Outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice has been happy with Always An Honour’s unplaced runs in harness racing mobiles at his past three outings and is delighted that the comparatively inexperienced four-year-old will be returning to his favoured standing-start event when he begins from the inside of the front line in the 2096m Direct Trades Supply Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He seems to settle better early in stands and he quickly gets into his rhythm,” said Prentice.
Always An Honour, a 33/1 outsider from barrier seven in a 2536m mobile event last Friday night, impressed when he was a distant 11th at the bell before finishing solidly to be fourth behind Valbonne. He improved from 12th in the middle stages to finish seventh behind Its Rock And Roll over 2130m at his previous appearance.
The New Zealand-bred Always An Honour’s first three wins were when he set the pace in mobiles at Gloucester Park. Since then he has proved himself to be a standing-start specialist, with seven starts in stands producing five wins, a third and a seventh placing.
The lightly-raced Ross Olivieri-trained eight-year-old Jimmy Mack will be driven by Chris Lewis from the outside of the 20-metre line and looks set to play a major role in Friday night’s event.
Jimmy Mach, who has had only 28 starts for 12 wins and 12 placings, impressed in the 2560m Northam Cup last Saturday week when he started off 20m and was 12th and last with two laps to travel before he followed the three-wide run of Miss Sangrial in the final circuit to finish second to Son Of A Tiger.
A winner at his only appearance in a stand in New Zealand (over 2700m at Forbury in April 2017), Jimmy Mach’s 18 starts in Western Australia have produced seven wins and eight placings. Seven of those runs were in stands for two wins, two seconds, two thirds and a ninth placing.
Another runner with sound each-way prospects is the rejuvenated ten-year-old The Black Cardinal, who will be driven by Ryan Warwick for Jandakot trainer Tommy Sheehy. He will start from barrier three on the front line.
The Black Cardinal made an unsuccessful challenge for the early lead before gaining the sit behind the pacemaker Burning Shadows and then finishing gamely to be second to Miss sangria in a 2631m stand at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
By Ken Casellas