Stylish New Zealand-bred harness racing four-year-old Classic American will reappear after a spell when he contests the Sootha Nerves And Stress Handicap over 2500m at Bunbury on Friday night.
He won brilliantly at each of his most recent four starts, at Gloucester Park in January and early February, but faces a serious first-up test in his first appearance in a stand and against three outstanding in-form standing-start specialists Chief Thundercloud, My Good Deed and Dardy Delight, as well as talented up-and-coming four-year-old Hugh Victor.
Leading trainer Gary Hall sen. produced Classic American in a standing-start trial over 2550m at Byford on Sunday morning when the stallion started smoothly off the 10m mark and was sent to the front by Clint Hall after 600m. After modest opening sections of the final mile in 32.3sec. and 31.6sec., Classic American dashed over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 27.2sec. to win, untouched, by three lengths from Braeview Bomber, rating 2.2.8.
Classic American will start from the 10m line in Friday night's event and Gary Hall jun. is sure to send him forward in the early stages in a bid to gain an advantage over fellow-10m runners Chief Thundercloud and Dardy Delight and My Good Deed, who will start off the 20m mark.
The son of American Ideal has already amassed $183,000 in prizemoney from 13 wins and five placings from 27 starts. His most recent four successive wins in 2130m mobiles included the $50,000 group 2 features the San Simeon Classic and Binshaw Classic.
However, he is most unlikely to get things all his own way on Friday night. Hugh Victor, trained at Serpentine by Stephanie Smith, is favourably drawn at No. 2 on the front line. He has won six times this season and looks set for a strong effort at his second appearance in a stand. After an impressive Byford trial win in a stand he made his debut in a stand at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. He was shuffled back to six back on the pegs at the bell before finishing solidly to be third behind Perfect Mach and My Good Deed.
My Good Deed, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, improved his West Australian record to 12 starts (all in stands) for eight wins and four seconds when he began from 10m, dashed to an early lead, set the pace (with middle quarters in identical 27.7sec.) and held on to win from the fast-finishing Dynamite Dudette.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Chief Thundercloud also excels in stands. He has had 18 starts in WA for five wins (all stands), seven seconds and two thirds. He started off 10m and settled in sixth position before going to the front after a lap and finishing a head second to the talented The Bucket List over 2500m at Bunbury last Friday night.
The Justin Prentice-trained Dardy Delight is in splendid form and has won three stands from his past five starts. He will have many admirers in what should be a spirited betting affair.
Lovers Delight has a chance to reverse result
At Bunbury last Friday week Lovers Delight was swamped in the closing stages and had to be content with a second placing to Our Blackbird in the 2100m Retravision Pace. On Friday night this week the two Bettors Delight seven-year-olds will clash again in the 2100m $22,500 KA Cleans And Flushes Pace.
The New Zealand-bred geldings are in top form and should again fight out the finish. Under the preferential barrier draw conditions Lovers Delight will start from the outside of the back line, with Our Blackbird on his immediate inside.
When they last met, Our Blackbird (Stuart McDonald) enjoyed a perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position, with Lovers Delight (Chris Lewis) racing in eighth place in the one-wide line. Lewis started a three-wide burst with about 700m to travel and Lovers Delight took the lead 250m from the post, but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Our Blackbird. The final 800m was covered in 56.3sec. and the Ross Olivieri-trained Our Blackbird rated 1.57.6.
Bunbury trainer Stephen Reed started Lovers Delight in a 2569m mobile last Friday night and the gelding impressed when he raced without cover before sprinting over the final 800m in 56.3sec. to defeat Tuakepa Kahu and the pacemaker The Parade.
Lovers Delight should be improved by his run last Friday night and gets a good chance to make amends for his defeat at the hands of Our Blackbird.
This Time Dylan, having his fourth start after a spell for Pinjarra trainer Michael Brennan, is ready to produce his best and is capable of testing Lovers Delight and Our Blackbird. Soho Jackman, trained by Gary Hall sen., also will have admirers at his second outing after a spell. The lightly-raced five-year-old resumed racing at Pinjarra on Tuesday of last week and enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before winning narrowly from Our Major Mark.
Avalon Bromac looks the goods
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred four-year-old Avalon Bromac is poised to complete a hat-trick of wins by proving too speedy for his 11 opponents in the 2100m Neutra Syrup Pathway Pace at Bunbury on Friday night.
When the Santanna Blue Chip gelding, trained by Gary Hall sen., drew the prized No. 1 barrier the prospects of his rivals diminished. In-form seven-year-old Twelve Bells possesses good gate speed and is a smart frontrunner. But it is difficult to imagine him being able to cross to the lead from the No. 4 barrier.
Avalon Bromac led from barrier two and won from Play With Fire over 2130m at Gloucester Park two starts ago and then started from barrier four at Pinjarra on Monday of last week when he surrendered the early lead, sat behind the pacemaker and finished boldly to win convincingly from Mullinaghata Lad over 2185m at a 1.57.9 rate.
His chief rival could be the Aldo Cortopassi-trained Braeview Bomber, who will start from barrier four on the back line. The four-year-old, who has won at seven of his 34 starts, will be having his first start for just over four months. He has worked strongly in Byford trials on the past two Sunday mornings.
Braeview Bomber finished solidly from third at the bell to be second behind Classic American in a field of four in a 2550m stand trial on Sunday morning. He was seventh early and fifth at the bell before finishing powerfully to win a 2150m mobile trial the previous week, rating 1.58.3 after sprinting the final 400m in 28.3sec.
by Ken Casellas