Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
For a pacer to win two Group 3 feature events in the space of eight days is no mean feat. But that’s what outstanding young trainer Michael Young is confident of achieving at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Eighteen Carat contests the $30,000 Retravision Pace.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old was not extended in winning the $30,000 WASBA feature event for mares last Friday night, and Young is predicting a repeat performance this week when Eighteen Carat starts from barrier six.
“I’m very confident,” said Young. “She will push forward and will either lead and win or race in the breeze and win. Bad luck is likely to be the only danger.”
Gary Hall Jnr, who has driven Eighteen Carat at her four Australian starts, all over 2130m at Gloucester Park, for three wins and a third placing, had no hesitation in choosing to drive her this week in preference to smart four-year-old Platinum Sparkle.
Hall drove Platinum Sparkle at her most recent appearance when the mare scored an easy all-the-way victory in the Group 3 Lombardo Pace eight weeks ago. Justin Prentice, who trains Platinum Sparkle, will drive the former Victorian performer, who is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven.
Boosting Young’s confidence is the fact that smart four-year-olds Sahara Storm and American Arma will start from the back line. The Colin Brown-trained American Arma has been off the scene for nine weeks, with her five most recent starts being at Gloucester Park in May and June for four wins and a third placing.
Sahara Storm, trained and driven by Nathan Turvey, raced on the pegs in third place when a sound third behind Eighteen Carat last Friday night — after setting the pace and scoring an easy victory over Mister Ardee at her previous outing.
Young’s only other runner at the meeting is Plutonium, who will be driven by Hall from out wide at barrier eight in the Kiara, Michael and Joseph @ Young Pacing Pace and will be attempting to notch his third win from three starts after returning to racing after an injury-enforced absence of 13 months.
Plutonium was untroubled to set the pace from barrier one and score an effortless victory at a 1.56.5 rate last Friday night. A week earlier, Plutonium enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before winning easily from Fanci A Dance over 2536m.
This week Plutonium will clash with noted frontrunner Al Guerrero, who is likely to be all the rage after drawing barrier two in the 2536m event.
Hall, the State’s leading driver, has excellent prospects of ending the nine-event program on a winning note when he handles the Justin Prentice-trained Mr Fantastic in the 2536m Team Bond and The Running Camel Pace.
Mr Fantastic, a New Zealand-bred gelding by Bettors Delight, will start from barrier six in the field of seven and should carry too many guns for his rivals. He has won at ten of his 22 starts, including three wins from his five appearances as a four-year-old this year.
He started from barrier eight and raced in ninth position before running home solidly to finish sixth behind Socrates in the Group 2 San Simeon Pace last Friday week, a week after he sustained a powerful burst from the rear to win the Group 3 John Higgins Memorial.
“His work has been really good, so I expect him to run a good race,” said Prentice.