Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Pinjarra trainer-driver Madeliene Young is delighted her filly Castella Dellacqua has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night and she plans to set the pace in a bid to notch her first feature race victory.
The 29-year-old Young hopes that her tactics will enable Castella Dellacqua to turn the tables on the brilliant August Moon, who has drawn out wide at barrier eight as she seeks to extend her winning sequence to six.
Castella Dellacqua and August Moon have clashed only once, at Gloucester Park on August 11 when Castella Dellacqua set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and finished second, four lengths behind August Moon. Castella Dellacqua was hampered by hanging out.
Then, at her next and most recent start the Victorian-bred Castella Dellacqua led from the No. 1 barrier when she over raced badly and won by a length from Catch The Red Eye over 2185m at Pinjarra last Monday week.
“She did take charge of me,” said Young. “But I have settled her down a lot, and hopefully she comes back to me and runs a good race. She has got really good gate speed and the plan will be to lead.”
Castella Dellacqua has won at three of her 13 starts — once from ten runs in New South Wales and twice from three starts in Western Australia — while the WA-bred August Moon boasts an impressive record of 16 starts for nine wins, four seconds and one third placing for stakes of $208,668.
Trainer Luke Edwards was philosophical when considering August Moon’s wide draw, saying: “She had a good draw (No. 3) when she led and won the Westbred Classic last Friday week. So, we will cop this one on the chin, and hopefully she draws a bit better in the big race (the WA Oaks) in a fortnight.
“I couldn’t be happier with August Moon. She did it well within herself last start and everything is trending very well with her. It is a good thing that she is so versatile. I think we will let it all unfold. We probably won’t have to get involved early and will come into the race later on.”
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr admits that August Moon faces an acid test, particularly drawing outside Castella Dellacqua and Turn The Page. However, August Moon has overcome setbacks in the past and many of her wins have come after covering extra ground and racing without cover. She certainly has the class to emerge triumphant again this week.
Our Sandy Shore, trained by Colin Brown and to be driven by his daughter Maddison, has won only once from 18 starts (at Northam last December) but she has finished encouraging seconds at three of her past four starts (twice behind August Moon and once behind Castella Dellacqua). She is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2 on the front line.
The New Zealand-bred Turn The Page, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from barrier five. She raced in the breeze when a half-head second to Lombo Mitchinson at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week after winning at her four previous starts.
Deni Roberts would love to celebrate her 500TH career victory and her 150TH win for the season by winning with Turn The Page. She achieved those notable milestones when she was successful with New Zealand-bred three-year-old Blaze On at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green will be looking from a strong performance from Zephyra, who will start from the inside of the back line and should enjoy an ideal passage. Zephyra has won at seven of her eleven starts.