightyquinn by a head.

 SPORTIVO TO RESUME AFTER LENGTHY ABSENCE

Former Victorian pacer Sportivo has joined the ranks of the claimers and he will add considerable interest to the Chaff City Choice of Champions Claiming Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he resumes after an absence of almost 14 months.

The eight-year-old Ross Olivieri-trained gelding is nicely drawn at barrier four and should be capable of a bold first-up showing against moderate opposition.

Sportivo, to be driven by Chris Lewis, has been off the scene since finishing strongly into third place behind Mysta Magical Mach and Spirit of Shard at Gloucester Park in July of last year. He meets considerably inferior opposition this week.

A winner of 14 races in Victoria, Sportivo has had 18 WA starts for three wins and three placings. He impressed with his strong finishing bursts in his previous campaign.

Looming as one of the main hopes in Friday night’s claimer is nine-year-old Touch Me Toes, who will be driven by Grant Williams from barrier eight.

Touch Me Toes was always well back when a last-start eighth behind Pablito at Gloucester Park three weeks ago, but he finished solidly when placed at each of his three previous starts.

 BROWN SET TO OPEN THE SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE

Colin Brown, who ended the 2009-10 season by driving the winner of the final race, should open the new season by driving Dominating Diomedes to victory in the first event, the Cool Clear Water Group Pace, at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Brown, fresh from a treble at Gloucester Park last Friday night, brought Bluff Knoll home with a well-timed run to beat Life Of My Life in the final event at Northam on Tuesday night.

Although he will start from the outside barrier on the front line over the 1730m sprint journey in the first event at Gloucester Park on Friday night, Dominating Diomedes will be a warm favourite who should prove too strong for his rivals.

Dominating Diomedes, trained at Forrestdale by Greg Bond, is expected to go forward in the first circuit and then probably will have to race outside the pacemaker before Brown asks him from a strong finishing effort.

There is likely to be a keen contest between Open Class and Loudspeaker for the lead in the early stages. Nine-year-old Open Class led from the No. 1 barrier and battled on gamely when a close-up fourth behind Solomon Maguire over 2130m last Friday night.

Loudspeaker is also a noted frontrunner and he set the pace when second to Scruncher at Northam three starts ago and again when third to Artorius at Gloucester Park at his next outing.      

 LIVELY MEDLEY ATTEMPTING A COMEBACK

Former star pacer Lively Medley is on the comeback trail. The 12-year-old is now trained by Kade Howson, who drove him into fourth place behind Scruncher in a 2170m trial at Pinjarra last Sunday.

Lively Medley has not raced since finishing fifth in the Legends Mile at Moonee Valley on November 5, 2004.

At his two previous starts he won the Fremantle Members Sprint (beating Another Party) and the Mount Eden Sprint (beating La Valiente at a 1.54.6 rate over 1742m) at Gloucester Park in October 2004.

The Live Or Die gelding has raced only 34 times for 20 wins and four placings. He suffered a damaged suspensory ligament almost six years ago and a couple of attempts to get him back to the racetrack since then were unsuccessful.