Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New Zealand-bred five-year-old Prince Of Pleasure is one of the State’s best up-and-coming pacers and he should notch his seventh win in a row in the space of 28 months by proving the master of his eleven rivals in the opening event, the 1730m Barbagallo Luxury Cars Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His winning streak began at his final appearance in New Zealand, in a 2200m mobile event at Alexandra Park on July 1, 2020, when he began from the outside barrier in a field of seven and raced in last position until he revealed a dazzling burst of speed to come from last at the 800m to surge to the front 150m later on his way to winning easily from the pacemaker Marathon Man after sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.7sec. and 27.4sec.
Prince Of Pleasure arrived in Western Australia early in October 2020, but he bowed both tendons and was off the scene until he resumed racing at Gloucester Park on January 28 this year when he dashed to an early lead and won by three lengths from Valbonne, rating 1.56.5 over 2130m.
However, leg problems saw him sidelined until he reappeared at Gloucester Park on October 11 when he scored a comfortable win over 2130m.
Since then, he has raced at Pinjarra on the past three Mondays for easy victories. On Monday this week he sat behind the pacemaker The Stars Above and beat that pacer by three lengths, rating 1.52.9 over 1684m. A week earlier he rated 1.53.3 when he won easily from the talented El Chema.
Prince Of Pleasure, who will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is one of nine horses prepared by trainer Gary Hall Snr who will be in action on Friday night. The best of the other eight Hall runners appear to be Finvarra in race four and High price in race seven.
Finvarra has resumed after a spell in fine form. He followed his first-up head second to Markham Eyre with wins over Know When To Run and Arma Einstein. He will start from barrier six in a field of eight and will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
Hall Jnr had the choice of five drives in this event, and he has given punters an important lead by choosing to handle the Michael Young-trained The Mustang, who will start from the outside barrier.
The Mustang has led and won at his first three starts in Western Australia, including his first run in the State when he revealed sparkling gate speed to lead from barrier seven before setting the pace and winning from The Kraken and Doc Holliday over 2130m on October 7.
Three-year-old High Price is poorly drawn at barrier eight in the seventh event, the 2536m Barbagallo Ferrari Pace, but he has the ability to overcome this disadvantage.
Punters also will give serious consideration to Soho Dow Jones (barrier nine), Rockmyster (inside of the back line) and the Ryan Bell-trained pair of Speedwagon and Swagger Man.
Soho Dow Jones, to be driven by Mitch Miller for trainer Kim Prentice, has had 20 starts for seven wins and six placings. He was a winner by six lengths from Vintage Blu, rating 1.57 over 2130m, three starts ago, and at his latest appearance he impressed greatly when he raced wide early and then had a tough run in the breeze before finishing doggedly into third place behind Been Scootin.
Dylan Egerton-Green trains and drives Rockmyster, who caught the eye when he finished powerfully from ninth at the bell to be third behind Been Scootin last Friday week.