Talented pacer Motu Premier will resume racing after a beneficial spell when he contests the Choices Flooring Joondalup Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old fared poorly in the random draw and faces a stern first-up test from barrier eight against veteran pacer Bettors Fire, who is in superb form, with six wins from his past eight starts.
Motu Premier, who has not raced since finishing fifth behind Soho Tribeca and Chicago Bull in the 2936m WA Pacing Cup on January 19 this year, warmed up for his return to action in impressive fashion when he dashed to an early lead from barrier five, set the pace and dashed over the final 800m in 57.5sec. to easily beat stablemate Costa Del Magnifico at a 1.56.8 rate in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning.
“He’s a lazy horse who does just what he has to do,” said trainer Ross Olivieri. “He went to the line with something in hand. Bettors Fire is at the top of his game right now and I would suggest that Motu Premier is a couple of runs off his best but he’s a pretty clever horse and I wouldn’t disregard him this week, although he’s probably just a place chance and an outside winning hope.”
Motu Premier, who has raced 45 times for 16 wins, 13 seconds and four thirds for $322,278 in stakes, was unplaced in three heats of the Interdominion championship series at Gloucester Park last November and December. If he regains his best form in the coming months Olivieri will consider taking him to Melbourne for the Inter Dominion series at Melton in early December.
“He wasn’t at his best in the last Inters when he was at the end of a long preparation,” said Olivieri, who added: “It would be nice to have him on the up instead of on the wane.”
Shannon Suvaljko, who handled Motu Premier in the Byford trial, will drive the Bettors Delight gelding in a race for the first time on Friday night. Chris Lewis, who has driven Motu Premier at 17 of his 18 West Australian starts, will handle Eagle Rox, who will start from the outside (No. 9) on the front line.
Eagle Rox is in brilliant form and has scored in impressive style at each of her past three starts.
Bettors Fire will start from barrier five and will be a short-priced favourite. He completed a winning hat-trick last Friday week when he started out wide at barrier eight and settled in last position before charging forward to take up the running 1450m from home on his way to winning the 2536m Winter Cup at a 1.56.6 rate, with a final quarter in 27.3sec.
“We will push the Go button as we try to take the front,” said trainer-reinsman Kyle Harper. “The old horse is doing a wonderful job.”
Galactic Star, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Ryan Warwick, will have admirers after his dashing return to form last Friday night when he settled at the rear, burst to the front at the 1200m and won the 2130m Past Presidents Cup by more than four lengths from The Bucket List. He will start from barrier six.
Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, who recorded his 2500th winner as a trainer when two-year-old Robbie Easton was successful at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening, said he expected a strong forward showing from Whozideawasthis, who will start from the No. 3 barrier. Whozideawasthis was ninth at the bell and finished powerfully, out six wide, to be a close-up fourth behind Bettors Fire last Friday night.
Ken Casellas