Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Magnificent Storm, the State’s best pacer, will have to buck the odds if he is to enhance his superb record and win the $50,000 Catalano Truck And Equipment Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Pacemakers have an amazing record in this prestigious 1730m Group 2 feature, with the leader having been successful in the past eight runnings of the event, and with ten of the past eleven Village Kid Sprints being won by the frontrunner.
Magnificent Storm is somewhat awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 5 and faces a considerable test if Aldo Cortopassi attempts to burst straight to the front, particularly with brilliant beginner Hampton Banner ideally drawn at barrier two. Hampton Banner has won eleven times at Gloucester Park when leading.
There is also plenty of speed drawn inside of Magnificent Storm, who rated 1.53.2 when he led from the No. 1 barrier and won the Group 2 Mount Eden Sprint over 1730m five starts ago, on October 7.
Cortopassi summed up his feelings about this week’s big race, saying: “It’s not an easy race; at this level there is no easy race. But whenever he is in a race, he is a realistic chance. This is the start of a very strong campaign, hopefully.”
Magnificent Storm, trained by Ray Williams and a winner at 26 of his 35 starts in Western Australia, will be having his first start for four weeks — since he started from barrier five and raced three wide for the first 700m before getting to the front and sprinting over the final 800m in 55.7sec. and winning by just under five lengths from Wildwest, rating 1.56.4 over 2536m in the Group 1 James Brennan Memorial.
Magnificent Storm warmed up for Friday night’s assignment with a smart win in a three-horse trial over 2150m at Byford on Sunday morning. He raced in third place, was eased off the pegs 800m from home, took the lead with 420m to travel and coasted to victory by a half-length from Lil Happy Fella, rating a modest 2.0.4 after a final 400m of 27.9sec.
“He did all he had to,” said Cortopassi. “He never over-exerts himself, and I was happy with the trial. Regarding tactics, at this stage I’m not sure what Ray and the owners want to do.”
The Debra Lewis-trained Hampton Banner will be driven by Jocelyn Young, who is certain to make a bold bid for the early lead with the speedy five-year-old who has won eleven times at Gloucester Park when leading.
Patronus Star, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is generally regarded as a sit-sprinter. But from the prized No. 1 barrier, Deni Roberts could well make a bid for the early lead with a pacer who has led and won eight times in WA — once in 1.53.2 over 1609m at Bunbury, once over 2185m at Pinjarra and six times at Gloucester Park (four times over 2130m, once over 2536m and once over 1730m, rating 1.53.5).
Gambit, trained by Gary Hall Snr, is in outstanding form and looks set to fight out the finish. He is versatile and he has also been successful after setting the pace. He was most impressive in winning over 2536m last Friday night when he started from the outside of the back line and settled at the rear before Stuart McDonald sent him forward, three wide, 1050m from home on his way to taking the lead at the 400m and beating Prince Of Pleasure by a length at a 1.56.4 rate.
Chris Lewis will drive star four-year-old Lavra Joe for owner-trainer Ray Jones. The gelding, a winner at 28 of his 50 starts, will begin from barrier six and is capable of a strong effort. He was unlucky last Friday night when he lost ground twice in the final lap when locking sulky wheels with Tenzing Bromac. That followed excellent victories in Group 2 and Group 3 events at his two previous starts.
Hall has won the Village Kid Sprint five times — with The Falcon Strike (2003), Rakarebel (2011), Hokonui Ben (2013) and Beaudiene Boaz (2015 and 2016) — and he has also prepared eleven placegetters in the event.
He holds a strong hand in Friday night’s race with Wildwest (Callan Suvaljko), Gambit (Stuart McDonald), Diego (Maddison Brown) and Prince Of Pleasure (Mitch Miller).