Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Smart colt Waverider, who lost his unblemished record when he was surprisingly beaten into ninth place as a $1.26 favourite in the $100,000 Pearl Classic three weeks ago, has drawn perfectly at barrier No. 1 in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He also began from barrier one in the Pearl when he was beaten for early speed by Ten To The Dozen and then raced in the breeze before wilting to finish almost seven lengths from the winner Menemsha.
“He was disappointing,” admitted trainer Ryan Bell. “We thought that maybe he was out of his comfort zone. But his heart rate was high after the race and his blood showed that he had a bit of a viral infection.
“So, we are going to put that performance behind us, and he is now as good as I can have him. Based on the way he looks and the way he has worked I am pretty chuffed and happy that he has got real lucky with the barrier draw again. But he’s going to have to pull out all stops to hold up.”
Before that shock defeat Waverider had set the pace and won in good style, twice over 1730m and twice over 2130m, at his first four starts. He will be driven by Kyle Symington, who has handled him in all his five starts.
Looming large as serious rivals for Waverider are the Aiden De Campo-trained Menemsha and Grevis, each impressive last-start winners.
De Campo will drive Menemsha, who will begin from the No. 5 barrier, and Trent Wheeler will handle Grevis from his favourable draw at barrier No. 2.
Menemsha overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line to win the Pearl Classic when he raced in the one-out, two-back position and was still in sixth place 400m from home before he charged home with a final 400m of 28.4sec. to beat Grevis by a neck after that colt had enjoyed a perfect trip behind the pacemaker Ten To The Dozen.
Grevis then contested a 1730m event last Friday night when he trailed the pacemaker Vegas Strip before he finished strongly to beat that gelding by a neck at a 1.55.3 rate, with final quarters of 28.4sec. and 28.7sec.
Ideal Muscle, a winner at three of his seven starts, is the third De Campo runner in Friday night’s rich classic. He will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko and should enjoy a favourable trip after starting from the inside of the back line.
Gary Hall Jnr faced a tough decision in choosing his drive in the race. A more favourable draw at barrier No. 3 resulted in his choice of handling Thelittle Master ahead of Blaze Away at barrier seven.
Thelittle Master, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, impressed when he ran home strongly from eleventh at the bell to finish fifth behind Menemsha three Fridays ago. That splendid effort followed five wins in a row.
Blaze Away, trained by Justin Prentice, reappeared after a six-month absence when he raced in the breeze and finished fourth behind Arma Believer over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. His only other starts were early this year when a winner over Ten To The Dozen in a heat of the Sales Classic, followed by his well-beaten second placing behind Waverider in the final. Stuart McDonald will drive the Sweet Lou gelding on Friday night.
Apart from Thelittle Master, the Bond stable will be looking for a strong performance from the speedy Ten To The Dozen, who will be driven by Deni Roberts from barrier No. 9. Ten To The Dozen has won five races and he possesses brilliant gate speed.
The Colin Brown-trained Arma Believer, to be driven by Maddison Brown, will start from the outside of the back line. He warmed up for the race with an all-the-way win over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green is looking for an improved effort from Cork Can Run (barrier two on the back line) after the Sportswriter colt finished a well-beaten eleventh behind Menemsha three weeks ago.
“He got back in that race and had a chance to run on,” said Egerton-Green. “But he hung down badly. I have sussed out a few things, and his work has been a lot better. He should get a nice run.”