MILLWOOD MEG HAS THE CREDENTIALS TO WIN WA OAKS
Ace reinsman Colin Brown has declared he would pull the earplugs early in a bid to take the lead and attempt an all-the-way victory with powerful filly Millwood Meg in the $150,000Gannon’s WA Oaks over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Millwood Meg, trained at Forrestdale by Greg Bond, fared well in the barrier draw and looks ideally suited at No. 3.
The New Zealand-bred Mach Three filly warmed up for the group one classic in convincing fashion last Friday night when she took the lead after 1000m and then revelled in her pacemaking role to win a 2130m Oaks prelude by almost five lengths from Elite Angel, who flew home from ninth at the bell.
That gave Millwood Meg her seventh win from 19 starts. “She smashed them at Pinjarra when she led at her Australian debut,” Brown said.
And he was proved right last week when he declared before the Oaks prelude that the filly would be unbeatable if she found the front.
In a quality field this week, Millwood Meg has the speed and strength to prove the master of her rivals, including the Gary Hall-trained pair of Ella Sue and Gem of Reibey, the brilliant Arctic Fire, Miss Trickin Lombo and Centrefold Angel.
Ella Sue is an outstanding filly, winning at six of her past eight starts for a career record of 13 starts for eight wins and a head second. She was most impressive at her most recent outing when she unwound a devastating four-wide burst which carried her from 11th at the 450m mark to the front with 250m to travel.
She rated 1.57.9 in winning by a neck from Millwood Meg, who started from the No. 9 barrier and worked hard before getting to the front 300m from the post.
Ella Sue is versatile and simply does not know how to perform poorly. Gem of Reibey, the South Australian Oaks winner and fourth behind the brilliant Lady Euthenia in the New South Wales Oaks at Harold Park, made an impressive WA debut at Gloucester Park last Saturday week when she set the pace and won easily from Westwind Rebel, rating 1.59.2 over 2130m after sprinting the final 800m in 58.4sec.
Gary Hall jun. will drive Ella Sue and Daniel Jack, who drove Gem of Reibey in the SA and NSW Oaks, will again handle the filly this week.
The New Zealand-bred Arctic Fire has excelled since entering the Oakford stables of Ross Olivieri in March and she has been untroubled in winning at her first four starts in Australia. She is versatile and revealed sparkling speed last Friday night when she led and sizzled over the final 800m in 57.4sec. and the last 400m in 27.7sec. to easily beat Pole Dancer in an Oaks prelude.
Arctic Fire is nicely drawn at barrier two on the second line and Chris Lewis should have her in a handy position in the one-wide line for most of the way.
Miss Trickin Lombo, an experienced campaigner who has had 31 starts for six wins and nine placings, will start from the inside of the second line at her WA debut. She last appeared at Melton last Saturday week when she had a tough run outside the pacemaker before fighting on grandly to be a head second to Peaces of You, covering the final 800m of the 2240m event in 57.3sec.
Miss Trickin Lombo was an unlucky third behind Charlotte Brew and Rocknrolla in the 2240m Victoria Oaks at Melton at her previous start when she raced without cover and then was held up for a clear passage in the last lap.
Centrefold Angel caught the eye in a prelude last Friday when she rattled home from last approaching the bell to finish fourth behind Millwood Meg.
In that prelude Corza Commotion was tenth with 700m to travel and moved forward to be third at the 350m mark before wilting to fifth. She is nicely drawn this week at No. 1 and is capable of a forward showing as are all the other runners, including Pole Dancer and Elite Angel, outside the main fancies.
OLIVIERI SEEKS ANOTHER RACE FOR ROSES
In-form trainer Ross Olivieri has launched a powerful three-pronged attack in a bid to win the $35,000 Schweppes Race For Roses over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night for the second time.
The Oakford horseman will be represented by Elysees Crest, Slick Lavra and Sunrose Mary, each of whom has excellent each-way prospects in the standing-start event.
Olivieri’s previous success in the Race For Roses was with Yippy Yi Yo, who was driven by Craig Goldfinch when she beat New Jenev and Jelua in 1998.
Chris Lewis, who won the 2007 Races For Roses with Lady de Beau for trainer Graham Tindale, will handle Slick Lavra, Morgan Woodley will drive Elysees Crest and Greg Kersley will be in the sulky behind frontmarker Sunrose Mary.
Slick Lavra, an M4-class mare, will start from the 20m mark with Elysees Crest (M2) and the Gary Hall-trained Ruby Dazzler (M3).
Elysees Crest ran a good race in preparation for the Race For Roses when she started from 10m and finished solidly from seventh on the pegs at the bell to be forth behind Total Defiance last Friday night. She finished brilliantly to win the 2536m Empress Stakes from Slick Lavra and Little Big Sister at her previous outing.
The New Zealand-bred Slick Lavra looks set to fight out the finish after her nine WA starts have produced six wins, three placings and a fourth.
Sunrose Mary has also impressed since entering the Olivieri stables, with her seven starts in this State producing two wins and five placings.
Looming as the major dangers to the Olivieri trio are Ruby Dazzler and Flossie.
Ruby Dazzler, winner of the 2008 WA Oaks, started from 20m in a 2503m stand last Friday night and caught the eye when she was 12th at the bell before storming home to be third behind Total Defiance and Has The Answers. She will again start from 20m this week.
The four-year-old Flossie is racing keenly for Henley Brook trainer Chelsey Harding and she came from eighth on the pegs at the bell with a whirlwind finish to snatch victory from Awesome Achiever over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Monday.
SPUNKY MONKEY GETS A LET-UP AND A CHANCE TO WIN
Seven-year-old Spunky Monkey, placed only once from ten starts this season, gets a good chance to return to the winning list when he contests the 2130m Gannon’s Pacing Colours Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Under recent regulations Spunky Monkey has been given a let-up (after a losing sequence of ten) and is now assessed as an M1-class pacer instead of being classified as an M2-class horse.
This will enable him to drop in class and run in the M1-class event this week in which he is favourably drawn at barrier four.
He is a speedy beginner and Ryan Bell is likely to attempt to get him to the front when the mobile barrier releases the ten runners.
Eight-year-old Our Whimaway, placed just once from his past 18 starts, is a good frontrunner and will have admirers from barrier two. However, he is unlikely to be able to hold the speedy Spunky Monkey at bay in the early stages.
The likely favourite and hard to beat is six-year-old Barjohbil, who has returned from a spell in good style for Pinjarra trainer Barry Warwick.
Barjohbil, driven by Aldo Cortopassi, was a 2/1 favourite at Northam last Saturday when he raced wide in the middle stages before working hard without cover on his way to winning easily from Mister Radar. He dashed over the final 400m in 28.7sec.
WHY LIVE DANGEROUSLY GETS HIS CHANCE
New Zealand-bred gelding Why Live Dangerously will start from the outside barrier, but will be favoured to return to the winning list when he runs in the 1730m Three-Year-Old Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Gary Hall sen.-trained pacer has been gallant in defeat at his past two starts, surging home from the rear to finish third behind Crombie and David Hercules in the WA Derby and then working hard in the breeze over the final 1000m and finishing second to Crombie over 2130m last Friday week.
Banjup trainer Colin Brown will start two promising runners in Old McDonald and Good In Theory, and other runners expected to attract strong support include the speedy Chillin Dylan, The Feather Foot, Celtic Crusader and Tiger Reed Lombo.
Old McDonald made an impressive debut when he started from the No. 1 barrier and was untroubled to set the pace and win by 16m from Big Bad Bob, rating 1.58.1 over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Monday. He looks set for a bright future.
Good In Theory won at Bunbury and Harvey before he met with interference and finished fourth behind Torrevean Rain at Northam last Saturday.
Brown also drove the Aiden Warwick-trained The Feather Foot at Northam last Saturday when the lightly-raced gelding finished determinedly to snatch victory from the pacemaker Indomitable Saab. Chris Brew, who has recovered from injuries received in a race fall, will drive The Feather Foot on Friday night.
