BROWN FANCIES MISTER ODDS ON IN BOTRA CUP

Ace reinsman Colin Brown is confident that consistent six-year-old Mister Odds On can improve on his fighting third in last year’s BOTRA Cup by winning the $20,500 Cup over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He’s certainly got the form to win,” Brown declared. “He’s been going super and hasn’t run a bad race for a while. He’s a versatile pacer and he’s been getting away well in stands lately.”

The New Zealand-bred Mister Odds On was driven by Brown when he galloped out from the 40m mark in last year’s BOTRA Cup and settled down in 11th position before he moved into eighth place at the bell and sustained a strong three-wide run to finish third behind Mach Ruler and Mevagissey.

Mister Odds On, who is trained at Forrestdale by Skye Bond, again will start from 40m in this week’s Cup which is sponsored by Garrards Horse and Hound. The Bettors Delight gelding warmed up for the Cup in fine style when he scored an easy win in a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park last Saturday week.

Driven by Michael Gorge, Mister Odds On began speedily from barrier four and was untroubled to set the pace and win from Ohoka Rebel and Our Mercurio, rating 1.57.3.

Ohoka Rebel, who worked hard without cover for much of the way, is one of the dangers to Mister Odds On in the BOTRA Cup in which he will start off 30m. Ohoka Rebel is trained by Gary Hall sen., who also has excellent prospects with Albert Jaccka, who will share the back mark off 50m with Real Life.

Albert Jaccka unleashed a brilliant finishing burst to win first-up in a stand at Gloucester Park three starts ago when he beat Mister Odds On.

Real Life will have many admirers after excellent seconds to Fast Play and Pancho Maguire in stands at two of his past three starts. He is one of two Cup runners trained by Tony Svilicich.

Svilicich’s other runner is the lone frontmarker Surfin Superstar, who is out of form and has not been successful for 17 months.

 WOODLEY TO DRIVE SPEEDSTER GRINJARO IN CRANLEY SPRINT

Outstanding young reinsman Morgan Woodley has been engaged by owner-trainer Ken White to drive speedy four-year-old Grinjaro in the $20,500 Pat Cranley Memorial Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Woodley will replace Gary Hall jun., who is serving a term of suspension, and Grinjaro, the youngster runner in the race, has drawn perfectly at barrier one in the 1730m sprint.

Woodley has driven Grinjaro only once before, when the pacer was a 16/1 chance from the outside barrier, raced at the rear and finished tenth behind Parsons Dragon in the Golden Slipper Stakes in July 2009. Grinjaro has won at ten of his 27 starts and has an excellent record in sprints, starting nine times over 1730m for five wins and two placings.

Grinjaro has returned to racing after a spell in grand form, with three wins and a second placing. He gave convincing proof of his ability as a quality sprinter two starts ago when he began from the outside barrier in a field of seven  at Gloucester Park and raced at the rear before starting a three-wide move 700m from home.

He burst to the front with 320m to travel and won by a length from Lord Roddick, rating 1.55.2. He then competed in a 2670m at Pinjarra last Monday week when he raced wide early, then enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before starting a three-wide move 1300m from home and dashing to the front 130m from the post.

However, he was quickly gunned down by Clancy Maguire, who charged to the front 100m from the post and careered away to beat Grinjaro by four lengths. Grinjaro should appreciate a return to a sprint trip on Friday night.

Major dangers to Grinjaro appear to be Motu Treasure, Scruncher and Falcons Medley. The Chris Brew-trained Scruncher is a speed machine and looks set to press forward from the No. 4 barrier.

Scruncher started from barrier six in last year’s Cranley Sprint in which he raced three wide early before getting to the front after 400m. He set a solid pace and led by two lengths with 450m to travel before wilting to finish a three-length second to Mister Veejays Fella.

Two starts ago, Scruncher rated 1.58 when he worked hard without cover before winning the 1750m Mount Eden sprint in Kalgoorlie. At his previous start, he led and won by 25m over 1730m at Gloucester Park, rating 1.56.2.

Motu Treasure will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy a perfect passage behind Grinjaro. The New Zealand-bred Motu Treasure rated 1.55.9 over 1730m at his Australian debut at Gloucester Park last June. He has impressed at his first seven WA starts which have produced five wins and one placing.

Colin Brown had no hesitation in decided to drive Motu Treasure in preference to the Tony Svilicich-trained Falcons Medley, who is nicely drawn at barrier two.

Brown drove Falcons Medley at Gloucester Park last Friday night when he dashed forward from the back line to race without cover after 500m. Falcons Medley surged to the front 120m from home and won easily from Im Tim Kelly, rating 1.55.6. Svilicich has engaged Callan Suvaljko to drive Falcons Medley.

“Motu Treasure will need only average luck in the run to be hard to beat,” said Brown. “I think if he had drawn to lead he would have proved very hard to beat, without relying on luck.

“I expect Grinjaro to lead and I think it will be a pretty solid-run race. Motu Treasure has multiple strengths and he’s pretty well a complete racehorse.”

 PUHINUI RAINBOW GETS CHANCE TO END LONG LOSING RUN

Eight-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer Puhinui Rainbow is poised to end a losing sequence of 27 when he contests the Force Equipment and Hire Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He put the writing on the wall last Friday night when he raced three wide for the first 500m and then in the breeze before obtaining the one-out, one-back sit and then sprinting home fast, out wide, to be a nose second to My Sound of Thunder in a 2503m stand.

Trained at Mt Helena by Ray Williams, Puhinui Rainbow will again be driven by his son Grant. Puhinui Rainbow won seven times from 49 starts in New Zealand and Grant Williams drove him to victory at his Australian debut, over 2560m at Northam in February 2009, when he beat Eastwood Highlander by a half-length at a 2.4.2 rate.

Puhinui’s last-start second followed three encouraging efforts --- third to Its Thegiftoflife at Northam, third to Auto Pilot at Pinjarra and fourth behind Truckers Ruffnut at Northam.

Several runners have sound claims in Friday night’s event, with Puhinui Rainbow’s chief rivals appearing to be Mighty McDana, Blissful Snag, Shoab and Big Jedd.

The Greg Bond-trained Mighty McDana was a 3/1 on favourite when second to Aussie Terror in a 2670m mobile at Pinjarra last Monday. Mighty McDana started from the back line and dashed forward to race without cover after a lap.

Mighty McDana had no luck at his previous start, at Gloucester Park last Saturday week, when he began fast from barrier eight, took the lead after 350m and then overraced in the middle stages when Global Glider raced fiercely on his outside. He did well to hold on and finish third behind Our Gettysburgh.

 TOTAL DEFIANCE WINS AT HIS AMERICAN DEBUT

Total Defiance has made a wonderful start to his American career, scoring a stylish victory at Yonkers Raceway in New York last Saturday.

An outstanding performer in WA for part-owner and trainer-reinsman Aldo Cortopassi, Total Defiance, who races in America as Defiance N, was driven to victory by Ryan Anderson.

The six-year-old In The Pocket gelding started from barrier six and raced well back in the field before unwinding a powerful finishing burst to win from Hagi and Image of Dawn, rating 1.52.8 over 1609m on the half-mile track.

Total Defiance, who raced as Defiance in New Zealand, won once from nine starts in New Zealand before Cortopassi drove him in all of his 43 WA starts which produced 22 wins, six seconds and one third.

As a three-year-old, he won the Battle of Bunbury in March 2008 and he won the group 3 2918m Kalgoorlie Cup in September 2008 and the group 3 Easter Cup over 2902m at Gloucester Park in April 2009.

His first six wins in WA were in mobile events and then 13 of his next 16 wins in this State were in stands. His career record now stands at 53 starts for 24 wins, nine placings and earnings of $244,765.