Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Emerging star trainer Michael Young is bubbling with confidence that The Mustang will return to the winning list at his second start after a spell when he begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Caduceus Club Come UJP And Join Us Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Mustang, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, will clash with the brilliant open-class pacer Minstrel, a winner of 16 races and $612,398 in prizemoney, who will start from barrier three.
The Mustang, who has earned $200,284 from 18 wins and 28 placings from 70 starts, resumed after a four-month absence when he began from the No. 2 barrier and trailed the pacemaker Eldaytona and was hemmed in until the final 220m before he flew home, out three wide, to finish a head second to Know When To Run in a slowly-run 2130m Free-For-All last Friday night.
“We have the barrier advantage this week over the short trip,” said Young. “He was really good last week, and there is not a horse in the State who can cross him (at the start). He will lead and I will be disappointed if he doesn’t win.
“He had no right to get as close as he did last week. It was a slow race with a quick final quarter, and the run should have topped him off perfectly for this week. He has got to win to show that he is up to the (open-class) grade.”
Minstrel, to be driven by Deni Roberts, has a losing sequence of twelve. But his recent form in top company has been excellent. He covered extra ground when a fighting fifth behind Diego in the 2692m Pinjarra Cup on Monday afternoon. And at his previous outing he finished strongly to be a close second to Glenledi Chief over 2536m at Gloucester Park.
Young and Hall will also be looking for success in the $50,000 group 3 Lombardo Free-For-All for mares in which Hall will handle outstanding pacer Nevermindthechaos, who is awkwardly drawn at the No. 5 barrier.
Nevermindthechaos has won at five of her past six starts and certainly has the form and the ability to prove the master of her chief rivals The Amber Hare (barrier No. 3) and Bettor Get It On (the sole runner on the back line).
Nevermindthechaos started from the back line last Friday week when she enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing strongly to get up and snatch a head victory from the pacemaker Bettor Get It On.
“This will be the tenth start for Nevermindthechaos in this preparation, and this is the tenth time she hasn’t drawn inside No. 5,” said Young. “The barrier gods have been very unkind to her. But she has been able to defy the gods through a combination of good driving and her ability. She probably doesn’t get the credit she deserves. She’s not getting any wins when she can just roll to the front, which is her strong point.”
Trainer-driver Jocelyn Young is hoping for a change of luck with her smart mare The Amber Hare, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 3.
“I don’t think that The Amber Hare has been at her top at her past couple of runs, but they haven’t been easy runs, either,” she said. “We’ve probably drawn the best (of the main chances), drawing underneath the good ones (Nevermindthechaos, Three Rumours and Sheez Our Hope).
“If we can make use of this advantage, and she fails, then I’ll know that I’m not on the right track.”
The Young-Hall combination will also be popular in the Caduceus Club President Trevor Lusty Handicap, a 2530m standing-start event, in which their runner Arden Velocity will start from the inside of the front line.
Arden Velocity is a standing-start specialist, whose eight starts in stands in WA have resulted in four wins, two seconds, one third and one fourth placings. He caught the eye in a 1730m mobile event last Friday night when he was tenth at the bell before finishing strongly to be third behind Adda Spoilt Major and Joey James.
“This is a big step up in grade for him,” said Young. “We will try to lead, and if he does he will run a good race.”
Arden Velocity will need to be at his peak to beat Ima Fivestar General, who will start off the 10m mark and will be driven by his trainer Robbie Williams. Punters should take into consideration that Ima Fivestar General is an unreliable beginner who has galloped at the start in his three appearances in stands.
Ima Fivestar General galloped and lost two lengths before dashing to the front and winning from Just Wing It and Lawrence at Pinjarra. He lost four lengths at the start and improved from a distant seventh in the middle stages to finish third behind Awaitinginstructions at Gloucester Park, and he lost ten lengths and was eighth at the bell before finishing strongly to be second to Troopingofthecolor in the 2560m Northam Cup in January this year.