But he is far from dismayed, saying: “He’s been going super and I think he will be hard to beat.. All he needs is a bit of luck. If the pace is on, he will be the horse to beat.”

Out To Kill, trained by Gary Hall sen., recorded his tenth win from 27 starts when Clint Hall drove him to a stylish victory over 2536m at Gloucester Park last Monday week.

Out To Kill had a perfect passage, trailing the pacemaker Has The Answers before getting clear approaching the home turn and then flashing home to win easily.

He beat The Midnight Rocket, Has The Answers, Dux and Zabrinski.

Zabrinski (barrier one), Dux (two) and the Midnight Rocket (three) will all have many admirers this week from their favourable barriers.

However, Out To Kill is essentially a sit-and-sprint horse who has the speed to run over his rivals in the closing stages if the pace of the race is fast.

Zabrinski warmed up for this week’s event by scoring a smart one-length victory over Honan, Jimmybgood and Devastating in the Central Wheatbelt Cup over 2530m at Kellerberrin last Sunday.

That was the five-year-old’s third start in WA after winning seven races (including one at Moonee Valley) in Victoria. Trainer-driver Calan Suvaljko was happy with Zabrinski’s Kellerberrin win, but said the gelding would need plenty of luck to beat Out To Kill, Dux and The Midnight Rocket.

An interesting runner is Mystical Prince mare Bella Sam, who will be making her Gloucester Park debut for trainer John Robinson.

Bella Sam is extremely inexperienced. She has had only four starts, all in the past six weeks. She has been driven to decisive victories by Morgan Woodley at each of her past three starts, two at Harvey and one at Bunbury.

“She goes better when she finds the front, and drawing the outside barrier in a strong field will make it tough for her,” Woodley said.

“She has had a few leg troubles and John has done a wonderful job to get her to the racetrack as a five-year-old. He gives her a lot of beach work.”

Clint Hall, who produced four-year-old McRaes Mate in fine fettle to score a brilliant all-the-way four-length win over Jaccka Tana at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night, is looking forward to driving several other smart pacers on Friday night, including Macraider, Franco Amon, Tiffany Case, Albert Chief and Big Doug.

“Franco Amon’s last run was enormous, but he goes up a lot in class this week,” Hall said yesterday. “He’ll be competitive. I’m not scared of any of his rivals, but he’s not a good thing.”

Franco Amon, will start from barrier two in the Hahn Super Dry Stakes in which he will clash with several better-performed rivals, including All In Teck, Lightning Jake, The Sentry and Lombo Buon Natale.

Of Albert Chief and Big Doug’s chances, Hall said: “Albert Chief is going good and has to be a chance (in the Heineken Conditioned Handicap) and Big Doug has got top be a leading contender (in the Emu Bitter Handicap) after his strong run at Pinjarra when narrowly beaten by Alberts Fantasy.”

Courtesy Of Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park