Inexperienced filly Dior Mia More has not been extended in winning at her first three starts — on South-West harness racing tracks — and she faces an acid test when she clashes with smart pacer Sheer Rocknroll in the Sky Racing WA Oaks Prelude over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Dior Mia More completed her hat-trick when she set the pace and beat Sheer Rocknroll by one and a half lengths at a 1.56 rate over 1609m at Bunbury last Saturday night. Dior Mia More sprinted over the final 400m in 26.9sec., but Sheer Rocknroll was most impressive in charging home from seventh at the bell.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Sheer Rocknroll, to be driven by Stuart McDonald, is a brilliant frontrunner who has won eight times from 18 starts.
Dior Mia More is owned by Colin and Annie Belton and is prepared by Gary Hall sen., who took over the filly’s preparation after Mrs Belton experienced many problems with her.
“I was driving the filly in trials for Annie and she would run off the track all the time,” Gary Hall jun. said. “Annie had real problems with the filly early and she was slowly getting over these problems when she decided to send her to our stables. Annie just couldn’t get the best out of the filly. There have been no major gear changes; most of Dior Mia More’s problems were in her mind.”
Dior Mia More made her debut at Pinjarra on March 28 when she started from the back line and was slow in the score-up before finishing powerfully from eighth at the bell to win easily from Major Spoilt and Abraxas at a 1.53.2 rate over1684m. Then she led and won by three lengths from Kathleen Betty at a 2.0.2 rate over 2569m at Bunbury before her last-start victory over Sheer Rocknroll.
Sheer Rocknroll is a noted frontrunner who began her three-year-old campaign in fine style with runaway all-the-way wins over 1684m (1.56.2) at Pinjarra and over 2100m (1.57.7) at Bunbury.
Baldivis trainer Nathan Turvey has sound prospects with his two runners, Chevrons Champion (barrier three) and Our Gamma Lady (six). Chevrons Champion notched her seventh win from 19 starts when she led and beat Star Boss over 1609m at Bunbury last Saturday night.
Our Gamma Lady won at her first two starts in WA, over 2130m and 1730m at Gloucester Park last month before she raced in the breeze and finished third behind Dior Mia More at Bunbury last Saturday night. Turvey will drive Chevrons Champion and Justin Prentice will handle Our Gamma Lady.
The Spinster, a speedy frontrunning type, has shown excellent promise for Millendon trainer Sonia Zucchiatti, with three wins and three thirds from six starts. But she faces a stern test from the outside barrier (No. 9).
Ken Casellas