Raksjameson, unsuccessful at six starts in New Zealand, impressed with a stylish victory at his Australian debut at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon and should celebrate his first appearance at Gloucester Park by winning the final event, the Off The Track WA Pace over 2130m on Friday night.
Produced in fine fettle by ace trainer Gary Hall Snr, Raksjameson, a three-year-old by American sire Hes Watching, dashed to an early lead at Pinjarra, set the pace and sprinted over the final 800m in 56.8sec. to win easily from Terror In Texas and Sidstrepo.
From the No. 2 barrier on the front line on Friday night, Gary Hall Jnr is expected to take full advantage of the gelding’s excellent gate speed. However, getting straight to the front is unlikely to be a mere formality because Sidstrepo (barrier one), Bee Jays Boy (three) and Real Rocket (four) all possess sparkling gate speed.
Apart from those four runners, the other five horses in the field are in good form and this should prove a good measuring stick for Raksjameson, who did not race as a two-year-old and whose six starts in New Zealand this season produced two seconds and a third placing.
The Hall stable will have an excellent second-string runner in Copy N Pace, who will be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 6 barrier. Copy N Pace won for the third time from nine starts when he started from the outside barrier (No. 9), raced three wide early and in the breeze before taking the lead 220m from home and winning at a 1.58.5 rate from Lucky Sensation over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
An interesting runner in Friday night’s event will be the Kristy Elson-trained Real Rocket, who has impressed at his first four starts with two wins and a second at Pinjarra and a last-start easy win over Galante and Caveman at Gloucester Park. He will be driven for the first time by Chris Voak, who replaced Aiden de Campo, who is committed to handle his own nomination Keptain Courageous, the sole runner on the back line.
The Hall stable will be looking for champion Chicago Bull to return to the winning list after his fighting third behind Ocean Ridge and Shockwave in the Memorial Day Stakes over 2536m last Friday night. Chicago Bull, a narrow first-up winner over El Jacko two starts ago, will start from the outside barrier in a field of nine in the 2130m Better Your Club With TABtouch Pace.
El Jacko (barrier seven) is likely to be one of Chicago Bull’s most serious rivals, along with As Happy As Larry and Iceenothink.
El Jacko, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Ryan Warwick, led when he won from Im Soxy and Galactic Star two starts ago. The Bonds and Warwick have bright prospects of opening the program on a winning note with The Buckeye Bullet, who will be strongly fancied from the favourable No. 2 barrier on the front line in the Better Your bet With TABtouch Pace over 2536m.
Ken Casellas