Harness racing lightly-raced five-year-old Bungalow Bill is racing with wonderful heart and he looks capable of overcoming g a back-line draw and winning the $20,500 www.Allwoodstud.com.au Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Bettors Delight gelding, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, has shown admirable determination to be placed at his past two starts after working hard in the breeze. This week he will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and could enjoy racing with a sit.
A fast pace will suit Bungalow Bill and this looks extremely likely with several speedy beginners and noted frontrunners in the field. They include the polemarker Bonny Under Fire, Paid Twice (barrier two), Thats Rite, Change Gear and Bhagwan. And Another Vinnie, who will start from the outside of the front line, looks certain to ensure a fast pace by surging forward in the first lap.
Bungalow Bill, to be driven by Ryan Warwick, began speedily from the No. 4 barrier last Friday night, but was unable to wrest the lead from Mynameskenny. He raced in the breeze and refused to surrender when Mynameskenny sprinted over the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 27.7sec. He was beaten by less than a half-length by Mynameskenny, who rated 1.56.3 over the 2130m trip.
A week earlier, Bungalow Bill started out wide at barrier seven and raced outside the pacemaker Ideal Justice. He got to a narrow lead 300m from home before wilting late to finish third behind Say It Now and Lady Willoughby. He led from the No. 1 barrier and won easily from Rycroft and Royal Mach at his previous outing.
The likelihood of a fast pace also should suit the well-performed Smokey The Bandit, who will be driven by Michael Grantham from the outside of the back line. Last Friday night Smokey The Bandit trailed the pacemaker Change Gear and finished strongly to be third behind Ima Connoisseur and Risk in a fast-run 1730m event. Four days before that the seven-year-old grey finished solidly to be third to Nicnak Paddy Wak over 2100m at Bunbury.
Ken Casellas