HALL SEEKS FIFTH LORD MAYOR’S CUP VICTORY
Leading trainer Gary Hall sen., fresh from his magnificent victories with Im Themightyquinn in the WA Pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup on the past two Fridays, will need to produce a special slice of magic to win the $35,000 Find Thirty Every Day Lord Mayor’s Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night with newcomer Lively Hanover.
Hall has a remarkable record of winning first-up with newcomers. But though the New Zealand-bred Lively Hanover has won 24 races, he will be making his first appearance for 14 weeks and he also has a losing sequence of 17 stretching over 51 weeks.
The eight-year-old is a noted speedster who possess dazzling early pace. But his record suggests he will be sorely tested over the 2506m of Friday night’s event. He has won once over 1609m (at the Gold Coast) and 12 times over 1660m at Brisbane’s Albion Park.
His other 11 wins have been over distances between 2040m and 2200m. He has started in races longer than 2200m only four times in his 76-start career for a fifth and 11th over 2525m and two fourths over 2680m.
However, Hall has had the happy knack of toughening up speedy pacers and developing them into strong staying types and Lively Hanover certainly has the raw ability to prove hard to beat on Friday night and give Hall his fifth success in a group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup.
Hall trained and drove Tricky Bey in 1994 and Abit Rich in 1997 before winning the Cup in 2007 with Live To Reign (driven by his son Gary) and in 2010 with Talk To Me Courage (Shayne Cramp).
Lively Hanover made his first public appearance in WA at the Byford trials last Sunday when Samantha Van-Ross drove him in a 2150m mobile trial in which he finished third in a field of six, 14m behind the winner and stablemate Saucy Legend, who set the pace and won by 10m from Shipwreck, rating 2.1 after dashing over the final 800m in 56.6sec. and the last 400m in 27.8sec.
Coincidentally, Lively Hanover raced against Saucy Legend two starts ago in a 1609m event at Menangle on October 1. Lively Hanover began with sizzling speed from barrier seven and burst to the front after 120m. He surrendered the lead to Saucy Legend after 250m, but broke into a fierce gallop 300m from home and finished a distant fifth and last.
He began out wide at barrier nine at his next (and most recent start) over 2300m at Menangle. Again, he mustered dazzling speed to charge to the front after 80m. After another 170m he was restrained to take the trail behind the favourite Arctic Fire and he was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage in the home straight and did not get clear until the final 35m before he finished full of running to be an unlucky seventh behind Courageous Kiwi.
Lively Hanover will start from the No. 4 barrier in Friday night’s Cup and he looks highly capable of bursting straight to the front in a race in which former superstar Lombo Pocket Watch will command the greatest attention.
Lombo Pocket Watch will be having his second start after an absence of 12 months when he begins from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line. The handsome grey was produced in fine fettle by Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond at Gloucester Park last Tuesday week when he started from the outside of the front line and dashed to the front after 600m.
He then gave Colin Brown an armchair drive and coasted to four-length victory over Agent Smart, rating 1.58.4 over 2506m. He meets far tougher opposition on Friday night, but he is a true champion who is sure to prove very hard to beat. He has won $1,458,458 from his 42 victories and 11 placings from only 65 starts.
Leviathan breeder and owner Mick Lombardo is keen for Lombo Pocket Watch to contest the V75 interdominion championship series, which starts on February 17, and he has an excellent second string on Friday night in Tsunami Lombo, who impressed when he trailed the pacemaker Cromac Johnny and finished strongly to be second to him in the 2906m Fremantle Cup Consolation last Friday night.
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis will be hoping that Tsunami Lombo will give him his ninth victory in the Lord Mayor’s Cup after wins with Village Kid (1985, 1986, 1989 and 1990), Ballantines (1992), Desert Patrol (1993), Royal Motoring (1998) and Ohoka Ace (2005).
Mark Reed also has sound prospects of notching his fourth win in the Cup. He will handle the David Thompson-trained David Hercules, who will start from barrier six and is capable of marked improvement after his 11th in the WA Pacing Cup and seventh in the Fremantle Cup when he was not suited from back-line draws.
Reed’s previous Cup successes were behind Skippers Trick (2000), Rich And Spoilt (2001) and Tricky Vic (200-2).
Veteran Byford trainer Tony Svilicich, who has won the Lord Mayor’s Cup three times --- with Taihape Tickler in 2006 and Mysta Magical Mach (2009 and 2011) --- will be represented by Has The Answers, who will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy a soft trip.
Has The Answers set the pace before fading badly over the final 400m to finish a distant last in the Fremantle Cup last Friday night. A week earlier he sat behind the pacemaker before finishing fast to win from Mysta Magical Mach of 2506m.
Im Percy The Punter will have many admirers from his favourable barrier at No. 3 on the front line for Waroona trainer-reinsman Bob Mellsop. He was a brilliant winner at Gloucester Park three starts ago before being forced to work hard and cover a lot of extra ground at his next two outings for a fighting third behind From Day One at Bunbury and a sound fifth behind Spiritwithin in the 2970m Northam Cup.
SPARKLING SEELSTER POISED FOR STRONG EFFORT AT HIS CITY DEBUT
Almost 11 years ago Kim Prentice had high hopes that Sally Anna would win at her Gloucester Park debut. But she had no luck and finished second at 6/4 on to Voodoo Lombo in a 2500m stand.
Now the talented Boyanup trainer would dearly love Sparkling Seelster, the first of Sally Anna’s progeny to race, to win at his Gloucester Park debut when he starts in the 2506m Find Thirty Jiving Pathway Pace.
Four-year-old Sparkling Seelster, who will be driven by Prentice’s son Justin, has created a big impression in his first season of racing, having eight starts on South-West tracks for five wins, four at Bunbury and one at Harvey.
Sparkling Seelster warmed up for his metropolitan debut in fine style at Bunbury last Saturday night when he raced in eighth position before bursting to the front with 950m to travel. He sprinted the final 800m in 56.8sec. and the last 400m in 28.3sec. and showed good fighting qualities to hold on and beat the smart mare Centrefold Angel by a nose, rating 1.58.9 over 2100m.
After her first-up Gloucester Park second placing in February 2001, Sally Anna had another 12 starts on that track for five wins, three seconds and two thirds.
Sparkling Seelster has yet to race beyond 2150m, but he can produce a powerful finish and the 2506m of Friday night’s race should not trouble him.
The race is likely to develop into a fierce duel between Sparkling Seelster and the speedy and versatile The Feather Foot, a five-year-old son of former champion pacer The Falcon Strike who was bred and is owned by Colleen Lindsay.
The Feather Foot will start from the outside of the back line, with Sparkling Seelster on his immediate inside. The Feather Foot, who has had 31 starts for eight wins and nine placings, has resumed racing after a spell in fine form for Ravenswood trainer-reinsman Chris Brew.
The Feather Foot trailed the pacemaker Lord Chelsea before finishing fast to be an excellent third behind Lord Chelsea and Artemis Belle in the $20,000 Italian Cup over 2150m at Harvey last Thursday week. The final 800m of that race was covered in 56.3sec.
No. 1 BARRIER TO GIVE MENELAUS OF SPARTA A VITAL EDGE
Promising gelding Menelaus of Sparta, the youngest runner in the field, has excellent prospects of proving too good for his older rivals when he starts from the prized No. 1 barrier in the Find Thirty Dancing Pace over 2100m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The versatile four-year-old has thrived under the care of Baldivis trainer Nathan Turvey and he was far from disgraced when ninth behind Hilarious Life over 2170m at Pinjarra last Monday week.
He started from the back line and raced in 11th position for much of the way before being forced three and four wide in the final circuit. He finished determinedly to be two and a half lengths from the winner.
Turvey drove Menelaus of Sparta to impressive fast-finishing wins at his two previous outings, over 2272m at Williams and 2170m at Pinjarra.
Extreme Bromac, Barmy Army and What God Knows will also be fancied, while the appearance of Trunkey Daydream will create considerable interest.
The seven-year-old Trunkey Daydream, trained at Bunbury by John Graham, reappeared after an absence of 39 months when he finished powerfully, out wide, from tenth at the bell to be fourth behind Hilarious Life at :Pinjarra last Monday week.
He was a smart pacer as a two and three-year-old when he beat pacers of the calibre of On All Fours, Lively Royce, Total Defiance and General Naseem.
Turvey also has sound prospects with Armbro of Wagin (Find Thirty Grooving Pace) and Interceptor (Find Thirty Prancing Handicap).
Armbro of Wagin gave a bold frontrunning display to win from Smooth Jasper at a 1.56 rate over 1700m last Friday night. This week he will start from the inside of the back line and should finish with a powerful burst in a race in which Franco Renegade is sure to prove hard to beat.
The Aldo Cortopassi-trained Franco Renegade gave a brilliant performance last Friday night when he charged home from last at the bell to get up and win in the final stride from Captain Jack Sparrow, rating 1.55.6 over 2100m.
Interceptor will start from the No. 1 barrier in a 2503m stand, in which the consistent Turismo and To Transcend will have a host of admirers.
Interceptor set the pace and won over 2100m at Harvey two starts ago and then began speedily from 30m and enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, when third behind Nicolana Wild and Mister Sarkozy over 2030m at Bunbury last Saturday night.
TILBROOK HAS FIVE RUNNERS IN THE CLAIMER
Byford trainer Peter Tilbrook holds a strong hand in the Find Thirty Leaping Claiming Pace over 2100m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will be represented by five runners, Alby Albert, McGintysgoat, Bubbles And Bling, Tee Pee Village and Arma Harris.
McGintysgoat, who has drawn the No. 2 barrier, is a smart frontrunner who could take plenty of catching. Six-year-old Bubbles And Bling is the youngest runner in the race and he makes good appeal from barrier five, even though he has been unplaced at his past four starts.
Ten-year-old Tee Pee Village has not been successful since June 2009, but he is the best-performed runner in the race and cannot be underestimated. He started from the inside of the back line and trailed the pacemaker Bakerandthefatman in a 2100m claimer last Friday night before finishing strongly to be a half-head second to Bakerandthefatman.
Bakerandthefatman was claimed for $10,000 and will make his first appearance for Byford trainer Tony Svilicich in this week’s claimer He will start from the outside of the back line and will again be driven by Gary Hall jun.
Resuming racing in the claimer is seven-year-old Lively Royce, who is now being prepared at Waroona by Bob Mellsop. Lively Royce has not appeared since he started from 20m and finished strongly to win from Our Mercurio over 2503m at Gloucester Park on April 1, 2010.
Lively Royce’s wins in 2008 included the group 2 Western Gateway Pace, the group 3 Caduceus Club Classic, the Summer Gift, a prelude of the WA Derby and the Boxing Day Cup. He was also a nose second to Total Defiance in the Battle of Bunbury. Early in 2009 he won the WA Pacing Cup Consolation and finished third to Washakie and Mr Yankee in the group 1 Australian Pacing Championship.
by Ken Casellas
