Crack reinsman Chris Voak has high hopes of bringing up his century of winners for the season by guiding Miss Twiggy Whitby to victory in the $25,000 R. H. Trotter and Co. Pace for Westsired two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Miss Twiggy Whitby is trained at Meelon by her breeder and part-owner Ed Dewar and Voak would dearly love to land the Rich And Spoilt filly a winner this week. He made a difficult choice a week ago when he opted to drive Im Rockaraia for trainer Michael Brennan in the group 1 $100,000 Pearl Classic in preference to Dewar’s smart colt Our Zak Whitby.
Im Rockaria won the classic, with Our Zack Whitby an unlucky, fast-finishing fourth after he was badly inconvenienced by a tiring runner in the back straight in the final circuit.
Voak has had 817 drives this season for 99 wins, 116 seconds and 83 thirds and is in fourth place on the reinsmen’s premiership table, behind Chris Lewis (131 wins), Gary Hall jun. (120) and Nathan Turvey (113).
Miss Twiggy Whitby will start from the No. 4 barrier in the field of six runners and has excellent prospects. She is one of only two winners in the field, the other being the Kevin Keys-trained Sarah Goody, who will be driven by Matt White from the No. 2 barrier.
Miss Twiggy Whitby’s only win from nine starts was when she led from barrier four and defeated Tell Me More over 1730m at Gloucester Park in January. At her most recent appearance she was first out from the No. 1 barrier before Voak decided to take the sit behind brilliant filly Angel Bromac.
Angel Bromac sped over the final 800m in 57.3sec. and won by three lengths from Miss Twiggy Whitby.
Friday night’s event appears quite an open affair, with the Justin Prentice-trained Allamerican Queen sure to be prominent after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier. Allamerican Queen was a 112/1 outsider in the WA Oaks last Friday week when she finished solidly from tenth at the bell to be sixth, five and a half lengths behind the winner, her stablemate Lady Luca.
Sarah Goody was a winner at Bunbury four starts ago when she led from barrier one and beat Rich Maiden by a neck, rating 1.58.8 over 1609m. She was a fighting second to Maczaffair at Bunbury two starts ago.
The Royal Lady, trained at Harvey by Kevin Egerton-Green, will start from barrier five and will be driven by Kim Young. She will have admirers. She trailed the pacemaker Red Hot Roxy and finished third behind her in the group 1 Sales Classic three starts ago. Before that she finished a sound second to Betshes Precious, with Miss Twiggy Whitby in third place.
Sweet Gina, a filly by Legacy of Power and trained at Oldbury by Kim Prentice will start from the outside in her race debut. She will be driven by Gary Hall jun. She warmed up for her first assignment in fine style, winning a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning by three lengths from Flying Phoebe. That followed an easy trial win over 1750m the previous Sunday.
Ken Casellas