Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Leading reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Chal Patch in preference to Mr Fantastic in the 2503m HTA Rent A Gen Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chal Patch, trained by Nathan Turvey, and the Justin Prentice-trained Mr Fantastic will start from the 10-metre line and should figure in the finish.
Hall drove Chal Patch three starts ago when the New Zealand-bred five-year-old began out wide at barrier eight and dashed to the front after 1200m on his way to winning by five and a half lengths from Per Ardua Ad Astra over 2536m at Gloucester Park.
Chal Patch is an experienced standing-start performer, with four of his six New Zealand wins being in stands. He has not raced since he trailed the pacemaker in the standing-start BOTRA Cup on July 14 and was hopelessly blocked for a run in the final lap when a most unlucky third behind Carabao and Watching Our Coin.
Mr Fantastic, unplaced at his only appearance in a stand, will be handled by Aiden De Campo. Mr Fantastic has won at 12 of his 31 starts, with his most recent success being three starts ago when he burst to the front from barrier nine, set the pace and beat Master Publisher at a 1.57 rate in a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park.
An interesting runner in Friday night’s race will be the Jemma Hayman-trained eight-year-old Tartan Robyn, who will start from the 10m line with Chris Voak in the sulky.
Tartan Robyn will be having his first start for five months — since he raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning from Special Lady in a 2569m mobile event at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on March 25. That was his only win from seven starts in WA — after four wins in stands and three in mobiles in New Zealand.
He contested a 2150m mobile trial at Byford last Sunday when he trailed the pacemaker Bonstar before dashing to the front in the final 50m to beat that pacer convincingly.
Tartan Robyn’s stablemate Extraordinary Mary will have admirers following her two-length victory over Skippys Delight in a 2560m stand at Northam last Saturday. Extraordinary Mary, to be driven by Kyle Harper, will begin from the inside barrier on the front line.