Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Chris Voak was delighted with You Fly With Me’s first-up effort at Bunbury on Tuesday of last week and he is confident that the New Zealand-bred five-year-old will prove to be hard to beat in the 2130m Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
You Fly With Me raced in the one-out, three-back position before finishing solidly and covering the final 800m in 56.1sec. when fourth behind Cotton On in the 2100m event at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park.
“That run was good and he worked in terrific fashion today (Tuesday) and Plan A on Friday night will be to lead from barrier one,” he said. “There are a couple of good horses in the field, and I think he can lead and win.”
In what should be a keen betting race You Fly With Me’s most serious rivals appear to be Machs Bettor, Lucky Galleon, Rodasi and Hillview Bondi.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a strong hand, with Machs Bettor (barrier six) and Hillview Bondi (barrier four). He will drive Hillview Bondi, who has been unplaced at his five appearances since rating 1.54.4 when finishing strongly to win from Whos The Dad three months ago.
Kyle Symington will drive Machs Bettor, who was a close-up fifth behind Peter Petrify in the Higgins Memorial last Friday night when he dashed forward from the rear early to race in the breeze before getting to the front 420m from home and wilting in the final stages.
Lucky Galleon began from the outside of the back line in the Higgins Memorial and caught the eye when he finished strongly from tenth at the bell to be sixth. He will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy a comfortable passage before Aiden De Campo calls on him for a spirited finishing effort.