Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Bettor Get It On is a tough and talented six-year-old whose clash in the Trotsynd Pace with other outstanding mares Nevermindthechaos and The Amber Hare will be a highlight of the nine-event program at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Star Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice is full of hope that Bettor Get It On’s more favourable barrier (No. 2) will prove a decisive factor in the outcome of the race in which Nevermindthechaos will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and The Amber Hare will begin from the No. 4 barrier on the front line.
“We’ve got the draw advantage on the two main dangers,” said Prentice. “And we will be looking to keep that advantage. Better Get It On had a good win last start and has come through that good. So, she should run a good race and be hard to beat. I’d love to be able to push our way to the front. But she is also versatile and loves doing it tough.”
Bettor Get It On, to be handled by Emily Suvaljko, impressed when she won the group 3 Laurie Kennedy Pace, rating 1.55.9 in beating the pacemaker Vivere Damore and The Amber Hare last Friday week. Nevermindthechaos was inconvenienced and paced roughly 600m from home before finishing an unlucky sixth.
That win came at Bettor Get It On’s first start since finishing third to the brilliant Eighteen Carat in the $50,000 Christmas Belles on December 23. She had won at her two previous starts, beating Eighteen Carat and Platinum Sparkle earlier in the month.
Outstanding trainer Michael Young is far from downcast at Nevermindthechaos drawn to start from the back line, saying: “I’d rather she had drawn to lead because she is unbeatable when she leads. She hasn’t drawn inside five for her nine starts in this preparation.
“But from barrier eleven she will be close enough on Friday night. She is versatile and deserves to be favourite.”
Nevermindthechaos started from barrier six and settled at the rear in a 2130m event last Friday night before Gary Hall Jnr set her alight and she burst to the front after about 600m and went on to score an easy two-length victory over The Amber Hare, who battled on gamely after working hard in the breeze.
Byford trainer Katja Warwick is looking for her diminutive filly Fly To Fame, to be driven by Chris Lewis, to turn the tables on August Moon when the smart three-year-old fillies clash in the $20,250 Mates Stick Together Pace over 2130m — after August Moon beat Fly To Fame by three lengths, rating 1.57.5 over 1730m last Friday week.
August Moon, trained by Luke Edwards, started from the No. 3 barrier, with Fly To Fame at No. 4. August Moon, driven by Hall, won the start, set the pace and was untroubled to win from Fly To Fame, who had a tough run in the breeze.
“From barrier one I would like Fly To Fame to lead,” said Warwick. “She can come out quick, and with a better barrier this week she can turn the tables on August Moon. It’s not impossible.”
Fly To Fame raced at Northam last Friday night when she began from barrier six, raced wide early and then took the lead before winning from Gliding Star, rating 1.59.8 over 2190m.
The Mike Reed-trained Cabsav, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from barrier three, is also capable of a bold showing on Friday night. She has had 20 starts for four wins seven seconds and three thirds.
“Cabsav is racing well and she has drawn inside August Moon,” said Suvaljko. “I’ll have a few options and she will run a strong race.”