Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Star reinsman Chris Voak, fresh from a double at Pinjarra on Monday with Just Roc ($4.40) and Strauny ($5.50), will be busy at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will be in action in nine of the ten events.
He considers most of his drives as sound each-way prospects and declares nine-year-old Fanci A Dance as his best winning hope, saying: “He looks a good thing, and I don’t think he will get beaten.”
Fanci A Dance, trained in Busselton by Barry Howlett, will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Williams Racing Pace and he should appreciate a massive drop in class after contesting a $30,000 Free-For-All and competing against Lavra Joe, Gambit, Diego and company last Friday night.
Fanci A Dance raced at the rear in the six-horse field, and he sprinted over the final 400m in 27sec. in finishing last.
“He will lead this week and will win,” said Voak. “Last week, they walked and then dashed home. Fanci A Dance ran through the line super strong and had plenty left once he passed the line. I said to Barry that he would be winning in the next fortnight, as soon as he gets a good draw, and he has come up with the ace.
“The last time he led he went 1.55.7 and won (beating Queen Shenandoah by just under five lengths last November) and now he gets his chance to do it again.”
Since that victory Fanci A Dance has built up a losing sequence of 16, with just five placings. This week he meets moderate opposition, with his chief dangers likely to be the consistent Euphoria (barrier 5) who has been placed at his past five starts, Mirragon and Medieval Man.
Five-year-old Mirragon is a smart pacer, who is trained by Debra Lewis and will be driven by her husband Chris. The Art Major gelding has a record of 62 starts for 14 wins and 17 placings and is capable of a bold showing at his first appearance after a 25-week absence.
“It is a suitable field but an awkward draw,” said Chris Lewis. “He has been working nicely and we would have liked to have drawn better.”
Apart from Fanci A Dance, Voak is confident that the Ross Olivieri-trained six-year-old Rupert Of Lincoln will give punters a great run for their money when he contests the final event, the 2130m HTA Access Solutions Pace.
Rupert Of Lincoln has a losing sequence of 13, but his recent efforts have been encouraging, including placings behind Heez Our Perseus, Blissfullabbey and Jaspervellabeach at his past five starts.
Rupert Of Lincoln worked hard in the breeze for much of the way and was inconvenienced by a punctured nearside sulky tyre over the final 200 metres when third to Jaspervellabeach last Friday night.
Olivieri holds a strong hand in Friday night’s event, with his other runners Power And Grace (Chris Lewis) and Carrera Mach (Emily Suvaljko) looming as the toughest for Rupert Of Lincoln to beat.
Power And Grace disappointed last Friday night when he finished fifth behind Tuas Delight. “We came out and weren’t able to cross, and then we were shuffled back and were held up in the last lap,” said Lewis.