Star harness racing reinsman Morgan Woodley is delighted with the progress being made by Hugh Victor and is confident the West Australian-bred gelding will prove hard to beat in the $35,000 Alltools Four-Year-Old Championship at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
"He keeps improving all the time and in this preparation I've noticed, even in his work, that he is better and stronger," he said. "He's not a champion, but he can sprint very quickly"
Hugh Victor, part-owned and trained at Serpentine by Woodley's partner Stephanie Smith, has drawn favourably at barrier two on the front line of the group 3 event over 2130m.
"This barrier really suits him," Woodley said. "He's a sit-sprint type of horse who can also lead in the right circumstances. Hopefully, we'll be sitting somewhere close up in the moving line, and given a little bit of luck over the concluding stages, he should sprint home strongly."
Hugh Victor notched his sixth win from 15 starts this season (and his tenth from 44 career starts) when he started from the back line in a 2130m event last Friday night. He settled in sixth place before dashing forward, three wide, after 600m to move to the breeze and then obtained a one-out, one-back trail. He started a three-wide move 500m from home, took the lead on the home turn and won easily from Walter James and Dardy Delight, rating 1.57.4.
"We were a touch disappointed with him last week, even though he seemingly went very well," Woodley explained. "We identified a couple of small areas that needed improvement and Steph has worked hard on them and we hope he's going to put his best foot forward.
"He didn't seem to have quite as much sharpness as normal and seemed a bit more on the dour side. We've worked on freshening his legs and getting him in a good mind space. Hopefully, he will produce the goods. He has been racing in terrific fashion and with even luck I expect him to fight out the finish."
Hugh Victor is a full-brother to champion pacer David Hercules, whose regular reinsman is Woodley. David Hercules has amassed $1,204,419 in prizemoney from 37 wins and 32 placings from 100 starts.
Asked to compare Hugh Victor to the eight-year-old David Hercules, Woodley said: "He is different in the respect that he can't run the same gross time and is not as big and as strong as David Hercules.
"However, Hugh Victor is improving with every campaign. I have noticed a real difference this time in from the previous time we campaigned him. He has matured and his cruising speed has got better. He does possess very good high-end speed and in one of his wins at Pinjarra this season we clocked him running home the final sectional in 26.8sec.
"In that respect he does possess the speed that David Hercules has, but he doesn't have the same overall strength."
Polemarker Back On Board, who will be driven by Chris Voak for Pinjarra trainer Michael Brennan, is a smart frontrunner who made full use of the No. 1 barrier four starts ago when he set the pace and won easily over 2258m at Albany.
Voak looks certain to set the pace with Back On Board, with Kimba Bay expected to go forward from barrier four to take up the breeze position. If that transpires, Hugh Victor would almost certainly enjoy the one-out, one-back position. Matt White, who trains and drives 2014 WA Derby winner Three Blind Mice, said that the gelding was working in fine style in Busselton and was capable of bouncing back to the winner's list after unplaced runs at Bunbury and Pinjarra at his past two outings.
He raced wide early and then in the breeze at his past two starts and White said he probably would change his tactics and race with a sit.
Boyanup trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice has sound prospects with The Parade, who impressed with a strong victory over 2130m last Friday night when she settled in tenth position, started a three-wide burst 1050m from home and sustained the effort to hit the front on the home turn and win from Adda Rising Star and Mon Lamour.
"This is a good test for her, but she is up to it," said Prentice. "She has improved since her win last week and her work this week has been super. If we follow Hugh Victor we should be thereabouts. She's a winning chance.
"Three Blind Mice is probably the class runner in the race, but The Parade has beaten him at Bunbury." The Parade is due for a change of fortune in a feature event. She has contested four group races for a fourth behind Highest Royalty in the group 1 Diamond Classic, a second to Majorly Foxy Styx in the group 2 Dainty's Daughter Classic, a second to Libertybelle Midfrew in the WA Oaks and a third to Sensational Gabby in the Empress Stakes.
Kimba Bay, trained at Manjimup by Debra Sutton, has been driven in all his 27 starts by Kaiden Hayter for 13 wins and nine placings. He warmed up for Friday night's assignment in fine style by winning the 2597m Bridgetown Cup on Sunday when he dashed to the front after 400m and scored by more than a length from Smokey The Bandit.
Woodley has opted to drive Hugh Victor in preference to Hawkeye Bromac, a smart Gloucester Park winner two starts ago who has drawn poorly, out wide at No. 6 on the front line. Leading reinsman Gary Hall jun. will drive Hawkeye Bromac for Bickley trainer Peter Anderson.
Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand in the race with Simply Susational (Colin Brown) and Jungle Jewel (Ryan Warwick). Simply Susational was most impressive, winning first-up at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he raced three wide without cover for most of the journey before defeating Hes Ritehererightnow and Quick Reflection.
Jungle Jewel finished boldly from eighth (and last) at the bell to be third to Cielito and Kristen Louise over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
Elson favours Ideal Tyson
Blythewood trainer Gary Elson is thrilled at the superb form of stablemates Ideal Tyson and Sprinter, who give him an ideal opportunity to notch the quinella in the Milwaukee Nothing But Heavy Duty Western Crown Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He favours giant Victorian-bred colt Ideal Tyson over the big New Zealand-bred gelding Sprinter.
Nathan Turvey has driven Ideal Tyson in his three starts for narrow victories at Pinjarra before a powerful performance to win from Kathleen Betty at Bunbury. Turvey has also handled Sprinter at his four starts for three wins (two at Pinjarra) and one at Gloucester Park and a most unlucky third behind Rich Yankee and Johnny Disco at Bunbury.
Turvey will drive Ideal Tyson from barrier two on the front line on Friday night and Tom Buchanan will be in the sulky behind Sprinter.
Sprinter's four starts have been in February and March, whereas Ideal Tyson's three starts came in the space of 16 days in January. He won a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Sunday morning by ten lengths from Bettors Gem, rating 2.0.5 after dashing over the final two 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 29sec
Elson is a fan of stallion American Ideal and he bought Ideal Tyson for $24,000 as a yearling in Victoria. The colt's dam is Shezacullen, who won ten times from 58 starts in Victoria.
"Ideal Tyson and Sprinter are both big and strong and quick," Elson said. "I fancy Ideal Tyson this week. He surprised me when I took him to trials. He just won all his trials so easily.
"Nathan thinks that Sprinter is the better of the two. Sprinter is a ready-made racehorse who knows what to do, whereas Ideal Tyson just does what he has to do. He has yet to be seriously tested."
Leading reinsman Gary Hall jun. gave punters a lead when he opted to drive Soho Wolverine in preference to Duschka, who will be handled by Clint Hall.
Hall jun. drove the Kevin Keys-trained Duschka at his debut at Gloucester Park on March 3 when the Art Major gelding set a brisk pace and was hampered by a flat sulky tyre in the last lap and was beaten a nose by the fast-finishing Sprinter over 1730m after a final 800m in 57.3sec. Clint Hall then drove Duschka to an all-the-way win over Rich Yankee at Northam on Thursday of last week.
Soho Wolverine, trained at Northam by Glenn Elliott, made his debut at Pinjarra on Monday of last week when he led and finished second to Sprinter. Then he led and won from Our Black Betty at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Soho Wolverine's dam Fidelius Charm was a smart pacer who won five times as a two-year-old in 2007-08, including the group 2 Sales Classic and Gold Bracelet.
Duschka's dam Cassie Rox earned $152,492 from 17 wins and 21 placings from 85 starts. Her dam Snookanite produced Itsallabout Nicole, who scored an easy victory in the Western Crown Classic in April 2009 before winning the group 1 Pearl Classic.
Track The Navajo has the credentials
Ten years ago Spirit of Navajo won the group 1 Golden Slipper and now her half-sister Track The Navajo has bright prospects of winning another feature two-year-old event, the $19,999 Milwaukee New Fuel Western Crown Classic for fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Track The Navajo, trained at Highbury by Amy Stone, has made a wonderful start to her career, with her first five starts producing wins at Bunbury and Gloucester Park and two placings at Pinjarra and one at Albany.
Track The Navajo will start from the inside of the back line in the 1730m event and reinsman Tim Stone will be relying on her trademark strong finishing burst.
Track The Navajo made an auspicious debut at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when she was restrained from barrier six on the front line and raced in sixth position before she finished solidly to win from Nina Jane at a 1.59.8 rate over 1730m.
The only other winner in Friday night's race is the Garry Butler-trained Mary Catherine, who fared badly in the random draw and will start from the outside (barrier seven) on the front line.
Chris Voak, who drove Mary Catherine to a strong win at her debut, at Pinjarra on January 5, gave punters a lead when he decided to drive back-line runner Our Black Betty for Byford trainer Katja Warwick in preference to Mary Catherine and the Ross Olivieri-trained Sheer Rocknroll.
Voak drove Our Black Betty at her only start when she finished a six-length second to talented gelding Soho Wolverine at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. She should be improved by the outing. Stuart McDonald will drive Sheer Rocknroll, the first foal out of Sheer Royalty, who won the 2009 WA Oaks and was retired with earnings of $248,904 from nine wins and seven placings from 33 starts.
"I like Sheer Rocknroll," Olivieri said. "She's just learning the caper and ran a nice first-up fourth."
.Nina Jane, a half-sister to Shinydes (24 wins) and Gazzella Nera (five) has each-way prospects for Capel trainer Andrew de Campo. At her second start she began from barrier seven, was restrained to the rear, met with a couple of checks and raced three wide before finishing a close second to Track the Navajo at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
Pacific Warrior's class a decisive factor
Reinsman Kade Howson advised punters to disregard Pacific Warrior's last-start failure, when last behind Dynamite Dude in the Autumn Championship last Friday week, when assessing the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old's prospects in the $22,500 Alltools Ray Duffy Memorial Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Howson, who drives Pacific Warrior for Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams, said that he was hopeful that the gelding's class would be a deciding factor in this week's event in which he is unfavourably drawn on the outside of the front line.
"If Shardons Rocket pushes forward and finds the breeze or the front we will join in at some stage and hopefully his class will get him to the top," Howson said.
"I think Ray will be aiming Pacific Warrior for the Easter Cup and will kick along with the horse until he has had enough. Then he will have a spell before being set for the interdominion championship series in Perth in November and December."
Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri predicted a strong showing from Our Blackbird, who has a losing sequence of 19.
Our Blackbird, who will start from barrier three on the front line, caught the eye at his latest appearance, at Gloucester Park last Friday night when he was a 55/1 outsider and was eighth (and last) at the bell before flying home with a spirited late burst out wide on the track to dead-heat for fourth behind stablemate Sensational Gabby over 2536m. He finished less than a length from the winner.
"He charged home, rather like the way Sensational Gabby finished when fifth behind Dynamite Dude the previous week," Olivieri said. "I don't underestimate Shardons Rocket or Pacific Warrior, but Our Blackbird could be a leader or a sitter and play a part in the finish.
"His run last week got me. We've been waiting for him to do something a bit better than what he's been doing. Let's hope his latest run is a sign of better things to come. He has had a lot of problems and we have sorted most of them out."
Boyanup trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice warned punters not to disregard Braemoor, who is handily drawn at No. 2 on the front line. "His past two runs have been super," Prentice said. "Obviously, I would have liked to have drawn one. But he could cross and find the front, and if he does he will give the others something to chase."
Prentice also said that he gave stable runners The Parade, Dardy Delight, Sparkling Seelster and Miss Madoff sound each-way prospects.
by Ken Casellas