Superstar pacer Chicago Bull is thoroughly enjoying racing every week, and his Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr declared that the little champion, who has triumphed on the past two Friday nights after racing without cover, will be seen in the role of pacemaker in the $20,000 TABtouch Race Replays Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chicago Bull, with champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr in the sulky as usual, will start from the outside barrier in the field of six and is poised to notch his fifty-second victory.
“There will be a bit of a war early, and whoever wins that war will sit on Chicago Bull,” said Hall Snr. “He’ll lead for sure. He doesn’t do hoppled work during the week and is happy to race every Friday night.”
The Murray Lindau-trained Chiaroscuro, who was an easy all-the-way winner of the Kerry Clarke Four And Five-Year-Old Westbred Classic at the corresponding meeting 12 months ago, will begin from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night and Dylan Egerton-Green will be determined to win the start from noted speedy beginner Saleahs Comand (barrier four).
Obviously, Chiaroscuro’s best chance of winning would be to sit behind Chicago Bull.
The Hall stable will also be represented in Friday night’s event with Ideal Liner, who will be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 2 barrier at his second start after resuming from a spell. Ideal Liner enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail last Friday week before wilting to sixth behind Chicago Bull, who raced in the breeze and got up in the final stride to beat the pacemaker Handsandwheels by a nose over 2536m.
“Ideal Liner (who has won at 13 of his 27 starts) will improve on his first-up effort and should run second to Chicago Bull,” said Hall snr.
Hall is hoping, but not optimistic, for a change of fortune for Our Rhythm N Blues, who will start from barrier two on the back line in the Community TAB Pace. Our Rhythm N Blues has managed just one win (seven starts ago) from his past 28 starts and Hall bemoans the fact that the six-year-old is a non-winner.
“Working together at home Our Rhythm N Blues beats Tuas Delight easily, and he can work with Ideal Liner and beats him from time to time. But put him in a race and he won’t poke his head in front.
Our Rhythm N Blues will clash with Tuas Delight (Michael Grantham) on Friday night and Hall gives the seven-year-old Tuas Delight “some chance” after working hard and being placed at his past two starts.
In this event the Ross Olivieri-trained Madame Meilland is handily drawn at barrier three and has some hope of ending a disappointing losing sequence of 30. Reinsman Chris Voak said: “I think that she will improve sharply, maybe not this week, but in the next two to three weeks. If she was in her best form, she would win this race; she’s got wins over Major Reality and Gotta Go Gabbana.”
Voak has sound prospects later in the program with Stroke Of Luck in race seven and Kiwi Bloke in the following event.
Stroke Of Luck, an impressive first-up winner three starts ago, maintained his excellent form with close seconds to Son Of A Tiger and Chicago Bull, and he has bright prospects of beating in-form runners Robbie Easton and Machs Gold.
Kiwi Bloke, resuming after a spell, will start from barrier one on the front line and should fight out the finish with Im Rocknroll Magic and Rebel With A Grin
Ken Casellas