Smart West Australian-bred four-year-old Mynameskenny warmed up for his return to harness racing in fine style when he rated 1.57.7 in winning a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning, a performance which indicated he would prove hard to beat in the third heat of the Regency Food Services WA Chandon Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The John Oldroyd-trained horse’s prospects improved sharply when he drew the prized No.1 barrier and Clint Hall is sure to make full use of the pacer’s good gate speed.
Mynameskenny has won at each of his past six starts and his past 13 starts have produced eleven wins.
He has had a spell since he led from barrier four and sprinted over the final two quarters in 28.7sec. and 26.9sec. in beating Twoandahalf Tigers and Phoenix Warrior at a 1.57 rate over 2100m at Bunbury on April 23.
Ima Connoisseur, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, looms large as the chief danger to Mynameskenny. Ima Connoisseur began fast from barrier two and worked hard in the breeze before fighting on in grand style to finish second, a neck behind the pacemaker Ricimer over 2130m last Friday night.
A week earlier he led from barrier five and finished a splendid second to talented stablemate Our Jimmy Johnstone in fast time over 2130m.
Adding interest to Friday night’s race is the reappearance of the speedy Thats Rite, who showed good promise late last year when he won five races in a row for Serpentine trainer Gary Hall sen. Thats Rite, a winner of 17 races from 51 starts, will start from barrier six and is not expected to seriously challenge Mynameskenny or Ima Connoisseur.
Znana, a standing-start specialist, will begin from the No. 7 barrier in this mobile event for trainer-reinsman Nathan Turvey. The five-year-old caught the eye at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when he started from 50m and charged home from the rear to finish second to Ohoka Assassin over 2503m.
Ken Casellas