HALL PREDICTS IM THEMIGHTYQUINN WILL GO EVEN BETTER

HALL PREDICTS IM THEMIGHTYQUINN WILL GO EVEN BETTER

Champion trainer Gary Hall sen. predicts that superstar Im Themightyquinn will perform even better in the $250,000 Yes Loans Fremantle Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night than he did last week when he thundered home from last to win the $400,000 WA Pacing Cup in State record time.

And that was an ominous warning to the connections of the other 11 runners in the prestigious group 1 event to be decided over the long journey of 2906m.

History says that Im Themightyquinn faces a massive task to bring up a hat-trick of wins in the Fremantle Cup after convincing victories in the big race in the past two seasons. The Fremantle Cup has been run 82 times and no pacer has won the race three times.

“Quinny probably needed the run last week and he pulled up a bit big,” Hall said. “And I think he can go a bit better than he did last week. Normally he would improve on that run. I’ve just kept him ticking over since he won the Pacing Cup and I can’t fault him. He’s pretty much won every 2900m event he’s been in. The long trip has never worried him and it’s just a matter of getting the right run, I suppose.”

Im Themightyquinn ran home strongly from ninth on the pegs at the bell when third behind Power of Tara and Divisive in the Fremantle Cup three years ago when he was a four-year-old. Then he won the race in December 2009 and in January 2011, leading over the final 1700m in his first Cup success and then charging home from last in the middle stages to win from Washakie and Ima Spicey Lombo 12 months ago.

Hall and his 29-year-old son Gary are chasing their fifth victory in the Fremantle Cup. Before Im Themightyquinn’s two wins the Halls were successful with The Falcon Strike in 2002 and 2004. The only other dual Fremantle Cup winners have been Lincoln Storm in 1985-86 and Village Kid in 1988-89.

Hall said that his other Cup runner, Rakarebel, was capable of improving on his sixth placing behind Im Themightyquinn in last week’s WA Pacing Cup. “He’ll improve because I was a bit easy on him leading up to that race,” Hall said. “I haven’t been easy on him this week.

“After this week’s race both Im Themightyquinn and Rakarebel will have an easy time for a week and half and then they will get ready for the first set of heats in the interdominion championship series.”

Champion Queensland trainer-reinsman John McCarthy concedes that Im Themightyquinn is an outstanding pacer, but he considers his eight-year-old gelding Washakie has the ability to win the Fremantle Cup.

McCarthy drove Washakie when he finished determinedly to be second to Im Themightyquinn in the 2011 Fremantle Cup and also when Washakie won the 2010 WA Pacing Cup by a narrow margin over Im Themightyquinn.

McCarthy said that Washakie was unlucky when eighth in last week’s WA Pacing Cup. “His run was very good because he carried a flat tyre for a lap and a quarter,” he explained. “The tyre was damaged when there was a bit of a shuffle behind him on the top corner and his run was pretty good because the tyre was eight off the rim.

“He likes running over 2900m and he keeps going over long distances.”

McCarthy is also the caretaker trainer of Mr Feelgood and Lightning Raider, who are stabled at Greg and Skye Bond’s Forrestdale property. These pacers are trained by McCarthy’s son Luke, who is in Sydney looking after his big team of horses.

Luke McCarthy will return to Perth on Friday to drive Mr Feelgood, while Colin Brown again will be in the sulky behind Lightning Raider, who put up a strong performance to race three wide in the middle stages before fighting on to finish third in last week’s WA Pacing Cup.

Mr Feelgood had a tough run in the breeze outside the pacemaker Dasher VC for much of the 2506m journey before wilting to finish ninth.

“We were all probably a bit disappointed with Mr Feelgood on the night,” McCarthy said. “But Luke said that he would have finished a lot closer had the horse not copped a bad check on the top corner.”

And McCarthy explained that Mr Feelgood could not have been at his best last week after a disrupted preparation and a tough trip to Perth.

“He certainly had a big week leading up coming to Perth,” he said. “He had a ten-hour road trip from Sydney to Melbourne and he was unable to get on the plane, which caused him to miss a day’s work in Melbourne. He got on the plane the next day and therefore missed another day’s work.

“And after that he had to put up with two days when the temperature got pretty close to 40 degrees. Now, after settling down, we’re expecting him to go pretty good. He’s a typical American horse; you don’t have to do much with him between races and I don’t think the 2900m will worry him.

“He’s won some big races over 2600m at Albion Park. Probably our biggest concern with him is this tight little track.”

McCarthy described Lightning Raider as “nice little horse who is no superstar, but is not far off the top ones.” He said that his effort when third in the WA Pacing Cup was full of merit. “He got caught out there (three wide) and that’s not his go, really. But he battled away well and he’s a lot better sat up.

“We hope all three horses perform well this week against Im Themightyquinn. We didn’t come all this way not trying to win, that’s for sure.”

Star reinsman Chris Lewis also advised punters not to disregard the prospects of Dasher VC, who set the pace and fought on grandly when a half-length second to Im Themightyquinn in last Friday night’s WA Pacing Cup.

“His run in the Cup was fantastic,” Lewis said. “He copped a bit of pressure and was still able to finish it off really well. He just got beaten by a very good horse who can sprint very fast. I think Dasher VC should handle the 2900m okay. He’s gone 1.56 over 2500m and finished off well, so I can’t see why the 2900m will worry him.”

John Padberg, part-owner of eight-year-old Rocket Reign, said the old gelding should not be underestimated despite his tenth placing in last week’s Cup. He explained that Rocket Reign was badly blocked for a clear passage in the final lap and that he went to the line full of running.

Reinsman Shannon Suvaljko did not even pull the ear plugs because Rocket Reign simply had nowhere to go in the final stages of the race.

Veteran Has The Answers gained a start in the Fremantle Cup after his fast-finishing victory over stablemate Mysta Magical Mach in the WA Pacing Cup Consolation over 2506m last Friday night. Kyle Harper has retained the drive behind Has The Answers, who will need a soft run over the 2906m journey to have any chance of figuring in the finish.

Has The Answers completes a quality field for this week’s  Cup, with the 12 runners going into the race with combined earnings of $10,784,953 from 314 wins and 262 placings.

MYSTA MAGICAL MACH AIMS FOR ANOTHER CONSOLATION VICTORY  

Part-owner and trainer Tony Svilicich and reinsman Morgan Woodley are confident that history will repeat itself and that Mysta Magical Mach will score an overdue victory in the $25,000 Yes Loans Fremantle Pacing Cup Consolation at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mysta Magical Mach, gallant in defeat when second at each of his past three starts, will begin from barrier two on the back line in the 2906m event which is dominated by Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond with five of the ten runners.

Mysta Magical Mach, driven by Woodley for Svilicich, started from 20m in the Fremantle Cup Consolation three years ago when he started a three-wide move with 1800m to travel and then worked hard in the breeze before getting to the front 400m from home and winning by just over a length from Lucky Punch.

Now a seven-year-old, Mysta Magical Mach has been in splendid form since resuming after a lengthy spell, with his seven starts producing four seconds, two thirds and a seventh placing.

He had a very hard run when he raced outside the pacemaker Russley Rascal and got to the lead 500m from home before being overhauled in the final stages by stablemate Has The Answers in the 2506m WA Pacing Cup Consolation last Friday night.

From the back line this week, Mysta Magical Mach will not be involved in the early battle for the lead and Woodley will be able to wait until the psychological moment to make a forward move.

The Bonds will be represented by Tsunami Lombo, Can Return Fire, Pablito, Zanardi and Artorius, all of whom are capable of winning.

However, the chief danger to Mysta Magical Mach appears to be five-year-old Cromac Johnny, the youngest runner in the race. Cromac Johnny is ideally drawn at the No. 3 barrier and he makes strong appeal after his outstanding effort when fourth behind Has The Answers last Friday night.

Cromac Johnny, driven by his trainer Grant Williams, started from barrier four last week and was trapped three wide for the first 600m before being restrained to last position in the field of 12. He was tenth at the bell before flying home to be an eye-catching fourth.     

Real Life, who received a cut to a hind leg when being unloaded from a float at Gloucester Park last Friday night and was withdrawn from the WA Pacing Cup, fared well in the random draw and will start from the No. 1 barrier for trainer-reinsman Donald Harper in this week’s Fremantle Cup Consolation.

He is capable of mustering good early speed and Harper is likely to attempt an all-the-way victory with the redoubtable stayer.

GRACIAS PARA NADA POISED TO BRING UP A HAT-TRICK

Gracias Para Nada, described by his trainer Gary Hall sen. as a “big, lazy pacer,” is on target to retain his unbeaten record as a three-year-old when he starts from the outside of the front line in the Yes Loans Three-Year-Old Pace over 2100m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He has shocked me with the way he has won and the times he has recorded at his first two starts for me,” Hall said.

“He’s not a good trackworker, but he is going better than he was going before his past two wins. So you would have to say that he’ll go very good. Bob Mellsop’s colt Say It Now and Greg and Skye Bond’s Midnight Dylan appear to be the dangers. But you would think that Gracias Para Nada would have to go well under what he has shown he can do not to win again.”

Gracias Para Nada, driven by Gary Hall jun., has been most impressive at his two starts this season, scoring by big margins over 2100m from Sensational Gabby and Blue McCool.

He rated 1.56.3 and broke the State record for a three-year-old over 2100m when he set the pace and beat Sensational Gabby by four and a half lengths and then he was unextended in rating 1.57 when he beat Blue McCool by eight lengths.

Say It Now is in superb form for Mellsop and has won easily at each of his past three starts. He zoomed over the final 400m in 27.9sec. when he beat Roguenrich over 2100m at Gloucester Park at his latest appearance.

Midnight Dylan, driven by Colin Brown, warmed up for Friday night’s race in style with a strong win over 2506m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night. He was tenth after a lap before dashing forward to work outside the pacemaker Blissfull Boy and then getting to the front 270m from home and winning by almost a length from Global Rush. He also had a tough run before winning easily from Tank You Kindly at his previous outing.

LOMBO POCKET WATCH ON TARGET FOR THE INTERS

Champion pacer Lombo Pocket Watch made a wonderful return to racing at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night and is firmly on target to contest the V75 interdominion championship in February and March.

“Everything is going according to plan and it is fair to say that at this stage we’re on track for the inters,” said Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond, who has had the powerful grey stallion in his stables for just under a month.

The eight-year-old Lombo Pocket Watch was making his first appearance for 12 months when he started at 10/1 on and from the outside of the front line in the 2506m V75 Pace on Tuesday night.

Colin Brown did not bustle Lombo Pocket Watch in the early stages when the sturdy grey raced three wide before bursting to the front 600m after the start. Lombo Pocket Watch paced faultlessly and covered the final 400m sections in 30.4sec., 29.2sec., 29.1sec. and 29sec. before coasting to a four-length victory over Agent Smart.

He rated 1.58.4 and was completely unextended, with Brown not even pulling the ear plugs. “I was impressed and he had plenty up his sleeve,” said Brown, who was driving the horse for the first time in a race.

Bond said that he had advised owner Mick Lombardo not to rush Lombo Pocket Watch and to bypass the WA Pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup.

“The interdominion championship is our objective and we’ll be giving him every chance --- and that’s what he deserves,” Bond said.

“We haven’t had any issues with him and I’ve had him checked by the vets and they were quite happy with what they saw. He damaged a tendon after winning at Bunbury 12 months ago. But there are no signs of that trouble at this stage. Everything looks good at the moment.”

Lombo Pocket Watch, winner of 12 group events, looked a picture at his first outing since Ross Olivieri produced him for a runaway victory in moderate company at Bunbury in January 2011. That was his first run for 14 months, since he finished fifth behind Karloo Mick in a $50,000 Sprint at Harold Park on November 20, 2009.

Lombo Pocket Watch now has earned $1,458,458 from 42 wins and 11 placings from 65 starts.

by Ken Casellas