Miki Jet ready to shine, first-up
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr is looking forward to Miki Jet making a bold bid for a first-up victory when the brilliant New Zealand-bred five-year-old resumes racing after a 19-week absence in the $50,000 The Running Camel Binshaw Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall trains Miki Jet, who has been most impressive with his eight starts in Western Australia producing six wins, one second and one third placing. He will start on the inside of the back line in the 2130m event.
“I think he has got better, and he looks like he has come back stronger,” said Hall, who is sure to assess his options from the awkward draw.
“I’ve got to get out (at some stage), and if I do, they’ll know I’m there.”
Hall has driven the winner of the Binshaw championship in three of the past nine years, scoring with Classic American in 2015, Alta Intrigue in 2021 and Youre So Fine last year.
Classic American, the $1.10 favourite, led all the way from barrier one when he beat Erskine Range; seven-year-old Alta Intrigue was a $7 chance from barrier three when he raced one-out and one-back and got up in the final stride to beat the pacemaker and odds-on favourite Al Guerrero by a nose; and four-year-old Youre So Fine, the $1.80 favourite from the No. 2 barrier, led and beat Alcopony by a half-neck.
Four-year-old All Is Well looms large as Miki Jet’s most serious rival. He has drawn perfectly at barrier No. 1 and will be driven by champion reinsman Chris Lewis for trainer Katja Warwick.
All Is Well has not raced for eight weeks, but he showed he was close to his peak in a fast-run 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he raced in fifth and last position in the Indian file workout. He ran home strongly and was not fully extended in finishing second to the pacemaker My Watch List, who rated a smart 1.56.9, with final quarters of 29sec., 28sec. and 28.1sec.
All Is Well has won at 14 of his 42 starts. He last appeared on July 5 when he began from the outside of the back line in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park. He was out of position at the start and raced in 12TH position before he finished strongly to be second to Whataretheodds.
His previous four starts were excellent --- finishing a close third behind Never Ending and Hotly Pursued in the group 3 Preux Chevalier Pace; leading and winning from Mister Montblanc; trailing the pacemaker Never Ending and finishing second to that star pacer; starting out wide at barrier eight and running home solidly from last at the bell to finish third behind Lusaka and Machs Bettor.
Miki Jet won six in a row before his last-start half-length second to the brilliant Mister Smartee on April 19 after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Lewis will be hoping to make every post a winner for All Is Well from the No. 1 barrier, like he did from the same barrier when he led throughout in the Bishaw championship with the Ross Olivieri-trained four-year-old Red Salute, who beat Western Cullen by a length in February 2013.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has two runners in Friday night’s race, and he has chosen to drive Rockmyster from barrier five in preference to Paul Edward from the No. 2 barrier. Trent Wheeler has been engaged for Paul Edward.
Chivalry will start from barrier three for trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper, who was pleased with the four-year-old’s excellent all-the-way win over Soho Dow Jones last Friday week.
The Kim Prentice-trained Soho Dow Jones will begin from barrier four for reinsman Mitch Miller.
“Soho Dow Jones has been racing in Free-For-Alls, so it will be hammer down at the start and then see what happens,” said Prentice. “He’s got to be up there (near the lead).”
Five-year-old Infinite Sign, to be driven by Aiden De Campo for Pinjarra trainer David Young, has been unlucky at his past two outings when blocked for clear run in the final stages and finishing third to Aardiebytheseaside and fifth behind Chivalry. Before those two runs he was a smart all-the-way winner over 2130m, beating Let It Linga and Paul Edward.
“It is an awkward draw, but Infinite Sign’s recent runs have been super,” said De Campo.
New plan for Crowd Control
WA-bred four-year-old Crowd Control is a noted frontrunner, who has set the pace at five of his nine wins. But his trainer Kim Prentice is convinced that the gelding is better suited when racing with a sit.
Crowd Control has drawn out wide at barrier eight in the 2130m Adopt A Camel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when reinsman Mitch Miller is likely to restrain the pacer at the start and rely on him unwinding a powerful finishing burst.
“He is not just a frontrunner; he’s better as a sit horse,” said Prentice. “He was disappointing two weeks ago (when he was the $1.50 favourite and set the pace before hanging out under pressure and wilting to finish third behind Elwaddell over 1730m).
“But we found a problem, so, hopefully, he will run a good race this week. He can do some work and is better coming from behind.”
Most of the runners drawn inside Crowd Control on Friday night possess good gate speed, and there is likely to be a strong challenge for the early lead.
The polemarker Eldaytona, trained and driven by Lindsay Harper, will be resuming after a spell. Twelve of his 16 wins have come when he has set the pace.
State Of Heaven (barrier three) has led at seven of his 11 wins; Medieval Man (barrier four) has led at 11 of his 22 wins; Loucid Dreams (barrier five) has led at five of his nine wins; Firerockfireroll (barrier six) has led at nine of his 16 wins; and Regal Cheval has led at ten of his 16 wins.
There appears to be a strong chance that Harper will be keen to set the pace with Eldaytona, while nine-year-old Regal Cheval, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, could be given the task of setting the pace from out wide at barrier seven. He possesses sparkling gate speed.
“There is a bit of speed inside him,” said Hall. “He’s working good and I’m undecided whether I’ll launch him. “I’ll see how he works tomorrow (Wednesday).”
The Miki Taker gets his chance
Punters should disregard The Miki Taker’s eighth placing behind Aardiebytheseaside in last week’s August Cup when assessing the five-year-old’s prospects in the Lady Camel Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was hopelessly hemmed in and blocked for a clear run throughout the final circuit last Friday night, with trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo saying: “He was held up and just couldn’t get a crack at them. This is an even Free-For-All, and I will consider driving him more positively.”
In the August Cup The Miki Taker dashed forward, three wide, after 450m and moved to the breeze before obtaining an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, after Steel The Show surged forward to race outside the frontrunning Aardiebytheseaside with 1450m to travel.
Aardiebytheseaside was not extended in winning the Cup from Talks Up A Storm and Sangue Reale, with Steel The Show fighting on to finish a creditable fourth.
Steel The Show will start from the outside in the field of seven this week and he should fight out the finish, while Talks Up A Storm (barrier six) will have many admirers after his strong showing in the August Cup when he was fastest to begin from barrier three but was unable to cross Aardiebytheseaside.
Sangue Reale, trained and driven by Chris Voak, raced three back on the pegs in the Cup and ran on solidly into third place at his first appearance since early last October.
He will start from barrier four on Friday night, with Voak saying: “I give him a good each-way hope. His run last week after ten months off was good, and he has pulled up in terrific shape.”
Gary Hall jnr drove The Code Breaker for the second time in his 92ND start career when he was a $51 outsider from out wide at barrier eight. The Ryan Bell-trained seven-year-old raced at the rear before starting a three-wide move approaching the bell and finishing in seventh place.
The Code Breaker will be far better suited this week from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and Hall is confident that he will be prominent.
Hopeland trainer Debra Lewis has sound prospects of winning the first and final events on Friday night, with Major Overs a major player in the opening event, the 2130m Camel Time Pace, and Goodfellaz and Robbie Easton having sound prospects in the final event, the 2130m Rattlin Lilly Pace.
Major Overs, who has a losing sequence of 14, will be driven by Jocelyn Young from the No. 2 barrier and the four-year-old is a speedy beginner capable of leading all the way. He set the pace from barrier two over 1730m last Friday night when he was beaten by a nose by Chillin.
His main rival could well be veteran performer Major Freeway, who will be driven by Chris Lewis for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett. The eight-year-old has not been successful since winning from Mr Fantastic at Bunbury 26 months ago, but his recent form has been quite encouraging.
Major Freeway began from barrier seven in a 2130m event last Friday week when he raced without cover for much of the way, took the lead 500m from home and finished third behind Tashs Spartan and Seven No Trumps.
Emily Suvaljko will be looking for a stout-hearted effort when she drives Seven No Trumps from the inside of the back line in Friday night’s race.
“He was a bit ordinary last week (when seventh behind Chillin), but he was good the previous week when a head second to Tashs Spartan (when he finished strongly from tenth at the bell). He is likely to race three back on the pegs and should go well,” said Suvaljko.
Five-year-old Goodfellaz warmed up for Friday night’s event in good style when he reappeared after a seven-month absence in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening this week. He began from barrier seven and raced without cover before taking the lead 520m from home and winning from the fast-finishing Justlike Turbo, rating 1.57.3.
Chris Lewis will drive Goodfellaz from barrier five, with his stablemate Robbie Easton to be handled by Jocelyn Young from out wide at barrier eight.
Robbie Easton, who will be having his first start since last November, impressed in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when he came from last in a field of seven --- eight lengths from the leader at the bell --- to finish second to the talented Storyteller.
Rock Artist returns to mobile racing
Up-and-coming pacer Rock Artist will end a sequence of eight appearances in standing-start events when he returns to mobile racing in the Happy 90TH birthday Des Parr Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred gelding’s eight stands resulted in four wins and three placings, including excellent seconds to Carana in the 2503m BOTRA Cup and the 3309m Marathon Handicap.
He should appreciate a drop in class when he begins from the No. 3 barrier this week.
“This program of running in stands has always been part of my plan leading into the feature events for four-year-olds later in the year,” said Voak.
“I always thought Rock Artist was on the weak side, and my plan was to condition him over the longer trips in the stands. Now I think he is a far stronger horse, and his stamina has improved.
“He should run a good race. I don’t think he has to lead to win. He is a good sit-sprint horse as well. We aim to go forward and take up a position on the pace somewhere, and he will run a strong last mile. I’m confident he will be in the finish.”
Comeback pacer Serious Moonlite, to be driven for the first time by Stuart McDonald for trainer Michael Young, has won at two of his past three outings, and he should fight out the finish after starting from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Young will also be represented by Chillin, who will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line with Gary Hall jnr in the sulky. Hall jnr timed Chillin’s finishing burst perfectly when the four-year-old got up in the final stride to snatch a last-stride victory over Major Overs over 1730m last Friday night.
Gully Gum (barrier seven) and Skylord (eight) have the ability to win, while the Annie Belton-trained Louie Dior adds considerable interest to the race after scoring easy victories at his three appearances after an eight-month absence. Louie Dior, to be driven by Ryan Bell, will start from the outside of the back line.
Trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Bellezza Nera (barrier five) ahead of stablemate Illawong Mustang, who will start from the No. 1 barrier with Trent Wheeler in the sulky.
Emily Suvaljko will drive Eton Rock (barrier six) for trainer Nathan Turvey. The five-year-old possesses sparkling gate speed. “It’s a hard field, but Eton Rock is racing well without much luck,” said Suvaljko.
Trainer Bob Mellsop said that Gully Gum, a winner at eight of his 18 starts and to be driven by Deni Roberts, was a lovely, honest horse. “Barrier seven makes it hard, but he’s not keen on going back,” he said. “Deni will sort things out.”
Skylord, part-owned, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, is a quality four-year-old who has won at nine of his 26 starts. He will start out wide at barrier eight at his first appearance since he began from the No. 8 barrier over 2536m at Gloucester Park on May 21 and surged forward, out three wide, to get to the front in the first lap before winning easily from Machs Bettor, rating 1.57.9, with final quarters of 28.9sec., 27.8sec. and 28.4sec.
Mellsop’s smart square gaiter Hold That Gold will be favoured to improve his record in his current campaign to nine starts for seven wins by proving the master of his ten rivals in the 2130m Never Trot Lodge Trot.
Hold That Gold will start from barrier four and will be driven by Deni Roberts. “He doesn’t have to lead but he will be trying to,” said Mellsop. “He has natural gate speed and has won in the breeze at Gloucester Park. He raced in good company in Melbourne and is now racing with a good bit of confidence.”
Aiden De Campo, who is driving in brilliant form, said that Lombo Mitchinson appeared to be his best winning chance on the ten-event program. The four-year-old, trained by Michael Blakemore, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m We Love Our Members Pace.
“I think he can do a fair bit of work and still go close to winning,” said De Campo.
Lombo Mitchinson trailed the pacemaker Sly Terror in a 2130m event last Friday night before De Campo eased him into the clear at the bell --- and he ran home strongly to finish a desperately close third behind Rattlin Lilly and Soho Firestone, with the margins being a head and a half-head.
Gary Hall jnr will drive the polemarker Let It Linga for trainer Michael Young. Let It Linga has led and won at Stawell and Maryborough, and three times at Gloucester Park.
“If she can hold (the lead) she will go close,” said Hall. “I think she will be able to lead.”
