Powerful harness racing trotter Armed Force chalked up his ninth win from 19 starts in Western Australia when he romped home to an easy victory in a 2503m standing-start event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
He will return to mobile racing when he starts from the outside in a field of nine in the 2536m Princi Smallgoods Purely Australian Naturally Italian Pace on Friday night.
Star reinsman Gary Hall admitted that he and punters would have their hearts in their mouths in the early stages of Friday night’s race.
Armed Force has won standing-start events at his past two runs, but he finished last at each of his two previous starts, both in mobiles, after galloping badly at the start.
“Mobiles used to be the easiest way to get him away,” Hall said. “Now it’s gone the other way, even though the stands can be tricky. I think that he only needs to trot to be very hard to beat on Friday night. You’re punting on the first 50 metres and that’s not a nice feeling.
“The problem is that he likes to come out too hard. The secret is to try to get him to relax.”
Hardest for Armed Force to beat appear to be the Michael Brennan-trained Invasive and the Nathan Turvey-trained Enjoy A Coldie.
Invasive gave an impressive performance to win a 2100m mobile at Bunbury last Saturday night. He began speedily from the outside barrier, but after being trapped four wide was restrained to the rear. He finished strongly from sixth and last 550m from home to win in good style from Enjoy A Coldie.