The three leading chances for the three-year-old colts and geldings Sales Classic Final (2130m) have drawn the middle of the line, setting up an intriguing renewal of the $50,000 event on Friday night.
Shockwave, Its Rock And Roll and Patrickthepiranha filled the top three placings in the heat last Tuesday and have drawn barriers three, four and five respectively for the final at Gloucester Park.
The field for the colts and geldings was reduced to six this morning, when the Justin Prentice-trained Know When To Run was withdrawn from the event.
Patrickthepiranha produced, arguably, the biggest performance in the heat last Tuesday, after he was restrained from the early speed battle and eventually ran on boldly to finish third.
Reinsman Gary Hall Jnr regains the drive on Shockwave, after he drove Know When To Run in the heat.
Hall Jnr also has a strong chance in the three-year-old filly’s edition of the Sales Classic with the in-form Has No Fear, who will start from barrier five.
The Prentice-trained filly was impressive in taking out the heat last week and comes into Friday night’s feature having won her past two starts.
Soho Interceptor, runner-up in the heat, has drawn barrier 10 and is the sole runner on the second line, while the third placegetter from the heat Kirsten will start from the outside of the front line.
For the three-year-old’s not engaged in the Sales Classic’s, they get the chance to press their WA Derby and WA Oaks claims in the WA Derby Prelude (2130m).
A high quality field has been assembled for the Prelude, headlined by last week’s Battle Of Bunbury winner Eloquent Mach.
Eloquent Mach is one of three runners in the race for trainer Gary Hall Snr, with Robbie Easton and Major Trojan also set to take their place.
Impressive filly Typhoon Tiff will be looking to record her fourth straight win in the Derby Prelude, where she will line up from barrier seven.
Another highlight of the program is the four and five-year-old Championship (2130m), which features the WA Pacing Cup winner Rocknroll Lincoln.
The star pacer will have his work cut out to add the $50,000 event to his growing list of wins though, having drawn barrier nine.
Handsandwheels, who has performed admirably at Free-For-All level over the past month, gets an ideal chance to add another feature win from barrier one and looks the likely leader.
In-form pacer Luis Alberto, Lord Willoughby and Clarenden Hustler have drawn barriers three, four and 10 respectively.
The Gloucester Park meeting gets underway at 5.50pm on Friday.
Tim Walker