HAS THE ANSWERS TO END THE SEASON ON A HIGH

Star pacer Has The Answers is poised to end a remarkable season by winning the $20,500 Spring Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with his veteran trainer Tony Svilicich looking certain to produce the trifecta in the 2130m event.

A victory by Has The Answers, who appears unbeatable, will complete a season for the hardy seven-year-old unprecedented in the history of WA harness racing.

Has The Answers has maintained his spectacular form throughout the 2009-10 season, with his 46 starts producing 23 wins, nine seconds and five thirds.

Has The Answers has been beaten at his past two starts, but has been magnificent in defeat, finishing fast to be a close second to Im Themightyquinn in the 3309m Marathon Handicap and then setting the pace and finishing a gallant second to Im Themightyquinn in the 2536m August Cup last Friday night.

He returns to his favourite distance (2130m) this week and his explosive pace from behind the mobile should enable Chris Lewis to send him to the front from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, with eight of the 11 runners being trained at Byford by Svilicich.

Has The Answers should prove too fast and too strong for his rivals. Svilicich-trained horses Mysta Magical Mach and Real Life will be strongly fancied to fill the minor placings.

Lewis and Svilicich have good records in the four-year history of the Spring Stakes, with Lewis having driven Commander Whitby to victory in 2006 and then setting the pace and scoring by 19m with Sneakyn Down Under last year. Svilicich trained the 2007 winner Demoralizer, who was driven by Colin Brown.

Mysta Magical Mach showed a welcome return to form when he sat behind the pacemaking Has The Answers in the August Cup before fighting on doggedly to finish third behind Im Themightyquinn. That was his first placing from his five starts in his current campaign.

Svilicich claimed Real Life for $15,000 last Friday night when the six-year-old impressed in charging home from the rear to be a head second to Heeza Hudson over 1730m. Real Life won at two of his three previous starts and should be an early winner for Svilicich.

 WOODLEY HAS KIM PRENTICE MEDAL ALL SEWN UP

Powerful pacer Dominating Diomedes should send punters home on a happy note by winning the final event, the Veolia Environmental Waste Solutions Young Drivers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A victory would give Michael George his third success in the 12-race series over the 2009-10 season, but this still would not give him enough points to wrest the lead from Morgan Woodley for the title of the Young Driver of the Year.

Woodley has won three of the 11 races in the series and this, combined with three second placings, two thirds and fourth, give him a total of 29 points for the award, the Kim Prentice Medal.

Justin Prentice, son of Kim Prentice, is in second place with 18 points and he is followed by George (14), Courtney Burch (ten) and Kyle Harper and Kade Howson (eight each).

Dominating Diomedes, a classy New Zealand-bred four-year-old, looks outstanding in Friday night’s race. A winner of eight races from 32 starts in New Zealand, Dominating Diomedes has had six starts for Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond for four wins and two placings.

The McArdle gelding is undefeated at two appearances at Gloucester Park and though still a metropolitan maiden performer, he has already amassed $85,849 in prizemoney.

He reappeared after an absence of two months in a 2536m event at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when he started from the outside barrier, raced three wide early and then outside the pacemaker Long Shot Lou for more than two laps before bursting to the front 250m from home and going on to win by a half-length from the fast-finishing Belhelvie.

Dominating Diomedes again will start from the No. 9 barrier, with Woodley’s drive Irish O’Neill at No. 8.

Irish O’Neill, trained at Wundowie by John Bligh, gave a smart performance at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when Woodley drove him to an all-the-way victory over 2130m. Irish O’Neill began speedily from barrier three and dashed straight to the front. He did well to sprint the final 400m in 28.7sec.to win by 4m from Ezy Fella.

 BROWN GIVES PUNTERS A LEAD BY CHOOSING EASTWOOD FIRE

Ace reinsman Colin Brown gave punters a strong lead by choosing to drive Eastwood Fire in preference to Artorius in the Force Equipment and Hire Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was a significant decision because Eastwood Fire, trained by Greg Bond, will be having his first start for almost seven months, while Artorius, trained by Bond’s wife Skye, is in dazzling form.

The six-year-old Eastwood Fire has warmed up in impressive style for his return to racing with sparkling trial wins at Byford on the past two Sundays.

He sprinted the final 400m of a 2150m trial last Sunday in 28.3sec. when he beat stablemate Pablito by 2m at a 2.2.5 rate. He was even more impressive the previous Sunday when Bond drove him to a stylish all-the-way win in a 2150m trial, rating 1.59.9.

He was joined by stablemate In The Force on the home turn before fighting back determinedly to win the trial by a nose.

Brown drove Eastwood Fire to three stylish wins in the space of three weeks at Gloucester Park last January. Brown also was highly impressed when he drove Artorius in a 1730m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week when the four-year-old charged home brilliantly from ninth at the bell to win at a 1.56.8 rate from Tuff Jag.

Artorius, a winner at 16 of his 56 starts, has won nine times from 24 starts this season and he looks set for a bright career. He will start from No. 2 on the back line on Friday night and will be driven by Chris Lewis, who is sure to save the gelding for his trademark dazzling late sprint.

Eastwood Fire, who is at his best when he leads, has the disadvantage of starting out wide at barrier eight in a particularly strong field which includes recent winners in All Courage, Magiclettlepartner, Dellas Jack and Sheer Dreams as well as the talented Lord Guy and the resuming Hussy Hoffa from the powerful; Gary Hall sen. stable.

All Courage has been in superb form for Karnup trainer Grant Williams, showing great strength, speed and stamina in winning at each of his past three starts at Gloucester Park. All Courage is now an M4-class pacer and to enable him to run in Friday night’s event which is restricted to pacers classified M1 to M3, Williams engaged claiming reinsman Michael Robinson to drive the gelding.

This will be Robinson’s first drive for Williams, and in a strange twist of fate Robinson drove 74/1 outsider Ford Calvert to a narrow victory over 5/1 on favourite Volkai in the Bazzo Real Estate Pace for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night. Volkai, a big, strong New Zealand-bred gelding, was making his Australian debut for Williams.

Talented six-year-old Lord Guy will have many admirers on Friday night after his eye-catching fourth behind All Courage last Friday night. The six-year-old was last at the bell and was hampered for room in the home straight when he finished boldly in restricted room. Trainer Kade Howson has engaged Michael George to drive Lord Guy.

 LORD CHELSEA OUT TO REMAIN UNBEATEN

Promising two-year-old Lord Chelsea has bright prospects of remaining unbeaten when he contests The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He will start out wide at barrier seven, but he has won with such authority at his first two starts that he should be capable of overcoming this disadvantage.

Trainer at Boyanup by Kim Prentice and driven by his son Justin, Lord Chelsea has not been extended in winning by 11m over 2130m at Gloucester Park earlier this month and then by 11.5m over 1609m at Bunbury four nights later.

He set the pace and sprinted the final 400m in 28.9sec. when he won from Arousing at Gloucester Park before he surged home from the rear to beat Sweet Toffee at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park.

He meets stiffer opposition this week in Shipwreck, Trojan Bromac, The Terrorizer, Who Thru Teddy and Paramedic.

Shipwreck has won at three of his first seven starts and should get a good run as the only back-line runner. He had a tough run, three wide early and then without cover, when a fighting third behind the pacemaker Paramedic over 1780m at Northam on Tuesday of last week.

Trojan Bromac has shown good promise in winning at two of his four starts. He had no luck at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when he was trapped three wide throughout and still fought on grimly to finish third behind the pacemaker The Terrorizer.