Brilliant filly Black Jack Baby will lack nothing in fitness when she contests the $150,000 WA Oaks on Friday week. The winner at 11 of her 19 starts will race at Gloucester Park for the fourth successive Friday when she lines up at barrier No. 7 in the 2130m Etch Coatings Pace for three-year-old fillies on Friday afternoon.
Leading reinsman Chris Voak will have plenty of options this week using Black Jack Babyās sparkling gate speed in a bid to burst to an early lead or restrain her at the start and rely on her devastating finishing speed.
The Shane Quadrio-trained filly had no luck last Friday night when she started from the outside barrier (No. 9) and settled down in last position before Voak sent her forward to follow the three-wide run of Always An Angel approaching the bell.
Always An Angel then got to the breeze with a lap to travel, which left Black Jack Baby the task of racing out three wide for almost the entire final circuit. Black Jack Baby was far from disgraced in finishing fourth behind Newsy, Always An Angel and Royal Essence.
Top-flight reinsman Aldo Cortopassi is delighted with the Peter Anderson-trained Simply Shaz drawing the prized No. 1 barrier and predicted that the New Zealand-bred filly would run a bold race.
āShe is a nice filly and this looks a good race for her,ā said Cortopassi. āShe has shown really good gate speed at her five starts in the State and from barrier one I donāt see her having any problems in holding up.
āShe was just jogging when she won at Kellerberrin on Sunday, and she is a strong each-way chance. Black Jack Baby is the one we all have to aspire to. However, theyāre all beatable, as we saw last week.ā
Simply Shaz, who worked in the breeze before winning by eight lengths over 2185m at Pinjarra three starts ago, was untroubled to set the pace and win, unextended, by three lengths from Wilkins Judy Matao over 2130m at Kellerberrin on Sunday afternoon.
Gary Hall Jnr will handle the Michael Young-trained Patrikiar, who will be the sole runner on the back line in Fridayās event. Patrikiar has not raced since she trailed the pacemaker before winning from Galaxy Warrior over 1780m at Northam on December 15. She then ran a sound trial when she raced three back on the pegs in an Indian file 2185m six-horse trial at Pinjarra last Wednesday week. She went to the line strongly and finished sixth, two lengths from the winner Bettor Finish.
āPatrikiar has a fair bit of ability, but is her own worst enemy at times,ā said Hall. āHopefully, she will enjoy a good trail behind Simply Shaz and has top three claims.ā
In an even field on Friday, Miss Boudica (barrier two) and Unconditional (three) are sure to be prominent and have each-way claims.
Ken Casellas