Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has given punters an extremely important lead by choosing to drive the talented, lightly-raced Jimmy Mack in preference to the brilliant Simba Bromac in the $35,000 John Higgins Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lewis was influenced by the barrier draw, with the Ross Olivieri-trained Jimmy Mack drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m event. Simba Bromac will start from barrier two.
Lewis has driven the six-year-old Jimmy Mack at six of his eight West Australian starts for four wins, a second and a ninth. He has driven the Nathan Turvey-trained Simba Bromac at each of his past eight starts for six wins and two thirds.
Jimmy Mack notched his tenth win from 18 starts when he set the pace from barrier three and held on to dead-heat with the fast-finishing Livin La Bamba over 2100m at Bunbury on Tuesday of last week.
Lewis and Olivieri joined forces to win the Higgins Memorial with four-year-old Hail The Judge in 1997 and Lewis, who celebrates his 63rd birthday next Wednesday, has also won the feature event with Our Graedy (1998), Ianalbert (2006) and Sneakyn Down Under (2008).
Turvey won the Higgins with the Ray Williams-trained Pacific Warrior in 2013. He has an excellent record in the sulky behind Simba Bromac, 11 drives for eight wins, two seconds and one fourth.
He was delighted with Simba Bromac’s dashing victory last Friday night when he set a blistering pace and rated 1.52.8 in beating Righteous Brother by three and a half lengths over 1730m after reeling off quarters in 29.4sec., 28.6sec., 27.5sec. and 27.8sec.
“The Higgins has always been his goal,” Turvey said. “I wanted to give him a strong hit-out, leading into the final. Chris did not even release the ear plugs.”
Colin Brown, who has won the Higgins with Valiant Soldier (2003), Money Magnet (2004), Richard Henry (2005) and Delightful Offer (2015), will drive smart four-year-old Tyler Brett for young trainer Dylan Egerton-Green. Tyler Brett is in splendid form and boasts an impressive record of 31 starts for ten wins, nine seconds and three thirds. He is handily drawn at the No. 3 barrier.
Livin La Bamba, a nine-year-old trained at Coolup by Garry McShane, fared poorly in the random draw and faces a stern test from out wide at barrier seven. Livin La Bamba, who has raced only 32 times for seven wins and ten placings, will be handled by Stuart McDonald.
Williams has engaged Aldo Cortopassi to drive promising four-year-old Major Pocket, who will start from the No. 5 barrier. Major Pocket has had 26 starts for seven wins, ten seconds and three thirds. Major Pocket raced wide early, was fourth at the bell and took the lead 550m from home before fighting on to win by a half-head from Black Jack Zac over 2185m at Pinjarra on Tuesday of last week.
Ken Casellas