Boyanup trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice is delighted that Im Stylish will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier in the Del Basso Smallgoods Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night and he is confidently planning an all-the-way victory in the $100,000 group one classic for two-year-old fillies over 1730m.
“I’m super happy with the draw and the plans are to lead,” he said. “I think there’s no doubt she’s got the gate speed to hold the front.
“She did all the work from barrier five when she raced in the breeze and won a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week. She did it easily with the ear plugs in. She’s as fit as I can get her and I think she’s better this week than she was last week.”
The heat victory at a 1.58.9 rate (with a final quarter in 27.5sec.) improved her record to four starts for two wins and two seconds.
Im Stylish rated 1.56.8 when she led from barrier two and won from Beach Goddess over 1730m at Gloucester Park two starts earlier and she appears sure to be a warm favourite on Friday night, with Prentice hoping that his luck will change after finishing fourth in the Diamond Classic with hot favourites The Parade in 2013 and Major Reality in 2014.
He also finished second with Bettor Dreams, trained by his father Kim, in the 2012 Diamond Classic. “The Parade raced in the breeze when fourth behind Highest Royalty and Major Reality became fired up after a false start and she went three deep without cover when coming in for the bell when fourth behind Tricky Styx,” he said.
The New Zealand-bred Im Stylish is one of four runners trained by Prentice in Friday night’s classic. His other runners are maiden performers Lady Luca, Allamerican Queen and Doalittlerocknroll.
Lady Luca, who will be driven by Chris Lewis from the No. 2 barrier on the front line, impressed at her third start, in a heat of the Diamond Classic on Tuesday of last week, when she was sixth at the bell before finishing strongly, out four wide, to be second to Beach Goddess.
“Lady Luca hit the line really well and she’s got good ability,” Prentice said. “She is a real good competitor and it looks as though she will be up on the speed which will suit her.” Lewis has won the Diamond Classic with Dilingers Reign in 2005 and Sensational Gabby in 2011.
Allamerican Queen and Doalittlerocknroll each finished in third place in qualifying heats and will be at liberal odds from awkward barriers, five and six, respectively.
The major dangers to Im Stylish appear to be the Katja Warwick-trained Red Hot Roxy and Angel Bromac, who is trained and driven by Prentice’s father Kim.
Red Hot Roxy possesses sparkling gate speed and she has made most of the running when a winner at three of her four starts. Her only defeat came three starts ago when she led early and then trailed the pacemaker but was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage and finished a most unlucky fourth behind Betshes Precious.
Gary Hall Jnr will handle Red Hot Roxy and he looks certain to make use of the filly’s early speed in a bid to wrest the lead from Im Stylish.
The New Zealand-bred Angel Bromac, owned by prominent West Australian breeder and owner Robert Watson, was the fastest of the four heart winners. Her gross time of 2min. 6.4sec. (a rate of 1.57.6) compares most favourably with the times of the other heat winners, Red Hot Roxy (2.9.4 gross), Im Stylish (2.7.9) and Beach Goddess (2.8.2).
But her prospects diminished when she drew the outside (barrier three) on the back line.
WATCH: Prentice says Angel Bromac will keep them honest
“I’m certainly not jumping over the moon, especially now that they have extended the field from nine to 12 runners,” Prentice said. “I’m planning to race in the breeze. I’ll be charging forward from the back line, following Red Hot Roxy through.
“If I sit back I’ll just be giving it to them on a platter over a mile. If they want to run 12 horses, the race should be over 2130m, not 1730m. In the interdominions, contested by the best horses in Australasia, they have only nine runners. So how can they have 12 two-year-old fillies, a lot of them having only their second start, go round in this event?
“However, if I don’t go forward and just let them (the frontrunners) get away with it, there’s no way I will be able to catch them. I know the depth of Angel Bromac, so we’ll be trying to charge through and be right up there with them.”
Prentice compares Angel Bromac most favourably with the brilliant Eagle Rox, a filly he trained and drove to an all-the –way victory over stablemate Bettor Dreams in the 2012 Diamond Classic.
“Eagle Rox and Bettor Dreams are smaller horses, whereas Angel Bromac is enormous,” he explained. “But Angel Bromac has so much to learn, but raw ability, motor wise, I think she could be special.
“As a young horse Eagle Rox could really run a (fast) quarter. Angel Bromac struggles a bit that way. But she can run three really good quarters. Now Angel Bromac has to prove that she’s a racehorse. However, on the little bit she has shown me I can’t wait to put her in the paddock and bring her back as a three-year-old. I consider she will be an elite three-year-old.”
Watson is hoping for an ounce of luck and for a win with Angel Bromac. He bred and owned Soho Tokyo, an 8/1 chance who started from the No. 4 barrier and raced three wide early and then in the breeze before hitting the front on the home turn and finishing a head second to the fast-finishing Tricky Styx in the 2014 Diamond Classic.
“Robert was bitterly disappointed when he rang me today (Tuesday) and discovered that there were 12 runners,” Prentice said. “I’d love to win the race for Robert, who puts so much money and time into the industry.”
Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed was full of praise for the easy all-the-way heat victory of Beach Goddess and is confident of a strong showing in the final. Beach Goddess, to be driven by Mark Reed, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and should enjoy a good passage. She is one of the most experienced runners in the field, with her seven starts producing four wins and three seconds.