IM THEMIGHTYQUINN FANCIED OFF BACK MARK OF 80m

A small field of seven should help star five-year-old Im Themightyquinn overcome the massive handicap of 80m and win the $25,000 Ausnet Real Estate Marathon Handicap over 3309m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Using his discretionary powers, RWWA handicapper Warren Wishart placed Im Themightyquinn and Has The Answers off 80m and the race will generate tremendous interest.

No pacer has won off 80m at Gloucester Park in recent years, but there is a strong chance that the backmarkers will fight out the finish of the Marathon.

Tactics will play an extremely important part in determining the outcome of the race. There is little doubt that Gary Hall jun. (Im Themightyquinn) and Chris Lewis (Has The Answers) will be anxious to get their horses into a forward position after the field has covered a lap.

On the other hand, Grant Williams, who will drive Christopher Three (off 20m) and Mark Reed, who will drive Undertheinfluence (off 30m), are sure to make a bold bid for the lead in the early stages and to rate their horses with the view of making life as difficult as possible for the champion backmarkers.

Nine-year-old Tuanaki is the sole runner off the front. But he is a long way past his prime and has managed just only placing from his past 29 starts since his latest win, at Northam in December 2008.

Tuanaki caused a boilover when he started at 53/1 on the tote and was driven to victory by Morgan Woodley in the Marathon Handicap three years ago after racing behind the pacemaker Sky City Blue Jean for most of the way and holding on to win by a head from Vintage Concerto, trained by Gary Hall sen. and driven by Hall jun.

This year there is no doubt that Williams and Reed will disregard Tuanaki as each bids to win the race again. Williams drove Shardons Aflyin (off 50m) to win the race in 2006 and he finished second with frontmarker Winter Retreat in last year’s event in which Lewis drove Nickelmeldon to an all-the-way victory.

Reed has won the Marathon Handicap twice, scoring with the Greg Harper-trained Nebulizer in 1998 and his own runner Another Party in 2000.

There are no runners off 10m and Christopher Three is the only runner off the 20m mark, with Undertheinfluence the only horse off 30m. Both are standing-start specialists and will have admirers.

Undertheinfluence, trained by Clint Kimes, is racing in splendid form, with his past eight starts producing three wins and three placings.

Christopher Three’s past nine runs have been in stands for three wins and three seconds. He warmed up for the Marathon in fine style at Northam on Tuesday night when he started from 10m, burst to the front with two laps to travel and held on to win by a head from Westwind Rebel, rating 2.2.3 over 2560m.

Im Themightyquinn notched his 18th win from 53 starts when he started from 30m and sustained a strong run to take the lead 500m from home and beat frontmarker Christopher Three by 8m over 2503m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.

Has The Answers has won in dashing style in mobiles at his past four starts, but he has also put up some excellent performances from back marks in stands this season, including seconds off 50m at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park and his fast-finishing third to Rocket Reign and Alzona over 2503m at Gloucester Park early last month when he started from 60m.

Pacers who have won previous Marathon Handicaps off tough marks are Party Date (60m in 2004), No Blue Manna (50m in 2005), Shardons Aflyin (50m in 2006) and Shattering Class (40m in 1999).

Several trotters have won off tough back marks in recent years. They include Nacokee (90m, 80m and 60m), Dave Star (70m), Count The Lute (70m, 60m twice) and My Missindependent (60m).

Pacers who have been successful off long back marks in recent years are Gay Icarus and Money Magnet. Gay Icarus started off 90m when Mark Roberts drove him to victory over 2550m at Narrogin on April 1, 1995, and Money Magnet started off 70m when Colin Brown scored with him over 2230m at Narrogin on July 29, 2006.

 CORTOPASSI YOUNGSTERS MAKE GOOD APPEAL

Darling Downs trainer Also Cortopassi will take two smart young pacers to Gloucester Park on Friday night and he has excellent prospects of landing a double.

He will drive the brilliant two-year-old filly Artemis Belle in the Bexley Real Estate Movers Stakes and the promising Franco Renegade in the Barry Barr and Associates Stakes for three-year-olds.

Artemis Belle has earned $111,199 from four wins and two placings from her only six starts. She has the natural ability and speed to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier in a 2130m event in which she will clash with several promising fillies.

She set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and was untroubled to score a runaway victory over As Happy As in the Gold Bracelet at Gloucester Park three Fridays ago. 
        
She faces a far tougher test from barrier nine this week, but she showed her versatility two starts ago when she began from the No. 9 barrier, was restrained to the rear and ran home strongly from tenth (and last) at the bell to finish third to Arma Xceptional and Funzova over 1730m.

Artemis Belle’s toughest rivals this week are likely to be Miss Baypoint, Arch On Fire, Sweet Toffee, Soho Nike and Scary Servant.

Miss Baypoint, who will start out wide at No. 8, shows excellent promise. She has won once (when she led from an inside barrier at Pinjarra) and has been placed eight times from 12 starts. She impressed at her latest outing, at Gloucester Park last Friday week, when she finished solidly from sixth at the bell to be third to the outstanding colt Ohokas Bondy and the brilliant gelding Go West U Terror in the Golden Slipper Stakes.

Franco Renegade, a New Zealand-bred colt by Christian Cullen, looks set to fight out the finish of the 2536m Barr Stakes after his impressive first-up performance at Northam on July 22 when he raced without cover before dashing to the front in the middle stages and winning comfortably from Delirium and Pure Velocity over 2190m. He sprinted the final 400m in a dazzling 27.2sec.

That was his first appearance for just over three months and he is sure to have benefited from the outing. Indomitable Saab, a winner of eight races from 26 starts for Wanneroo trainer Barry Morrison, looks to be Franco Renegade’s most serious rival.

 NAT SERLING TO SEND PUNTERS HOME HAPPY

Tough New Zealand-bred four-year-old Nat Serling should send punters home on a happy note by winning the final event, the Ausnet Financial Planning Services Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He is drawn out wide at barrier eight in the 2536m event, but he is capable of doing plenty of work and still fighting on strongly at the end of his races.

He started at 20/1 and was most impressive when beaten by centimetres over 2130m last Friday night. He enjoyed an ideal passage in sixth place in the one-wide line before starting a three-wide move with 650m to travel and getting to a narrow lead approaching the home turn.

Nat Serling led until the final stride when he was swamped by Smart Cullen and Pacific Idol and was relegated to third place in a thrilling three-way photo finish.

Trained by Gary Hall sen. and to be driven by his son Gary, Nat Serling has already earned $68,065 from his nine wins and ten placings from 50 starts.

Making his Gloucester Park debut in the race is New Zealand-bred six-year-old Lord Roddick, who has had eight starts in Geraldton for trainer Ross Olivieri for three wins and fours seconds. He won twice from 17 starts in New Zealand and once (at Shepparton) from 11 Victorian outings.