UNLUCKY WASHAKIE GETS HIS CHANCE IN GOVERNOR’S CUP

UNLUCKY WASHAKIE GETS HIS CHANCE IN GOVERNOR’S CUP

Millionaire pacer Washakie has not had an ounce of luck at his first two starts back in Western Australia last month and, despite drawing the outside barrier in the field of seven, he has the class to return to the winning list in the $40,000 Governor’s Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The durable eight-year-old, trained and driven by champion Queensland horseman John McCarthy, looks set for a tough run in the 2100m group 2 event in which he will clash with other equine millionaires Has The Answers and Lombo Pocket Watch and the speedy Lively Highlander.

Nine-year-old Has The Answers is poised to begin with his usual brilliance from barrier five and Kyle Harper will be extremely anxious to get the wonderful old gelding straight to the front and then dictate terms.

Lively Highlander will begin from the No. 4 barrier and Kim Prentice is expected to make use of the eight-year-old’s sparkling early speed. The most likely scenario is that Has The Answers will outpace Lively Highlander and set a brisk pace with Lively Highlander on his back.

McCarthy and Colin Brown (Lombo Pocket Watch) then are likely to send their horses forward to apply pressure to the pacemaker. There is a strong possibility that Washakie will get to the breeze and he possesses such fighting qualities that he has sound prospects of getting the upper hand in the closing stages.

Washakie, winner of the 2010 WA Pacing Cup, is due for a change of fortune after his luckless unplaced runs in the WA pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup last month.

He was trapped out wide in the early stages, worked in the breeze for a while and then the nearside tyre of his sulky was punctured 1200m from home before he limped home in eighth position behind Im Themightyquinn in the 2506m WA Pacing Cup three Fridays ago.

Then in the 2906m Fremantle Cup a week later Washakie settled at the rear before McCarthy sent him forward after 900m in a bid to move alongside the pacemaker Has The Answers. But Dashed VC retained the breeze position, leaving Washakie out on a limb, three wide in third place. He revealed tremendous spirit to fight on and finish in fourth place behind Im Themightyquinn, Raglan and Lombo Navigator when the final 400m was covered in a sizzling 27.6sec.

Lombo Pocket Watch and Lively Highlander raced keenly when finishing third and fourth, respectively, behind Another One For Me and Aussie Reactor in the 2506m Lord Mayor’s Cup last Friday night.    

Lombo Pocket Watch started from the back line and he charged forward from last to move outside the pacemaker Aussie Reactor after 900m. He fought on gamely into third place. Lively Highlander enjoyed an ideal passage behind the leader, but was hampered for room in the home straight before finishing strongly along the pegs to be fourth.

Veteran trainer Tony Svilicich is an eternal optimist and he has high hopes of winning the Governor’s Cup for the second time with Has The Answers, who was the 4/1 on favourite when Chris Lewis drove him to victory over Kinneys Gold and Tealsby Karita in the 2010 Governor’s Cup.

Has The Answers began with dazzling speed from barrier six, burst to the front after 70m and sprinted the final 800m in 56.7sec. to score by more than two lengths. He ran on from 11th at the bell to finish sixth behind Hy Royale in the 2009 Governor’s Cup, and in this race last year he sat behind the pacemaker Lombo Navigator before finishing third to that pacer.

VITAL EQUALIZER HAS THE LOOK OF A BUDDING STAR

Exciting newcomer Vital Equalizer should prove to be the bet of the night at Gloucester Park tomorrow night by outpacing his rivals in the 1700m Duratec Pace for three-year-olds.

He made a brilliant Australian debut at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when he strolled to an effortless victory over Thehorsereilly and Ideas Man, rating 1.58.8 over 2170m.

Vital Equalizer, who is trained at Forrestdale by Greg and Skye Bond, revealed sparkling early speed to burst straight to the front and he was untroubled to set the pace and win, eased down, by more than three lengths.

Colin Brown spoke enthusiastically about the son of Courage Under Fire, saying: “He possesses high speed and I didn’t push him out. He could have really exploded.”

Vital Equalizer will start from the No. 4 barrier on Friday night and he possesses such high speed that Brown should send him straight to the front.

Keen followers of New Zealand form will be keen to invest heavily on Vital Equalizer after being staggered by his two outstanding performances at his only two starts in that country where he raced under the name of Equalizer and was trained by Mark Purdon. Both runs were exceptional and quite amazing.

He made his debut over 1950m at Addington on December 2 when he settled down in last position in a field of 12. He was 11th with a lap to travel and equal last on the home turn before he was switched out eight wide by Grant Payne and thundered home to finish second to Lulli Midfrew at a 1.58.6 rate.

Then, at his second start, on December 11, he gave another phenomenal performance on the grass track at Methven. He started from barrier ten in a 2300m event and Blair Orange had him in sixth position, four back on the pegs at the bell before he was shuffled back to last in the field of 13 with 700m to travel.

Vital Equalizer was still last at the 400m mark when he began a four-wide move. He then went ten wide on the home turn and flew down the outside of the track to burst to the front 60m from the post. Orange then eased him down and he won by more than a length from Walden Bury.

Most punters will consider the battle for the minor placings will develop into a contest between Soho Daytona, Black Aquila, Livelong And Prosper, Soho Indianapolis and Polak.

Soho Daytona, trained at Northam by Glenn Elliott, is in splendid form. He has had six starts this season for three wins, two seconds and a third after winning twice from five starts as a two-year-old. He hit a wheel and broke 450m after the start and was last at the bell before finishing strongly to be second to star three-year-old Gracias Para Nada over 2100m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.

He covered a lot of extra ground before finishing powerfully to win at Northam at his previous start.

Black Aquila, trained by Gary Hall sen. and the winner of the WA Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings last April, has caught the eye with fast-finishing thirds behind stablemate Gracias Para Nada at his past two outings.

Livelong And Prosper, Soho Indianapolis and Polak are all racing with commendable spirit. The Peter Anderson-trained Livelong And Prosper steps up quite a deal in class after winning at his first two Australian appearances last month.

Livelong And Prosper worked hard in the breeze before beating Cheerful Dame at a 1.59.6 rate over 2150m at Harvey and then rated only 2.5.2 when he beat Ti Amo Franco and Tom Henry over 2242m at Narrogin.

KIM PRENTICE TO FILL IN FOR ABSENT GARY HALL JUNIOR

Leading reinsman Gary Hall jun. will be a notable absentee at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will be at the Victorian country track of Mildura contesting the Invitation Drivers’ Championship.

Boyanup reinsman Kim Prentice will deputise for Hall in the sulky behind Master Metallica in the opening event at Gloucester Park, the Colli Timber And Hardware Pathway Pace over 2100m, and the New Zealand-bred five-year-old has excellent prospects of getting punters away to a flying start.

Master Metallica, trained by Gary Hall sen., is awkwardly drawn on the outside of the front line. But he still makes strong appeal after a splendid performance last Friday night when he began from the back line, was tenth at the bell and went four wide with 250m to travel to finish a fighting third behind Howzat Fire and Shamrock Tango.

He set the pace when second to Murano Mystery over 2100m at Gloucester Park at his previous outing.

Prentice will also drive Black Aquila, Aussie Reactor and Lively Highlander for Hall sen. and each of those pacers have excellent each-way prospects.

Aussie Reactor is sure to prove hard to beat in the 2506m Global Insurance Broking Chinese New Year Cup in which he will clash with Franco Renegade and Lightning Raider.

Aussie Reactor showed a return to his best form last Friday night when he finished second to Another One For Me in the 2506m Lord Mayor’s Cup. Aussie Reactor burst to the front after 600m and set the pace before being overhauled in the final stages by the flying Another One For Me.

Hall jun. will compete against New Zealanders Anthony Butt and Nathan Williamson, South Australians Mark Billinger and David Harding, Victorians Shayne Cramp, Daryl Douglas, Nathan Jack and Greg Sugars and New South Welshman Robert Morris in the three Invitation Drivers’ Championship events at Mildura.

Hall’s has been drawn to drive Northerly Rain (barrier one), Trishez Angel (five) and Duminy (one).

GEORGE TO DRIVE ANOTHER ONE FOR ME IN EVENT FOR MARES

Henley Brook trainer Chelsey Harding has engaged 23-three-year-old Michael George to drive Another One For Me in the 2100m Guardian Underwriting Services Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The event is restricted to mares handicapped M0 to M2, but Harding has enabled the M3-class mare Another One For Me to qualify for a start by making use of George’s concession as a junior reinsman.

Another One For Me will start from the outside of the front line, but she has an edge in class over her ten rivals and should prove hard to beat. Morgan Woodley drove Another One For Me when she was a rank outsider and caused an upset by finishing fast to win from Aussie Reactor and Lombo Pocket Watch in the 2506m Lord Mayor’s Cup last Friday night.

 George has driven Another One For Me, a New Zealand-bred eight-year-old, at 11 of her 44 starts in WA. He was in the sulky at the mare’s first two starts in this State, in April 2009, when she was beaten into second place by a nose each time. George then drove Another One For Me to victory in successive starts in the winter of 2009, at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park.

Looming as the chief rivals for Another One For Me on Friday night are Elena S, Dontgetmeruffled and Kamwood Girl. 

Elena S, a smart New Zealand-bred six-year-old trained at Mt Helena by Ray Williams, was a stylish winner two starts ago and she looks set to fight out the finish, despite the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line. Nathan Turvey will replace Grant Williams in the sulky behind Elena S, who has had 55 starts for nine wins and 19 placings.

The Colin Joss-trained Dontgetmeruffled has struck a purple patch and cannot be underestimated from barrier five. The five-year-old, who will be driven by Chris Lewis, has set the pace and won easily at Northam and Harvey at her past two starts.

JUSTIN PRENTICE ON FIRE WITH FIVE WINNERS AT BUNBURY

Boyanup horseman Justin Prentice had a night to remember at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Tuesday when he had five drives on the eight-event program and landed five winners.

The 23-year-old Prentice was successful with Racketeers Girl in the first event and then won with Clifford, Lord Chelsea, Majestical Babe and Mister Sarkozy in the final four events. The combined winning margin was 42.7m.

Rackateers Girl ($1.60), Lord Chelsea ($1.60) and Majestical Babe ($1.90) are trained by Prentice’s father Kim, Clifford ($25.70) is prepared by John Graham and Mister Sarkozy ($1.50) is trained by Justin Prentice.

These five winners followed wins by Justin Prentice with Sparkling Seelster at Gloucester Park last Friday night and Tex Bromac at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.

Clifford impressed at his first appearance since last August when he trailed the pacemaker Itz Darknstormy and burst to the front on the home turn to beat Major Catastrophe by just over three and a half lengths, rating 1.57.8 over the 2100m. It was his third win from ten starts.

Major Catastrophe, a star two-year-old last season with five wins, two seconds and earnings of $135,178 from eight starts, was having his first start for six months. He settled in fifth position, dashed forward, three wide, 1450m from home, moved into the breeze at the bell and worked hard before taking the lead about 250m from home.

by Ken Casellas