BROWN ON TARGET FOR HIS THIRD BREEDERS STAKES

Versatile five-year-old Little Big Sister is poised to give in-form reinsman Colin Brown his third success in the WASBA Breeders Stakes when she contests the $35,000 sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Brown, whose previous wins in this 1730m event were with Sand Pebbles in 2004 and Montel in 2008, was full of praise for the Greg Bond-trained mare after she had annihilated her rivals in the Race For Roses, a 2503m stand, last Friday week.

Little Big Sister, who charged home from eighth at the bell to score by four and a half lengths from Sunsets West, has been most impressive since arriving in WA from New Zealand last winter. Her 16 WA starts have produced six wins, four seconds and three thirds.  

History stands in the way of a Little Big Sister victory this week. There have been 15 runnings of the Race For Roses and so far no mare has won the Race For Roses-WASBA Breeders Stakes double. However, Little Big Sister, a winner of four races in New Zealand, has the ability and natural speed to create history.

She is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven, but Brown is adamant that the mare is better suited when held up for a late burst, rather than when she sets the pace.

The past three Breeders Stakes have been won by mares who have led all the way --- Red Hot Date (2007), Montel (2008) and I Am Special (2009). In 2006, 10/1 chance Baby Maker set the pace and was beaten by a nose by 7/4 favourite Sovereign Beejay, who raced six wide early and then three wide until she moved into the breeze 950m from home.

Eliza Grace (barrier two), Fidelius Charm (No. 3) and Copper Beach Girl (No. 4) are noted frontrunners and their respective drivers will be keen to make the pace. However, better-performed mares Ruby Dazzler (No. 5) and Nowuseeme (No. 9) are quite tough and it would come as no surprise if either did the hard work on the outside of the pacemaker.

Nowuseeme, who covered a lot of extra ground from a wide barrier when fourth in last year’s Breeders Stakes, is in top form and demands great respect, even though she will start from the outside barrier.

Nowuseeme began speedily from barrier six before having a tough run outside the leader Amongst Royalty in a 2130m event last Friday night. Nowuseeme, driven aggressively by Grant Williams, impressed when she sprinted the final 800m in 57.3sec. and finished too strongly for Amongst Royalty, winning by 1m at a 1.57.3 rate.

Oakford horseman Ross Olivieri, who trained and drove Miss Bo Scott to victory in the 1992 Breeders Stakes, holds a strong hand in this year’s event in which he will be represented by quality mares Slick Lavra (Chris Lewis) and Elysees Crest (Morgan Woodley). Each mare is capable of unwinding a sparkling late sprint.

 IMA ROCKET STAR IMPRESSES IN SIZZLING TRIAL

A scintillating performance by Ima Rocket Star in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday showed that the brilliant four-year-old should make a winning return to racing when he contests the Vision Produce Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The New Zealand-bred pacer covered extra ground before surging to the front in the trial in which he sprinted the final 400m in a sizzling 27.6sec.

He won the trial in dashing style from Mister Veejays Fella and Nat Serling and he should be able to overcome the outside barrier (No. 9) on Friday night in a 2130m event in which he will clash with several smart pacers, including his stablemate Pablito, who worked hard, three wide and then without cover before scorching over the final 800m in 56.6sec. and winning a 2536m event at Gloucester Park last Monday week by seven lengths.

Colin Brown will handle Ima Rocket Star and Chris Brew, who has recovered from a fractured left wrist, has been engaged for Pablito.

Ima Rocket Star, a winner of six races in New Zealand and six from 12 starts in WA, looks on target to be a star in feature carnival events next summer. He has had a spell since he thundered home from 12th at the bell to finish fifth behind Tealsby Karita, Talk To Me Courage, Crown Bromac and Torben in the 2550m Harvey Cup on January 30.

Trainer Greg Bond has Ima Rocket Star and Pablito is splendid form, but his two pacers will not have things all their own way against quality opposition which includes Luminous Lombo (aiming for his fourth successive win), Bronzwhaler Whitby (a dashing winner last Friday night) and other smart performers including the frontrunning Spunky Monkey, Scan Air, Tuapeka Tiz and Mickie Dilinger.

 MY MISSINDEPENDENT RESUMES IN FINE STYLE

My Missindependent has resumed after an absence of six months in fine fettle and she has bright prospects of notching her 24th victory when she starts from 20m in The West Australian Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

She warmed up for this assignment in convincing style when she burst to an early lead, set the pace and won a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park last Saturday night by just under seven lengths from Jack The Capricorn, with Compressor five lengths farther back in third place.

Baldivis trainer Kate Hawkins will again be in the sulky behind My Missindependent in a capacity field of 12 which has had a combined total of 1335 starts for 145 wins and 218 placings.

My Missindependent will share the back mark of 20m with Jack The Capricorn (Vance Stampalia) and Compressor (Morgan Woodley).

Jack The Capricorn did all the hard work last Saturday night when he raced without cover and battled on into second place. Compressor fought on gamely from sixth at the bell.

Six-year-old gelding Face Lift will add plenty of interest to the race at his first appearance after a two-month absence. He has been freshened up by Waroona trainer Bob Mellsop after he began badly a dislodged his driver Adam Mellsop in a race at Gloucester Park on March 26.

Face Lift, the least experienced runner in Friday night’s event, with eight wins and six placings from 41 starts, raced keenly last summer and is capable of a bold first-up showing.

Backa Beyond will also have admirers after he started from 30m and sat behind the pacemaker before running on to win from Earl of Stanton over 2096m at Gloucester Park last Saturday week. That ended a losing sequence of 22 and it is difficult to visualise him 
seriously testing the backmarkers.

 ALIVEANDWELL READY FOR STRONG FIRST-UP EFFORT

Quality pacer Alieveandwell will add plenty of spice to the meeting at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he reappears after a spell.

The New Zealand-bred six-year-old, who is trained at Capel by Andrew de Campo, will be driven for the first time by Gary Hall jun. when he runs in the 2130m Graham Compson Pace.

He has been off the scene since he faded to finish tenth behind Tealsby Karita at Gloucester Park on January 22. But he showed that he is ready for a strong first-up performance with a brilliant win in a 2100m trial at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Wednesday week.

Driven by Matt White, Aliveandwell began speedily from barrier five and set the pace before winning by 10m from Zoomin Holme, rating 1.56.5. He sprinted over the final 800m in 57.6sec. and the last 400m in 27.4sec.

Aliveandwell, placed at three of his ten starts in New Zealand, made a spectacular start to his Australian career, winning at each of his first 11 starts in WA. He now has had 34 starts in this State for 20 wins and five seconds.

Aliveandwell will clash with the brilliant Has The Answers, who is sure to appreciate a return to his pet distance of 2130m after leading and finishing second to Precious Dylan over 2536m last Friday night.

Has The Answers will start from barrier seven and Chris Lewis looks certain to send the seven-year-old straight to the front. Aliveandwell will start from the outside barrier in a field of eight, and he and fellow-New Zealand pacer Total Defiance should provide the stiffest opposition for Has The Answers.