Serpentine trainer Matt Scott was thrilled with Clarenden Hustler’s first-up effort last week and is setting the chestnut the task of scoring an all-the-way victory in the 1730m On Track With Enda Brady Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Clarenden Hustler will start from the No. 6 barrier on the front line and Scott declared: “We’ll be looking to go handlebars down this week. He’s got good gate speed and our aim will be to go forward, definitely. He will come out hard, he races well in front and 1730m is his pet distance.”
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr handled the South Australian-bred Clarenden Hustler for the first time when the gelding resumed after a spell in a 1730m event last Friday night. Clarenden Hustler started from the outside of the back line and raced in ninth position before starting a three-wide move 650m from home. He sustained a strong burst to finish fifth behind Carter Micheal.
“We were rapt with the run,” said Scott who is enjoying a successful season with 62 winners and 103 placegetters. “He will be improved by the run.”
In what should prove to be a keen betting race, One Off Delight, Waimac Attack, Michael Joseph and Roman Aviator are sure to be strongly supported. One Off Delight, trained by Debra Lewis, is a smart frontrunner and Chris Lewis is sure to attempt to make every post a winner from the No. 3 barrier.
One Off Delight was an easy all-the-way winner over 2130m two starts ago before he galloped in a stand, raced at the rear and finished tenth behind Eloquent Mach last Friday night. Waimac Attack bounced back to his best form last Friday night when he worked hard in the breeze before getting to the front 250m from home and winning from Rock Me Over over 1730m last week.
Michael Joseph is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven but has the ability to overcome this disadvantage. Her fought on from eighth at the bell to finish fifth behind Convert Denario last Friday night. Four-year-old Roman Aviator raced in the one-out, one-back position when a solid fourth in that event.
Ken Casellas