Susan Reeves bred, owned and trained Lindas Only when Colin drove him to an all-the-way victory in the 2007 Country Derby.

She and her husband are the breeders and owners of Aussie Terror, who has won three times from 11 starts. Morgan Woodley drove the Colin Reeves-trained colt when he raced one-out and one-back before finishing solidly to snatch victory by a nose from the pacemaker Parsons Dragon in the South-West Derby at Harvey on February 9.

Woodley again will be in the sulky when Aussie Terror (by Western Terror) starts from the outside of the second line in this week's country classic which was first run in 1937.

Eleven nights after his South-West Derby triumph Aussie Terror failed in the Battle of Bunbury at Donaldson Park when he started from the outside of the front line, raced at the rear and was forced three wide for much of the 2100m journey before finishing tenth behind Lombo Navigator.

Then Aussie Terror was produced at Pinjarra last Monday week and ran a splendid trial for this week's event by finishing a fighting second to smart colt Chillin Dylan over 1670m after racing without cover for much of the way.

The 21-year-old Woodley has featured prominently in the past three Country Derbies. He drove Lunar Lynx when he had a tough run without cover before finishing fourth behind Lindas Only in 2007.

In the 2008 race Woodley was in the sulky behind Lord Mata who led for the first 1000m and finished third behind Trunkey Daydream. In last year's Derby Woodley set the pace with 3/1 equal favourite Fidelius Charm, who wilted to dead-heat for fourth behind Packed Safely.

Parsons Dragon, owned and trained at Harvey by Peter Kimberley, will start from barrier five and will have many admirers. The colt was WA's star two-year-old last season, but he has yet to win from his five starts as a three-year-old which have produced three placings.

Parsons Dragon will be handled by Justin Prentice, who just failed in his bid to lead all the way in the South-West Derby. Prentice won the 2008 Country Derby with the John Graham-trained Trunkey Daydream who beat Kimberley's runner General Naseem, driven by Prentice's father Kim.

Thomas With Steam, trained at Balingup by Terry Purnell, will be fancied from his favourable No. 2 barrier. The colt impressed with stylish victories at Bunbury and Harvey in January before he finished sixth in the South-West Derby after racing without a trail. He is a good frontrunner capable of leading. If he leads he will take plenty of catching.

Drawn in barrier three is Maximum Demand, trained at Harvey by Kevin Egerton-Green. After finishing fifth in the South-West Derby, Maximum Demand finished strongly to be a nose second to Middle Earth at Bunbury and then led when an easy winner over Our Royal Honey in the Great Southern Derby at Narrogin.

He followed that with another solid effort at Bunbury last Saturday night when he trailed the pacemaker Visigoth before finishing on to beat that pacer by a nose.
Pinjarra trainer Kim Young has two good prospects in this week's race in Ultimate Fighter and Moonlight Rockhole.

He will drive Ultimate Fighter, who came from eighth at the bell to finish fourth in the South-West Derby before finishing a half-length second to the pacemaker Moonlight Rockhole in the North Eastern Derby at Northam last Saturday week.

His twin Shane, at the reins for the Northam victory, again will handle Moonlight Rockhole. Kim Young has won Country Derbies with Alfa Dyna (1992), Norwest Boy (1993), Lombo Ilyushin (1997) and Social Aspect (1999). Shane Young has won the race with Alfa Freeway (1985) and Roadless Travelled (2002).

FRONTRUNNING MON HANOVER IDEALLY DRAWN AT BARRIER TWO

Frontrunning is Mon Hanover's forte, and from barrier two the four-year-old makes strong appeal in the $25,000 RWWA Rising Stars Invitation Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Neil Lloyd-trained gelding has won only four times from 47 starts, but he looks the likely leader for Morgan Woodley and should take plenty of catching.

Mon Hanover drew the No. 2 barrier five starts ago when Chris Brew drove him to an impressive all-the-way victory over 2536m at Gloucester Park. He warmed up for this week's assignment in fine style last Friday night when he started from barrier seven, settled in tenth position and sustained a strong three-wide burst from eighth at the bell to finish a close third behind Mickie Dilinger and Cyclone Warrior over 2130m.

Woodley won the recent RWWA Rising Stars title with 70 points, finishing ahead of Chris Playle (30 points) and Kyle Harper (27). They and eight other WA young drivers will match their skills against the New South Wales Rising Star Robert Morris.

Morris, son of Peter Morris, who drove the winner of the first interstate junior reinsmen's race at Gloucester Park, will handle Pacific Idol, who will start from the inside of the second line.

Pacific Idol, trained by Natalie Hall, is in sparkling form, winning at five of his past ten starts. He started from the back line and settled down in ninth and last place before sustaining a spirited three-wide burst to hit the front 400m from home at Kellerberrin on Sunday. He held on to win by 1m from the pacemaker Rostriever Run, rating 2.1.5 over 2130m.

Twelve evenly-matched pacers will clash in Friday night's event and punters will be able to make a good case for most of the M0-class candidates.

Hillview Storm, the tightest-assessed runner with a C9 standing, is racing keenly and must be considered seriously, even from the outside of the back line. The eight-year-old, who will be driven by Robbie Williams, has impressed with thirds behind Omegarama and Knot Justafireball at Gloucester Park at his past two outings.

Im Light Hearted (C8) is sure to provide Justin Prentice with excellent winning prospects. He was sixth at the bell before flying home to gain a last-stride victory over Please Release Me at Pinjarra last Monday week. He rated 1.56.6 over 1670m.

Magical Merlin and Diablo Pass, also winners over 1670m at that Pinjarra meeting, also have sound prospects in Friday night's event. Magical Merlin will be driven by Kyle Harper and Diablo Pass by Adam Mellsop.

Magical Merlin finished powerfully to win at a 1.54.9 rate at Pinjarra and Diablo Pass came from seventh at the bell to get up and win at a 1.57 rate.

Seventeen-year-old Wagin reinsman Ashley Ainsworth will be having his first city drive. He will handle outsider Nuts About Soky, who is not well drawn at No. 7. Ainsworth will be hoping that history will repeat itself.

The 2009 RWWA Rising Stars Invitation Stakes went to Bunbury teenager Tom Buchanan, who was having his first drive at Gloucester Park. He drove 7/2 favourite Spiritwithin to victory over Kinki Village (Prentice) and Taken Easy (Jim Douglass).

DEBRA SUTTON POISED FOR FIRST CITY SUCCESS

Manjimup trainer Debra Sutton should chalk up her first metropolitan-class victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the highly-promising Scot Bay contests the Hankook Tyres Key Dealers Pace for two-year-olds.

Scot Bay, bred and owned by Doug Sutton, has impressed in winning convincingly at his first three starts on South-West tracks and barrier eight should not prevent him from maintaining his unblemished record.

Scot Bay, by American stallion Grinfromeartoear, is out of the Mystical Prince mare Lorinda Bay, who was trained by Debra Sutton and won seven races and was placed 20 times from 50 starts. Her wins were at Albany (three), Narrogin (two), Bunbury and Harvey.

Debra Sutton has also had success on country tracks with Vintage Tears (two at Narrogin and one at Williams), Most Happy Boy (Bunbury and Bridgetown) and Star Commander (Albany).

Doug Sutton's most recent metropolitan success was with Most Happy Lady in December 2003. Most Happy Lady was an outstanding mare who had 64 starts for 22 wins, 15 placings and $132,507 in stakes.

Ron Young drove Scot Bay at his debut when he set the pace and strolled to victory at Pinjarra on December 12. Then Young's son David drove the gelding at his next two starts, for all-the-way wins over 1750m at Harvey and over 1609m at Bunbury.

Scot Bay began brilliantly from barrier nine at Bunbury last Saturday night. He burst to the front after 250m and dashed over the final 800m in 58.5sec. in winning easily at a 2.1 rate from Lucky Drew.

The only other winners in Friday night's event are Master Damon and Tactical Strike, each of whom should be prominent. But Scot Bay's most serious rival is likely to be the Ken White-trained Blissful Boy, who has shown promise in being placed at three of his seven starts.

Ken CASELLAS