Catch A Wave & Kate Gath Photo by Pacepix/Club Menangle
FORMER Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave heads the three interstate raiders leaving Sydney on a plane to Perth tomorrow (Monday) to chase the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor.
Trainer Andy Gath took Catch A Wave on a 10-hour road trip from Melbourne to Sydney today (Sunday) so he could have a break before the flight to Perth.
Gath also confirmed Catch A Wave would definitely have a lead-up race in a 2130m free-for-all at Gloucester Park on Friday night ahead of the Nullarbor a week later.
“That’s the plan. He’s shown many times how he thrives with a race the week before his biggest races,” Gath said.
“We’re really happy with him and excited to be heading across for the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup the week after.”
WA is the only harness racing state in Australia where the decorated Gath is yet to snare a Group 1 win.
Joining Catch A Wave on the flight will be high-class NSW pair Spirit Of St Louis and Hot And Treacherous.
Spirit Of St Louis is expected to join Catch A Wave in the lead-up free-for-all race on Friday.
In contrast, trainer Jason Grimson opted to run Hot And Treacherous at Menangle last night.
The six-year-old looks right on target despite being rundown by brilliant stablemate Nerano, who stalked him in a 1609m free-for-all.
The race basically became just a 200m dash home and Nerano is one of the fastest pacers in the land in that scenario.
Grimson and driver Cam Hart are trying to go back-to-back after winning last year’s inaugural Nullarbor with Betterzippit.
Locally, some of WA’s heavyweight stables have essentially locked in their Nullarbor slot runners.
Minstrel’s narrow but dominant Governor’s Cup win at Gloucester Park last Friday night will see him take the Team Bond slot.
“He was huge after doing so much work the other night, and he’s right in the zone,” driver Deni Roberts said.
Despite finishing well down the track behind Minstrel, Jumpingjackmac, who won the Bunbury Cup six days earlier, will run in the slot owned by trainer Gary Hall Sr and Steve Waters.
The biggest decision sits with trainer Justin Prentice and his partners in the JP Racing slot.
Prentice, who already has Never Ending in Ladbrokes’ Nullarbor slot, has to choose between Mighty Ronaldo and Tricky Miki for his stable slot.
“Last Friday didn’t really help things. They both ran really well and didn’t have much luck,” he said.
“I’ll get together with my partners and make our decision early this week.”
Mighty Ronaldo may get the nod based on his terrific feature race record, which includes a Fremantle Cup, WA Derby and Golden Slipper, all at Group 1 level.
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
