HALL PRAISES PARTYWITHTHEDEVIL FOR HIS VERSATILITY

Star reinsman Gary Hall jun. has been impressed with the versatility shown by former Victorian pacer Partywiththedevil at his first four WA starts and is confident the five-year-old will extend his winning sequence to four when he contests the Howard Porter Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

However, he stopped short of declaring Partywiththedevil as a “good thing,” explaining that he had identified veteran pacer The Final Word as a danger.

He said that he was wary of The Final Word after the eight-year-old had snapped a losing sequence of 27 when he started from the outside barrier, raced wide for the first 1000m and then took up the running before winning by more than a length from Death Adda over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Thursday of last week.

“I think that The Final Word is the only runner capable of giving trouble to Partywiththedevil,” Hall said. “But Partywiththedevil is racing very well. He’s pretty versatile and can go forward or back. I haven’t decided on my tactics, but I would say that I’ll probably slide forward early.”

Partywiththedevil will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) and Morgan Woodley is certain to be keen for The Final Word to settle ahead of Partywiththedevil. The Final Word has barrier seven.

The Final Word has shown considerable improvement since being claimed by veteran Byford trainer Tony Svilicich early last month, and his two starts before his win last week produced splendid third placings behind star performer and stablemate Has The Answers.

Partywiththedevil brought up a hat-trick of wins last Friday night when he started from barrier eight, settled down in ninth position, made a fast three-wide move after a lap to race outside the pacemaker Governor Art before surging to the front 100m from home and winning narrowly from the fast-finishing On All Fours.

A week earlier, Partywiththedevil began speedily from barrier two, dashed to the front after 250m, set a brisk pace and won the John Higgins Memorial from Son of Fergie. He raced without cover before winning from Laser Edge at his previous outing.

The annual Porter Memorial has been downgraded to a $16,500 event restricted to M1 and M2-class pacers after only six nominations were received for the $35,000 event over 2536m. Two of those six nominations were Im Themightyquinn and Has The Answers, who thrilled harness racing fans last Friday night when they charged home from the rear to fight out the finish of the Marathon Handicap.

 ALBY ALBERT HAS THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS

Tasmanian-bred pacer Alby Albert is still a metropolitan maiden after amassing $131,299 from his 20 wins and 42 placings from 131 starts.

But the seven-year-old should graduate as a metropolitan-class winner by proving too speedy for his rivals in the Schweppes Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He has had more starts, won many more races and has earned much more prizemoney than any of his ten opponents.

On the surface, he faces a stiff test from the wide No. 8 barrier. But he started from barrier eight at his WA debut for Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri when he scored a dashing victory over Blissful Snag and Chazsalico at Gloucester Park last Saturday night.

He had been in Olivieri’s stables for about six weeks and revealed a sparkling turn of speed to cover the final 800m in a fraction over 58sec.

“I was very impressed with,” Olivieri said. “He showed great natural speed and rated 1.57.1. However, barrier eight is not ideal. Barrier eight always poses problems over 1730m and barrier nine often proves the death knell on favourites. And barrier eight is not much better.”

While Olivieri is confident Alby Albert, to be driven by Chris Lewis, will prove hard to beat, he advised punters not to disregard his other runner, the New Zealand-bred six-year-old Lord Roddick.

“Lord Roddick also has good claims, particularly from his good barrier at No. 2,” Olivieri said. Lord Roddick certainly gave promise of better things to come when he finished an excellent fifth behind Nat Serling over 2536m last Friday night when making his first appearance at Gloucester Park.

Lord Roddick started from barrier nine and was eased back to last by Greg Kersley before he dashed forward to be sixth, three wide, at the bell. He moved into second place, still three wide, with 400m to travel and did well to hold on and finish only two lengths from the winner.

Before that effort, Lord Roddick raced eight times in Geraldton for three wins and four seconds.

Punters are also likely to support the polemarker As Wicked As, a speedy frontrunner who was heavily supported at his most recent appearance when he set a brisk pace before wilting over the final 220m to finish eighth behind Smart Cullen over 2130m last Friday week. He will be better suited over 1730m this Friday night.

 OHOKA DU NORD HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

New Zealand-bred four-year-old Ohoka du Nord is an up-and-coming pacer with a bright future, according to his trainer Grant Williams.

Williams, who was suspended from driving for nine days for causing interference in a race last Friday night, has engaged Nathan Turvey to drive the gelding in the Alltools Pathway Series Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He’s a very nice horse,” said Williams who drove Ohoka du Nord to an effortless first-up victory over 2170m at Pinjarra last Monday week when the gelding began brilliantly from barrier nine, set the pace and was unextended in scoring by three lengths from Tara Village at a 1.59.1 rate. He sprinted the final 800m in 57sec.

Ohoka du Nord again will start from barrier nine on Friday night, but he has the class to overcome this disadvantage. Williams has driven Ohoka du Nord at all of his seven WA starts for four wins and three placings.

He came to WA after winning by seven lengths at his only start in New Zealand, in Cambridge in November 2008. But when he arrived in this State he had a strained suspensory ligament and Williams gave him several months off to ensure a full recovery.

Ohoka du Nord made his WA debut last January when he had no luck at all and covered a great deal of extra ground before finishing second to Hi Tensile. After three wins and three placings in that campaign Ohoka du Nord was sent for a spell before he resumed in a blaze of glory at Pinjarra last Monday week.

“It was a soft win, first-up, just what was wanted,” Williams said. “He’s a good all-rounder, He’s got good gate speed and he’s tough. He can lead as well as sit in the breeze.”

Ohoka du Nord’s most serious opponent appears to be New Zealand-bred five-year-old Xupan Three, who has struck a purple patch for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg, with three wins and a close second at his past four starts.

An interesting runner in the race is out-of-form Falcons Medley, who will start from the No. 2 barrier. The gelding has left the stables of part-owner Ross Keys and is now being prepared by Tony Svilicich.

Keys prepared Falcons Medley for his latest outing, at Kellerberrin last Sunday when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before fading to finish seventh, four lengths behind Danny B Good.  Falcons Medley has been placed once from his past 12 starts.

 FIRST STANDING START FOR BOMBORA LOMBO

Smart pacer Bombora Lombo will have a new experience when he contests The West Australian Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It will be first appearance in a standing-start event in a good career which stands at 66 mobile starts for 13 wins, 18 placings and stakes of $88,543.

Bombora Lombo has drawn well at barrier four off the front and he should prove hard to beat. He started out wide at barrier eight in a 2130m mobile last Friday night and performed strongly, racing three wide early and then without cover before fighting on to be a close second to the pacemaker Bubbles And Bling.

Bombora Lombo is one of several good drives for Chris Lewis, who will renew his battle with Gary Hall jun. for the title of leading city reinsman for the 2009-10 season.

Each was prominent at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night, with Lewis landing a double with Shez Lockets Rocket and Secret Interlude and Hall winning with Fusion Power and Lukcon Lad.