Versatile harness racing pacer The Revolution continues to impress with his wholehearted efforts and he will pay to follow. The WA-bred five-year-old, owned and trained by Kody Charles, looks ideally placed at barrier two in the third heat of the Princi Butchers Preux Chevalier Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night in which he will again be driven by Nathan Turvey.
The Revolution started from the inside of the back line and raced three back on the pegs in fifth position before finishing with a sparkling late burst to be second to the pacemaker Rycroft over 2130m last Friday night.
He raced without cover for much of the way when a fighting third behind Kurious at his previous outing and before that he impressed when he surged home from last at the bell to be a half-head second to Tact Major. His latest success was when he led from barrier three and beat Loaded Aussie over 2130m early last March.
The Revolution, by Canadian sire Northern Luck, is the first foal out of My Royal Doreen, who was retired after having six starts as a two-year-old in 2010 for wins at Gloucester Park and Geraldton.
The Revolution is sure to be seriously tested by the two youngest runners in the race, talented four-year-olds Overboard Again and King Lebron, who are racing with great heart for leading trainer Gary Hall sen.
Overboard Again has revealed excellent fighting qualities in his five wins and two seconds from his 11 starts. He is handily placed at barrier three on Friday night.
King Lebron, who will start from the outside of the back line, has won at eight of his 20 starts. He dashed to an early lead and sprinted over the final quarters in 27.7sec. and 28sec. when he won in good style from Borntobeanartist at a 1.57.2 rate over 2130m on Tuesday of last week.
The Storm Chief can end losing run of 29
Victorian-bred pacer The Storm Chief has a modest winning strike rate of just nine per cent and will start from the outside of the back line in the 2130m Choices Flooring Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But he has sound prospects of breaking through for an overdue victory and ending a losing sequence of 29.
Trained at West Swan by Merv Jupp, The Storm Chief caught the eye at Northam on Sunday afternoon when he was ninth at the bell before unleashing a sparkling sprint 500m from home which took him on terms with the hot favourite and pacemaker Chuck Norris on the home turn.
Chuck Norris survived the scare and dug deep to win by just over a half-length from The Storm Chief after a final quarter in 28.2sec.
The Storm Chief, who will again by driven by Michael Grantham on Friday night, has won seven times from 81 starts, but has chalked up 34 minor placings. His most recent success was over 1800m at Globe Derby Park last November when he raced behind the pacemaker and took full advantage of the sprint lane.
Giuliana Rancic, who has a losing sequence of 16, will start alongside The Storm Chief on the back line and will have many admirers after some sound recent efforts.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Frostyflyer will be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier six on the front line and is likely to be the opening favourite. He started from the back line and raced in eighth position before Lewis started a three-wide move 650m from home. Frostyflyer dashed into second place at the 300m mark before wilting slightly to finish fourth behind Rycroft. He is sure to appreciate weaker opposition this week.
Ken Casellas