Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, delighted at King of Swing’s effortless victory on Tuesday night, will be looking for strong efforts from American Brave and Speed Man when they clash in the first event, the Seven News Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This trio of exciting three-year-olds are being aimed at the rich Golden Nugget Championship for four-year-olds in the coming summer.
A winner at six of his 13 starts, American Brave made a stylish Australian debut for Hall when he scored a runaway victory against moderate company over 2130m at Gloucester Park on July 14, despite being on one rein for much of the journey. He sprinted over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 28.1sec. and won by seven and a half lengths.
American Brave will be driven by ace reinsman Gary Hall Jnr from the outside (No. 3) on the back line. He stamped himself as a future star when he trailed the pacemaker Solid Gold and sprinted home powerfully along the sprint lane to win by a neck from King of Swing in a heat of the Sires Stakes at Alexandra Park last October.
King of Swing had taken the lead 150m from the post after working hard in the breeze. The final 800m was covered in 56.5sec., with the last 400m taking 27.5sec. American Brave rated 1.53.8 over 1700m and his was a notable victory over King of Swing, who gave further proof of his class by winning the Group 1 WA Derby in April.
American Brave has inherited much of the ability of his dam Shez Spicey, a mare by Christian Cullen who earned $183,183 from nine wins, seven seconds and one third from just 31 starts. American Brave is a work in progress and looks set to improve massively on his modest record of 13 starts for six wins and one third for stakes of $55,610.
Speed Man, who will be handled on Friday night by Stuart McDonald, has earned $61,206 from six wins and five placings from 15 starts. He is unbeaten at his two starts in his current campaign and he is capable of overcoming the disadvantage of the outside barrier (No. 9) and should take a power of beating.
King of Swing made a wonderful return to racing on Tuesday night when he began from the No. 1 barrier in a lowly C0-class event over 2130m. He was untroubled to set the pace and romped home by a margin of 67.2m, rating 1.56.9. It was his first appearance since he won the WA Derby by a head from Bechers Brook on April 6.
American Brave and Speed Man are two of eight last-start winners in a classy field of 12. The powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable will be represented by Fizzing, a promising Mach Three colt who notched his fifth victory when he worked hard in the breeze before racing away to win by more than four lengths over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. He should enjoy a comfortable trip after starting from the inside of the back line.
Ken Casellas