Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Former Victorian pacer Watts Up Sunshine made an impressive WA debut on Tuesday of last week when he set the pace and outclassed his rivals in a 2536m event at Gloucester Park.
The Sunshine Beach five-year-old faces a tougher assignment when he starts from barrier three in the 2130m Fly Like An Eagle Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with reinsman Gary Hall Jnr saying: “This is a stronger field, and it will be interesting to see how he goes from behind if he can’t get the lead.
“He got away with a bit last week (with opening quarters of the final mile in 33sec. and 30.5sec.). He is fast out but there is good pace to his inside on Friday night.”
Watts Up Sunshine, who is trained by Michael Young, impressed when he dashed over the final 400m sections last week in 28.6sec. and 28.4sec. and won by three and a half lengths from Duty Bound and Stamford.
Hall has given punters good lead by choosing to handle Watts Up Sunshine ahead of stablemate Kimble who he has driven at seven of his past eight starts.
Hall has several good drives at Friday night’s meeting, saying that his best winning prospect was the Young-trained mare Eighteen Carat, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the $23,750 Memorial Day Stakes over 2130m.
Eighteen Carat notched her ninth win from her past 15 starts and her 14TH win from 53 starts when she dashed to an early lead, set the pace and easily beat Miss Boudica and Wonderful To Fly at a 1.56.5 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
She has excellent prospects of becoming the first mare to win the Memorial Day Stakes since Golden Goddess beat Scanio and Abmidas in 1997. Hall has driven the winner of this event three times, scoring with John Of Arc in 2015 and with Whozideawasthis in 2018 and 2021.
“This is a good race for a five-horse field,” said Hall. “Hopefully, Eighteen Carat can lead and win.”
Hall has chosen to drive the Young-trained Ideal Tomado ahead of stablemate Getn Wiggy Withit in the 17309m Follow The Stars Pace.
Getn Wiggy Withit, drawn the perfect No. 1 barrier, will be driven by Maddison Brown, with Ideal Tomado facing a stern test from out wide at barrier eight over the sprint trip.
“Ideal Tomado’s first-up win at Bunbury last week was good,” said Hall. “He has good gate speed but is unlikely to get to the front with so much speed to his inside.”
Ideal Tomado burst to an early lead from barrier six at Bunbury on Wednesday of last week before he was passed by a flying Carabao after about 650m. He then trailed that pacer before finishing solidly along the sprint lane to clinch victory by a head.
Getn Wiggy Withit reappeared after a four-month absence last Friday night when he impressed in finishing with a powerful burst from the rear to be fourth behind Faster Than Dad over 2130m.
Ideal Tomado and Getn Wiggy Withit are sure to receive plenty of opposition from Goodfellaz, The Miki Taker, Illawong Mustang and Alcopony.