Cyclone Jordy looks outstanding
Exciting New Zealand-bred gelding Cyclone Jordy looks set to follow in the footsteps of star pacer Never Ending by setting the pace and winning the $150,000 Channel 7 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Never Ending was not extended when, as the $1.30 favourite, he led from barrier one and won easily from Skylord and Lusaka in the 2022 Golden Slipper, setting a race record with a 1.55.1 rate over the 2130m.
Cyclone Jordy has drawn the No. 1 barrier and reinsman Gary Hall jnr is planning an all-the-way victory to give him and his father, Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, their third success in the prestigious classic event for two-year-old pacers.
Hall snr trained and drove Love Of Glory to win the race in 1989, and he and his son combined for the win of Beaudiene Boaz in 2014. Hall jnr then brought up his third win when Never Ending, prepared by Justin Prentice, outclassed his rivals two years ago.
Cyclone Jordy warmed up for this week’s assignment when, at his Australian debut and at his first start for 20 weeks, he strolled to the front after 250m and set the pace before sprinting over the final quarters in 28.5sec. and 26.8sec. to win by four lengths from Como El Viento last Friday night.
“Number one is a perfect draw for Cyclone Jordy, and all is good with him since his win,” said Hall jnr. “The plan will be to use his gate speed. Not many (pacers) come over from New Zealand with a huge amount of gate speed because they are not driven for early speed.
“He has blistering gate speed. I thought he could win this week from any barrier, and now we have the seemingly soft option.”
Como El Viento and Last Hard Copy are trained by Aiden De Campo. They filled the placings behind Cyclone Jordy last Friday night, and De Campo is looking for strong efforts this week from both colts.
De Campo, who drove Como El Viento last week, has opted to handle Last Hard Copy this week.
“Both went really good last week,” he said. “Como El Viento was beaten by a better horse on the night, while Last Hard Copy put up what was near on his best career run. I’ll drive Last Hard Copy because from the inside of the back line he should get a good run behind Cyclone Jordy, and hopefully he can run second.”
Como El Viento has drawn barrier two and will be driven by Mitch Miller. “He will find it a bit harder this week, but he will hold a forward position,” said De Campo. “He is quite tough, so it won’t matter if he has to work a little bit.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond have three runners, Mad Monday (barrier four), Belly Up (barrier five) and Captainshavtime (barrier nine).
Mad Monday, who has finished second at his past two appearances (behind Como El Viento and Xpress Party), will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green. Stuart McDonald will drive Belly Up, a brilliant last-start winner over Captain Stirling and Paint the Palette, and Deni Roberts will handle Captainshavtime, who is unbeaten at her five starts in Western Australia.
Roberts drove the Bond-trained $1.70 favourite Vegas Strip to an easy all-the-way win in the Golden Slipper 12 months ago. The Bonds were successful in the 2016 Golden Slipper with Mitch Maguire, and Greg Bond trained Ohokas Bondy for his win in the classic in 2010.
Justin Prentice, who trained and drove Mighty Ronaldo (2020) and Tricky Miki (2021) for Golden Slipper wins, prepared Never Ending for his victory in 2022. He trains and drives Paint The Palette, who will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line on Friday night. Paint The Palette, an easy winner on debut at Pinjarra five starts ago, has been placed at three of his subsequent four starts.
Six in a row beckons Mister Smartee
Four-year-old Mister Smartee, the youngest and least experienced runner in the field of eight to contest the $31,000 Past President’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, is on target to notch his sixth win in a row when he lines up at the No. 4 barrier.
Mister Smartee resumed after a 20-week absence last Friday night when he surged home from tenth and last at the bell to win at a 1.55.3 rate over 2130m.
He won by only a half-length from Star Casino, but reinsman Gary Hall jnr said the lightly-raced New Zealand-bred gelding impressed him greatly and that he would prove to be hard to beat this week.
“Mister Smartee was awesome last week when he won so easily,” said Hall. “It was like he had just joined in on the (home) bend. I was swinging on him.”
Mister Smartee is trained by Gary Hall snr, and he and his son have won the Past President’s Cup with The Falcon Strike (2006), Beaudiene Boaz (2017) and Chicago Bull (2020).
Mister Smartee, who has won at ten of his 12 starts, rises in class this week when his clash with Sangue Reale and Tricky Miki should be a highlight of the 12-event program.
Sangue Reale, trained and driven by Chris Voak, has resumed after a spell in excellent form. He followed thirds behind Aardiebytheseaside and Talks Up A Storm with a stylish all-the-way victory over Talks Up A Storm last Friday week.
Sangue Reale will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight, and Voak declared: “We’re in with a good shot. I’ll drive him according to the pace of the race. If they are going slow, I’ll put him into it, for sure.
“He will make a run at them early if the pace is slow, or if it is a fast pace he will make a run late. I give him a good chance.”
Tricky Miki will be making his first appearance for five months and he will be driven by his trainer Justin Prentice for only the third time in his career of 31 starts which has produced twelve wins and ten placings.
Prentice drove Tricky Miki when he won the Golden Slipper in July 2021 and when he finished a fast-finishing close-up third behind Swingband and The Miki Taker on August 5, 2022.
Tricky Miki, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, has not been produced in recent trials, but is capable of a bold first-up showing.
Part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper is hoping to set the pace with Eldaytona, who gave a smart frontrunning performance for Lauren Harper to score a narrow victory over Rockmyster, rating 1.55.5 over 2130m last Friday night.
“Eldaytona likes it in front, so I’ll be aiming to lead,” said Lindsay Harper.
Harper is confident of success with four-year-old Chivalry, who will begin from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Sunrise Pace, in which he will clash with several in-form pacers, including Skylou, Goodfellaz and Sugar Street.
Chivalry began from barrier three last Friday night when he made an unsuccessful challenge for the lead and then worked hard outside the pacemaker Loucid Dreams before fighting on determinedly to dead-heat for second with Regal Cheval, a head behind the winner Hillview Bondi.
“He rarely runs a poor race, and his run last week was very good,” said Harper. “He will lead on Friday night and will be very hard to beat. He will go 1.53, no problem.”
Gary Hall jnr will drive Skylou, who is awkwardly drawn at barrier six. “It looks a tough race, and I’ll probably drive Skylou conservatively early,” said Hall.
Goodfellaz has resumed racing in top form for trainer Debra Lewis, with his four runs in this campaign resulting in three wins and a fighting third behind Skylord. He is the only runner on the back line and looks set to fight out the finish.
Dominus Factum will begin from barrier eight for trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo at his first start after a spell. “The mile suits him and he tends to go good, fresh,” said De Campo. “He will roll forward.”
Roberts expects Tualou to shine
Several promising three-year-olds will clash in the $21,000 7News Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with outstanding driver Deni Roberts expecting a strong showing from the Greg and Skye Bond-trained gelding Tualou.
Tualou will start from the No. 5 barrier at his second appearance after a spell, and Roberts said: “He raced in the breeze, and I didn’t want to give him too tough a run first-up (when he finished second to My Watchlist on Tuesday of last week).
“He should be a lot better for that run, and from barrier five he should be able to get a helmet.”
Alta Tribute (barrier four), Menemsha (barrier nine), My Silver Spoon (barrier two) and Artful Major (barrier seven) will have many admirers.
“It’s not a great draw but I’ve been very happy with Menemsha,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo. “He will go back from the draw and hopefully he will run over the top of them.
“His trial was good (over 2185m at Pinjarra on September 11 when he won by seven lengths from Insta Gator, rating 1.57.2 after final quarters of 28.5sec. and 27.4sec.) and he was really good when a close second to Worlds Above in the Battle Of Bunbury last Saturday night. And he worked well this morning (Tuesday).”
The Peter Anderson-trained Worlds Above notched his ninth win from 33 starts when he trailed the pacemaker before finishing strongly along the sprint lane to win the Battle Of Bunbury. He will again be driven by Trent Wheeler and should figure in the finish after starting from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Alta Tribute, trained by Gary Hall snr, goes into the race with a perfect record of three wins from three starts at Gloucester Park. “It’s a good race,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “Alta Tribute is going pretty good and seems to be getting better.”
The New Zealand-bred My Silver Spoon has won very easily for trainer-reinsman Chris Voak at his first two starts in WA, and he is favourably drawn at barrier two. “He will give a good account of himself, and this will be a good test for him,” said Voak. “He worked well this morning (Tuesday).”
Artful Major, trained and driven by Justin Prentice, has won at five of his 13 starts. He is capable of considerable improvement after his sixth in the Battle Of Bunbury when he raced wide early and then worked hard in the breeze.
After contesting race one on the 12-event program with Tualou, Roberts has several good each-way prospects --- including Vegas Strip (race two), Heavenly Wage (race four), Captainshavtime (race five), Carana (race seven) and Hold That Gold (race eleven).
The best of those drives appears to be Carana and Hold That Gold, with Roberts opting to handle Carana ahead of Rattlin Lilly in The Chase Pace.
Carana, who has won at three of his past four starts, will begin from the outside barrier in the field of eight, with Rattlin Lilly, a winner at four of her past six starts, at barrier No. 7. Rattlin Lilly will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
“It was a hard choice, but I chose Carana because he is probably just the next class up from Rattlin Lilly,” explained Roberts.
Looming as a major danger to the Bond-trained pair is trainer-reinsman Gary Hall junior’s Solesseo Matuca, who will begin from barrier four.
“Solesseo Matuca is consistent, and he can win if he puts his best foot forward,” said Hall. “It could be a case of handlebars down, and I’d like to see if he can hold them all out at the start.”
Hold That Gold, trained by Bob Mellsop, is in top form with his ten starts in his current campaign producing six wins, three seconds and a seventh placing. He will start from the 10m mark in the Better Homes And Gardens Trot, a stand over 2503m.
Hold That Gold has finished second to Michael Munro’s sprightly eight-year-old trotter Nickys Son at his past two starts. “He had a hard run in the breeze when beaten by Nickys Son at his latest start,” said Roberts.
Symington’s good chances
Talented young reinsman Kyle Symington is hoping to take full advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier by landing an early double on the 12-event card at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will drive Frisky Styx for trainer Ryan Bell in race two, the 7Plus Pace over 2130m, and Acuto for owner-trainer Chris Phatouros in race three, the 2130m Home And Away Pace.
Four-year-old Frisky Styx, a winner at six of his 16 starts, has good gate speed and is a smart frontrunner. At his second appearance after a spell, he began from barrier four and was unable to get to an early lead and was forced to work hard in the breeze before wilting to fifth behind Pocket the Change over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night.
Frisky Styx is expected to meet strong opposition from the Kim Prentice-trained Soho Firestone, who will start from the No. 2 barrier with Mitch Miller expected to use the four-year-old’s good gate speed in a bid to get to an early lead.
Soho Firestone impressed last Friday night when he was a $151 outsider and was restrained from out wide at barrier eight and was ninth at the bell before finishing strongly to be fourth behind Mister Smartee.
Gary Hall jnr has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive Hes Never Been Beta in preference to stablemate Soho Bollinger. The two pacers are prepared by Gary Hall snr.
“Both pacers are working well, and Soho Bollinger won a trial in good style at Byford last Sunday,” said Hall jnr.
Four-year-old Hes Never Been Beta, who will be resuming after a spell, is handily drawn at barrier two on the back line. He has won at nine of his 24 starts and must come under serious consideration.
Six-year-old Soho Bollinger will be making his first appearance since he set the pace and faded to tenth in a 2650m event at Bendigo on October 2, 2021. He will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
“We have tried to bring Soho Bollinger back a few times, but he kept breaking down with leg problems,” said Hall jnr. “He’s standing up this time.”
Nine-year-old Acuto is sure to relish starting from barrier one, and Symington is expected to attempt to win the start and set the pace --- as he did when the gelding led and sprinted over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.4sec. and won from Rockaball in mid-March this year.
