Astute Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed landed a double with Bletchley Park and Arma Indie last Friday night and he is bubbling with confidence about repeating the dose with the brilliant four-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The talented stablemates will be driven by Mark Reed, with Bletchley Park ideally drawn at barrier two in the $30,000 Warwick Pace over 2130m and Arma Indie handily drawn at barrier three in the $22,000 Media Guild Tips Pace over the same journey.
Bletchley Park notched his ninth win from 17 starts when he led from the No. 2 barrier and rated a smart 1.56.4 in winning a 2536m event by four lengths from Ocean Ridge. The final quarters whizzed by in 29.9sec., 28.3sec., 28sec. and 28.5sec.
Arma Indie gave further proof of her ability when she also scored an effortless victory at a 1.59.7 rate over 2536m last week. She sped home with quarters of 28.2sec. and 28.1sec. to win by just over a length from Hit It Rich, who trailed the pacemaker and fought on grimly.
That splendid performance extended Arma Indie’s winning sequence to four and she should have the speed to again beat the promising Hit It Rich, who is prepared by Greg and Skye Bond and is sure to appreciate starting from the No. 1 barrier.
“Bletchley Park pulled up really good after last Friday night,” said Mike Reed. “Originally, I wasn’t going to start him this week, but he pulled up so well that I changed my mind. Hopefully, he will be able to lead and be able to hold fast beginner Franco Joaquin at bay. He’s on target for the Golden Nugget.”
Bletchley Park should carry too many guns for his main rivals, Joe With The Flow and Ocean Ridge.
Trainer Ross Olivieri has engaged Gary Hall jnr to drive Joe With The Flow, who caused an upset last Friday week when he was driven by Chris Lewis, set the pace and won from Bletchley Park, rating 1.57.2 over 2130m. Lewis will drive Joe With The Flow’s stablemate Dennis, who will start from the inside of the back line.
Lewis drove Dennis when the six-year-old led from barrier one and won from Machlani at a 1.58 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra last Monday week. Four-year-old Ocean Ridge, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from barrier two on the back line with Ryan Warwick in the sulky. He has won at seven of his 18 starts and cannot be underestimated after strong seconds to The Dali Express and Bletchley Park at his past two appearances.
Praising Arma Indie, Mike Reed said: “She has done everything she has had to. Mark didn’t pull the plugs at her latest start and he said that she was just jogging. It’s a good field on Friday night and she doesn’t have to lead. If she does, she’ll roll along. She will have two or three more starts before I freshen her up for the feature events for mares in the summer.”
Ken Casellas