Talented reinsman Ryan Warwick is poised to chalk up his 100th winner of the season at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he drives four top-class pacers from the powerful Skye Bond stable.
Warwick, who has driven 99 winners this season, will handle Galactic Star in the Christmas In July at the Beau Rivage Pace, Dodolicious in the Book Your Next Conference at Gloucester Park Pace, Bettor Scoot in the Book A Private Box at Gloucester Park Pace and Detroit Lily in the Entertainment With Horsepower Pace.
All have excellent each-way prospects, with Galactic Star perhaps the best of the quartet. Warwick gave punters an important lead when he chose to drive Galactic Star (from the outside barrier) in preference to stablemates Our Jimmy Johnstone (barrier seven) and Vampiro (eight).
Five-year-old Galactic Star, a winner at 20 of his 45 starts, impressed at his first appearance for almost four months when he finished strongly from sixth at the bell to be third behind Vultan Tin and Bettors Fire in the 1730m Members Sprint last Friday night.
Our Jimmy Johnstone (Dylan Egerton-Green) also impressed in that event when he started out wide at barrier eight and finished powerfully from tenth at the bell to be fourth.
Colin Brown has been engaged to drive smart four-year-old Vampiro, a winner at 12 of his 24 starts. Vampiro, who will start from barrier eight on Friday night, has been freshened up since he ran home solidly to finish fourth behind Runrunjimmydunn over 2130m on March 23.
The main rivals to the Bond trio are likely to be the Katja Warwick-trained Tommy Be Good and the Bob Mellsop-trained Real Lucky.
Tommy Be Good, who is handily drawn at barrier four on the front line, indicated that he would pay to follow when he began off the back mark of 20m and surged home from ninth at the 650m to finish an excellent second to Lord Willoughby last Friday week. He will again be driven by Aiden Warwick.
Gary Hall Jnr has been engaged to drive Real Lucky (barrier five) who won for the 16th time from 64 starts when he set the pace and beat Eagle Rox over 2130m last Friday night.
Dodolicious is the best-performed runner in her event and she has the class to overcome the disadvantage of starting out wide from the No. 8 barrier at her third outing in her current preparation. A winner at 18 of her 40 starts, she fought on from fifth at the bell to be third behind Major Reality last Friday night. She meets much weaker opposition this week.
Better Scoot looks one of the main chances in race eight and three-year-old filly Detroit Lily has the class to defeat her older and more experienced rivals in the ninth event in which she will be the only runner off the back line.
Detroit Lily, a gallant second to Our Major Mama in the WA Oaks four starts ago, is in top form. She was not extended when she set the pace, sprinted over the final 400m in 27.7sec. and won from The Freedom Fighter over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. She has the ability to defy challenges from in-form mares Glenferrie Arch, She Could Be Good and Im Stylish.
Ken Casellas