Gary Hall sen., leading metropolitan harness racing trainer for the 2015-16 season, will make a low-key start to the new season with only four runners at Gloucester Park on Friday night. But he looks set to win at least one race — with the wonderfully consistent Ideal Justice in the 2130m League Talk On Sportfm 91.3 Pace.
Ideal Justice, who boasts a remarkable winning strike rate of 56 per cent, will be a short-priced favourite after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier and Clint Hall will be looking for an all-the-way win.
Ideal Justice, a winner at ten of his 18 starts, enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position in the 2130m Schrader final last Friday night and failed to flatter in finishing fifth behind Risk. However, the American Ideal gelding is certain to appreciate a frontrunning role this week. He has led in four of his wins in WA.
Bungalow Bill and Lady Willoughby are racing keenly and loom as the hardest for Ideal Justice to beat.
Bungalow Bill, to be driven by Ryan Warwick for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has won at ten of his 21 starts for a winning strike rate of 48 per cent. He will start out wide at No. 7 barrier and there is a strong possibility that Warwick will send him forward early to race in the breeze outside Ideal Justice.
At his latest appearance Bungalow Bill led from barrier one and was untroubled to win from Rycroft and Royal Mach at a 1.57.2 rate over 2130m, with finals quarters in 28.7sec. and 27.8sec. He raced without cover when a fighting second to Mattjestic Star the previous week.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Lady Willoughby is in splendid form and is sure to be prominent from the No. 4 barrier. She raced without a trail for much of the way before fighting on doggedly to finish a well-beaten second to star mare Tricky Styx in driving rain last Friday night. She charged home from eighth at the bell to win from Jaxon Fella and Three Kings a week earlier.
Ken Casellas