Star Fromthepalace is the most experienced runner in the field for the $80,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night and reinsman Aldo Cortopassi is confident she will turn the tables on Fifty Five Reborn, who beat her into second place in the Westbred Pace last Friday night.
A major turnabout in barriers is the reason behind Cortopassi’s prediction. Last week Fifty Five Reborn led from barrier four and beat Star Fromthepalace, who began from barrier seven, raced three wide for the first 450m and then worked hard in the breeze.
This week Star Fromthepalace, prepared at Byford by Peter Anderson, will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier, with the Colin Brown-trained and driven Fifty Five Reborn awkwardly drawn out wide at barrier eight.
“Last week Star Fromthepalace lowered her colours to Fifty Five Reborn and I took nothing away from Star Fromthepalace’s performance,” said Cortopassi. “We tested her and Fifty Five Reborn was too good. But Star Fromthepalace was good enough to beat the rest of the field.
“This week’s race goes up another grade, but we’ve got the barrier and the gate speed to hold up. We know what she can do. She can run a good 1.56 on the rail and she can skip a good solid quarter.
“However, we’ll have to be a bit tactical, with Double Expresso (barrier No. 10) on our helmet. So, we just can’t cut the ribbons and give Double Expresso daylight, unless Chris (Lewis) opts to push off (the pegs) at some stage. I expect we’ll be in front for most of the race, and, hopefully, still in front at the finish.”
Star Fromthepalace has won at four of her past seven starts and has a winning record of 24 per cent seven wins from 29 starts as well as six seconds and four thirds.
Twelve months ago, Double Expresso won the Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies, beating Some Copper Beach, Intheskyrocket and Fifty Five Reborn. Star Fromthepalace was the first emergency who started at $4.80 and won the Westbred Classic consolation from Brown’s Altas Angel and Red Hot Lady.
Double Expresso, trained by Ross Olivieri, is an outstanding performer who has had 20 starts for 12 wins and seven placings for earnings of $312,252, and she is overdue for a change of fortune after starting at a short quote and being beaten into a placing at each of her past four starts. Lewis will have the option of remaining on the pegs and trailing the pacemaking Star Fromthepalace or easing off the pegs and making a mid-race move to get to the breeze or even getting to the front.
Lewis has a good record in the Westbred Classic for fillies, having been successful with Candy Nacray (1987), Jamcaro (1988), All Colours Flying (2003), Sheer Royalty (2009) and Sensational Gabby (2012).
Adding considerable interest to Friday night’s event will be the Gloucester Park debut of the promising Alta Cinderella, who has won by big margins at her first three appearances, in considerably weaker company on South-West tracks. She is favourably drawn at barrier two.
Alta Cinderella, prepared at Serpentine by Gary Hall Snr, will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, whose only winner of the classic was behind the Carol Warwick-trained Yessah in 2006.
Hall Jnr is looking forward to the challenge of Alta Cinderella competing against talented and seasoned rivals. “She is pretty exciting, and I might be wrong, but I think she can sit outside of Star Fromthepalace and give her a real good run for her money,” he said.
“Alta Cinderella is inexperienced, and she races like she is. She is not real tractable, but the good thing is that when you ask her to go and really put her mind on the job, she’ll level out and go good.
“She’s got the ability as she showed at her latest start when she ran home in 27 seconds and won at Bunbury when I only let her go over the last 200m. She got to the front at the top of the straight and won by 20 metres.”
The Hall stable has a sound second string runner in Advance Your Dream, a winner of three races who will be handled by Maddison Brown from barrier four.
Chris Voak will drive the Barry Howlett-trained Star of Diamonds, who is handily drawn at barrier No. 3. From barrier three she led for the first 900m and then trailed the pacemaker Double Expresso before finishing solidly to be a short half-head second to Blue Chip Adda last Friday week.
“She ran a mighty race and was only just beaten,” said Voak. “She’s got gate speed and if she gets a forward spot, I give her a good chance.”
Blue Chip Adda, trained and driven by Aiden de Campo, has won at her past two starts and has a sound record of 21 starts for five wins and seven placings. She will start from the No. 5 barrier.
“It’s a good field of fillies,” said de Campo. “Blue Chip Adda is racing super; she’s a sit-kicker and should be finishing strongly.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond and leading reinsman Ryan Warwick will be pinning their faith on Intheskyrocket, a winner of six races who is somewhat awkwardly drawn at barrier six. She led from barrier one and dashed over the final 800m in 56.6sec. when a last-start winner over 2536m.
Ken Casellas