HALL AIMS TO PUT THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Leading reinsman Gary Hall jun. has been beaten into second place twice in the August Cup and he aims to put the record straight by driving the brilliant Im Themightyquinn to victory in the $35,000 DBC Tender Ridge Beef August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Hall drove hot favourite The Falcon Strike when he was beaten a nose by Buck The Odds in the 2004 August Cup and last year he drove Spirit of Shard, who finished powerfully from last in the middle stages to be a 2m second to the frontrunning Mister Odds On.

Im Themightyquinn is in superb form and he should win and give Gary Hall sen. his fifth success in the August Cup. He trained Zakara, who created history when he won the August Cup four years in a row, from 1991 to 1994.

For the Halls to win the prestigious 2536m event this week they will have to overcome a strong challenge from Byford trainer Tony Svilicich, who will be represented by seven runners in the field of ten.

Hall has a second runner in Spirit of Shard, and the other runner in the Cup will be Flamin Tact, who is trained at Pinjarra Chris King.    

Svilicich, who won the 2003 August Cup with veteran pacer Digger of Fortune and then prepared Roydon Holmes and Demoralizer when they finished in the placings behind Glencadam in the 2008 Cup.

Svilicich’s leading prospect in Friday night’s Cup is Has The Answers, who is in dazzling form and has had 45 starts this season for 23 wins and 13 placings.

The Hall camp received a telling advantage when, in the random draw, Im Themightyquinn drew favourably at barrier five, with Has The Answers drawing the No. 7 barrier.

Has The Answers possesses sizzling early pace and has won most of his races by bursting to the front and setting a brisk pace. He has been untroubled to lead several times this season from wide barriers.

However, Im Themightyquinn also is a speedy beginner and I predict he will be able to burst to an early lead and then hold out the expected strong challenge from Has The Answers.

The star pacers thrilled harness racing fans when they clashed in the 3309m Marathon Handicap last Friday week. They started off the back mark of 80m and each finished brilliantly, with Im Themightyquinn getting to the front 90m from the post and holding on to win by a half-length from Has The Answers, who thundered home, out wide, with a superb late burst.

Their previous clash was in the 2503m Winter Cup a month earlier when Has The Answers led from barrier three and won by 2m from Im Themightyquinn, who met with severe interference at the start and came home with a devastating run from tenth at the bell.

Remarkably, Chris Lewis, who will handle Has The Answers, has not driven an August Cup winner. Colin Brown, who will drive the Svilicich-trained Falcons Medley, has won the Cup twice, with Governor Guinness for trainer Bill Horn in 1986 and Mister Odds On for trainer Greg Bond 12 months ago.

 SOLOMON MAGUIRE IMPRESSES IN A BYFORD TRIAL

A spirited performance in a trial at Byford last Sunday was a strong pointer to Solomon Maguire’s prospects in the Easy For Me With DBC Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The New Zealand-bred four-year-old will be resuming after a spell and should prove hard to beat in a 2130m event in which he will clash with several in-form pacers, including Bombora Lombo, Smart Cullen and Son of Fergie.

Solomon Maguire, trained at Forrestdale by Greg Bond, has been off the scene for almost four months and he impressed in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday when he started from barrier five and raced three wide early before working hard in the breeze while Best Legacy set a solid pace.

Solomon Maguire finished strongly to win by a neck from Best Legacy, rating 2.1.2. He dashed over the final 800m in 58.2sec. and the last 400m in 28.7sec.

Solomon Maguire is lightly raced, having had only 14 starts (all in WA) for six wins and three placings. He last appeared when he covered a lot of extra ground before finishing gamely to be fifth behind Belhelvie over 2150m at Harvey on April 27.

He set the pace from barrier five and won by just over two lengths from Awesome Achiever over2536m at Gloucester Park at his previous outing.

The Ross Olivieri-trained Bombora Lombo will have many admirers and is due for a change of fortune. Bombora Lombo was a 6/4 on favourite last Friday night when he galloped badly at the standing start before dashing forward from the rear at the 1200m mark to race in the breeze. He fought on grimly to finish second to the pacemaker Laser Edge.

A week earlier, Bombora Lombo raced three wide for the first circuit and then without cover before fighting on grandly to finish a close second to Partywiththedevil over 2130m.

Bombora Lombo is an older, more experienced a far better-performed pacer than Solomon Maguire and this is sure to sway many punters to keep supporting him despite costly defeats at his past two starts.

 GRINJARO POISED FOR A BIG EFFORT

One of the most exciting races at Gloucester Park on Friday night promises to be the Dardanup Butchering Company Pace in which 11 of the 12 three-year-olds have won at least once from their past three starts.

One of the eight last-start winners is the WA-bred Grinjaro, who resumed after a spell for Wanneroo trainer Ken White in grand style at Gloucester Park on August 5 when he started from the No. 9 barrier and was restrained to last by Gary Hall jun.

Grinjaro’s task appeared extremely difficult when he was still in last place in the middle stages, with Causin Terror bowling along in front.

But Hall timed Grinjaro’s run to perfection. He dashed the colt into sixth place (three wide) at the bell before burst to the front 380m from home and then careered away to win by five lengths from Causin Terror, rating 1.57. He sprinted the final 800m in 57.6sec. and the last 400m in 28.1sec.        
 
Grinjaro meets much stiffer opposition this week and will need to be at his peak to beat brilliant first-up winner Cromac Johnny, Indomitable Saab (who has won impressively at three of his past four starts), Erris Lad, a runaway winner at Bunbury last Saturday night, and recent arrivals from New Zealand in Lord Federer and Majestic Cullen.

The New Zealand-bred Cromac Johnny resumed after a spell in fine style when he galloped at the mobile start, settled in 11th position, moved to sixth at the bell and then got to the front 500m from home before winning at a 1.58.3 rate from the pacemaker Majestic Cullen over 2170m at Pinjarra three Mondays ago.

 ARTEMIS BELLE SHOULD OVERCOME THE OUTSIDE BARRIER

Outstanding filly Artemis Belle should give punters a flying start to the meeting at Gloucester Park on Friday night by proving too speedy for her rivals in the opening event, the 1730m XXXX Gold Pace.

Artemis Belle will start from the outside barrier (No. 9), but she should be able to forge forward early and take up the running.

She started from the No. 8 barrier over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week when Aldo Cortopassi got her away speedily and then pressed forward.

Sweet Toffee led clearly in the early stages before Artemis Belle swept to the front after 550m and was untroubled to lead and win by just under two lengths from Sweet Toffee, rating 2.0.7. She sprinted over the final 800m in 57.5sec. and the last 400m in a sparkling 28.2sec.

Speedy frontrunner Forza Di Volonta is nicely drawn at barrier two for her return to racing after an absence of 11 weeks and Gary Hall jun. is likely to be keen to retain the lead. She is capable of causing an upset.

 SHORTER DISTANCE WILL SUIT HEEZA HUDSON

Veteran pacer Heeza Hudson disappointed a week ago when he set the pace before fading badly to finish 11th behind Pablito in a 2130m event. But the eight-year-old has the ability to bounce back to form in the DBC Timber Hill Pork Claiming Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It is in his favour that this week’s race will be decided over 1730m and the shorter distance should prove to be a major advantage for Heeza Hudson.

Heeza Hudson, to be driven by Callan Suvaljko, is a natural frontrunner who should be able to hold up and set the pace from the No. 1 barrier. He led when second to Real Life over 2536m at Gloucester Park four starts ago and he rated 1.57.6 when an all-the-way winner over Earl of Locksley in a 1670m sprint at Pinjarra at his previous outing.

Ten-year-old stablemate Earl of Locksley is ideally drawn on the inside of the second line and Chris Lewis should have the gelding travelling well behind Heeza Hudson for most of the journey before looking to obtain a split in the closing stages. If Earl of Locksley obtains a clear passage in the late part of the race he is capable of sprinting solidly.