Up-and-coming harness racing four-year-old Vanquished is unbeaten at three starts since resuming from a spell and he has brought prospects of extending his winning sequence when he starts from the No. 2 barrier in the field of nine in the $23,000 TABtouch Interdominion Gala Dinner on December 9 Golden Nugget Prelude at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ryan Warwick, the gelding’s regular reinsman, was full of praise for Vanquished after he had defeated The Storm Chief and Braeview Bomber at a 1.55.9 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
Vanquished, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, started from the outside of the back line and settled in ninth position. He dashed forward to be fifth and sustained his three-wide burst to hit the front 470m from home. He fought of determinedly to hold off challengers in the home straight.
“He was entitled to get run over on the corner,” Warwick said. “But he stuck thick and got the job done. He probably didn’t measure up to three-year-old company last season because he was a bit rushed.
“He’s now had time to eat some grass and settle and work it all out. He’s come back a nice horse.”
The Bettor's Delight gelding has won at ten of his past 15 starts, with his West Australian record standing at 14 starts for nine wins and two seconds.
However, Vanquished, a capable leader as well as proving to be a solid come-from-behind performer, faces a stern test, with several of his rivals racing in excellent form.
The Justin Prentice-trained Natural Disaster is a smart frontrunner who should be prominent from the prized No. 1 barrier. He began speedily from barrier five when an all-the-way winner by nine lengths from Chelsea Royale at a 1.57.2 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on October 31.
Natural Disaster then started from the outside barrier (No. 5) at Pinjarra on Monday of last week when he was always at the rear and paced roughly in the final stages before finishing a well-beaten tenth behind Soho Tribeca.
Pinjarra trainer Gary Elson holds a good hand in the race with Sprinter (barrier three) and Ideal Tyson (No. 9). Sprinter has won at 13 of his 25 starts and should fight out the finish from his favourable draw, but Ideal Tyson (a winner at 13 of his 27 starts) faces a much tougher assignment from the outside barrier.
Ace trainer Gary Hall sen. also has two runners in Mach Time (No. 7) and King Lebron (No. 8). Neither can be underestimated, but they will new a shade of luck from their wide barriers.
Ken Casellas