Svilicich has taken over from Gary Hall sen. as the trainer of Has The Answers, who will be making his first appearance for his new mentor when he contests the St John Commandery Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Colin Brown will drive the tough seven-year-old for the first time since the gelding finished sixth behind Hy Royale at Pinjarra in February 2008.

Svilicich obviously was impressed with Has The Answers when he worked hard throughout and easily beat Mysta Magical Mach in a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park last February when Mysta Magical Mach started from the back mark of 50m.

And three starts later, Has The Answers finished a splendid third to Mysta Magical Mach in a 2569m mobile event at Bunbury's Donaldson Park.

Brown gave Has The Answers, a winner of $263,627 in stakes from 22 wins and 28 placings from 90 starts, a solid workout in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday when the gelding finished a four-length second to the speedy Just Jasper, who sprinted the final 400m in a sizzling 27.6sec.

Brown also drove Mister Odds On at the Byford trials. Mister Odds On was hampered by broken gear and finished a well-beaten second to Spiritwithin.

Mister Odds On looms as one of the main dangers to Has The Answers on Friday night when he will be driven by Michael George from the favourable No. 3 barrier.

George will be making a concerted effort to set the pace with the noted frontrunner Mister Odds On, a five-year-old who has won at 14 of his 41 starts. Mister Odds On has set the pace in ten of his victories.

However, his task of leading looks somewhat difficult, with Mon Gee starting from the No. 1 position. Mon Gee has started from the inside barrier at only three of his 53 starts for all-the-way wins over 2130m and 1730m at Gloucester Park and a fifth at Pinjarra when he sat behind the pacemaker.

Mon Gee has impressed with placings at three of his past four starts. He started from barrier five and worked hard without cover throughout when a fighting third behind Here For The Party over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday night.

Hall quinella likely in Brennan Memorial

Leading trainer Gary Hall sen. looks set to win the James Brennan Memorial for the first time when he starts brilliant pacers Talk To Me Courage and Indian Giver in the $35,000 event over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Indian Giver fared well in drawing barrier No. 2 in the random draw, while Talk To Me Courage will start from barrier seven in the field of eight.

These New Zealand-bred six-year-olds look outstanding and should give Hall the quinella after they filled the minor placings behind star pacer Sneakyn Down Under last Friday night.

Talk To Me Courage looks the winner this week after he came from the rear (after starting from the outside barrier) and raced without cover over the final 1500m last week before fighting on doggedly to finish a well-beaten second. He should have a far easier run in the Brennan Memorial.

Indian Giver enjoyed a perfect passage three back on the pegs before finishing solidly to be third, a nose behind Talk To Me Courage.

Fourmoore, who came home strongly from seventh at then bell to be fourth behind Sneakyn Down Under last week, should be capable of reproducing that effort and finishing just behind the Hall-trained pair again. Fourmoore again will be driven by Morgan Woodley, who finished second to Just Jasper with Scruffy Murphy in last year's Brennan Memorial.

Hall sen. trained Zakara when he finished second to Jack Morris in the 1953 Brennan Memorial and when he was second to Hugh Maguire the following year. Hall had three runners in last year's Brennan Memorial --- Dartmoor (sixth), Fac Et Spiro (eighth) and Franco Amon (11th).

Garvie Bay poised for winning Australian debut

The seemingly endless stream of New Zealand pacers from the Hazelmere stables of Gary Hall sen. will continue at Gloucester Park on Friday night when lightly-raced five-year-old Garvie Bay contests the Westralian Auto Finance Pace over 2130m.

And Garvie Boy has bright prospects of overcoming the outside barrier (No. 9) and making a successful Australian debut.

He has had eight starts in New Zealand for five wins and a third placing and he impressed when he started from the back line in a ten-horse 2150m mobile trial at Byford five Sundays ago.

He finished powerfully to be a head second to Franco Stormboy, covering the final 400m in a slick 28.6sec. and rating 2.1.8. Two weeks after that Franco Stormboy scored a stylish Gloucester Park victory over Pacific Black and The Jobs On.

Garvie Bay is by Washington V C out of Sheza, a mare who has produced other winners in Sheza McCool, Sheza Filly and Golconda Gleann.

Garvie Bay has the ability to go one better than his siblings, who tasted defeat at their Australian debut. Sheza McCool was second at Penrith at her first start in Australia in December 2001 before her next ten starts produced five wins and four placings.

Sheza Filly was second at Maryborough at her Australian debut in January 2007 before winning at Cranbourne at her next two starts. Golconda Gleann was fourth in Canberra at his Australian debut last April before winning at Bulli two starts later.

Garvie Bay will clash with some smart in-form pacers, including Whitbys Beach and Zoomin Holme.

The Ross Keys-trained Whitbys Beach is in top form, with his past nine starts producing five wins, two seconds and a third. Zoomin Holme is racing keenly for trainer Stephen Reed, who has engaged premier reinsman Chris Lewis to drive the eight-year-old.

Zoomin Holme maintained his excellent form when he raced without cover before dashing away from his rivals to score an easy win from Janice Franco and Bronzwhaler Whitby at Pinjarra on Monday.

Warwick wins without whip

Prominent reinsman Aiden Warwick has been banned from using the whip indefinitely, but he was still able to land a winner in a punishing finish at Bunbury's Donaldson Park on Tuesday night.

The 37-year-old Warwick drove the Jason Fry-trained Please Release Me to a thrilling1m victory over Gunnabgood and Life Pulse in the 1609m Chris Lewis Pace.

Please Release Me settled down at the rear before Warwick sent him forward to follow the three-wide move made by Life Pulse.

Life Pulse took the lead at the bell and Please Release Me raced outside the leader in the final circuit before Warwick urged him to the front on the home turn. Please Release Me maintained his narrow advantage and scored in good style.

The stewards have barred Warwick from using the whip after he continued to breach sub rule 156 (3) which states (in part) "... a driver shall be deemed to have used a whip excessively in the following circumstances which are not exclusive:

a) if the tip of the whip is drawn further back than the driver's shoulder

b) if the whip action involves more than a wrist and elbow action."

Warwick has been fined several times and suspended for improper use of the whip and this influenced the stewards to use their authority and bar him from carrying a whip.

Warwick, who has driven more than 360 winners, was out of action for much of last year when he was recovering from a shoulder reconstruction. He believes that the surgery has affected his ability to comply with the new rules governing the use of the whip.

The stewards have also banned 18-year-old Ainsley Swankie from carrying a whip. She has had 240 drives for 22 wins, 19 seconds and 14 thirds.

Aiden de Campo lands his first winner

Seventeen-year-old Aiden de Campo landed his first winner with his fifth drive in a race when he guided Christian Vance to a stylish victory in the Schweppes Pace over 1609m at Bunbury on Tuesday night.

He is the son of outstanding Capel trainer-reinsman Andrew de Campo, who prepares Christian Vance, a New Zealand-bred six-year-old whose victory ended a losing sequence of 14.

Christian Vance raced three wide early before working hard outside the pacemaker Baileys Rocket. The gelding surged to the front 350m from home and won by 5m from Dilinger Magic after sprinting the final 800m in 57.3sec. and the last 400m in 28.2sec.

John Graham performs a rare feat

Bunbury trainer John Graham performed a rare feat at Donaldson Park on Tuesday night when he had four runners in the Swan Draught Pace for three-year-olds --- and they fillled the first four placings.

Chillin Dylan, a grey colt related to former champion pacer No Blue Manna (41 wins and stakes of $628,157) and recent Gloucester Park winner Village Steel, was a $1.70 favourite who was driven to an easy victory by Chris Lewis.

Chillin Dylan dashed to an early lead, set a slow early pace and dashed over the final 800m in 57.7sec. to win from Graham's other runners McInga (Kim Prentice), Yourmoneyyourcall (Justin Prentice) and Naiche (Tom Buchanan) and this highly unusual quartet returned a dividend of $108.50.

This is the second rare feat in harness racing in WA in the space of six days. Aldo Cortopassi notched a notable first when he drove each of the four winners in the quadrella at Kalgoorlie last Thursday night.Cortopassi was successful in successive races with Whitbys Beach, Blissful Snag, Eyes On Armbro and Definitely Maybe. The quadrella dividend was $100.70.

Garry TORTO