Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Former Victorian square gaiter Patched has been a star since entering the Pinjarra stables of David Young 21 months ago, and he has an ideal opportunity to add to his impressive record by winning the Group 3 1730m Pick Your Race Name Trotters Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A winner at four of his 30 Victorian starts, the seven-year-old Patch has blossomed under Young’s care and his 30 WA starts have produced 14 wins, eight seconds and three thirds.
He is favourably drawn at barrier No. 1, and Aiden De Campo will be keen to set the pace. At his only appearance over 1730m Patched was the $1.50 favourite from barrier five and ran home strongly from eighth (and last) at the bell to finish third behind the pacemaker Luvaflair in the Trotters Sprint last March.
Patched is racing in excellent form and he warmed up for this week’s assignment with a short half-head victory over Aldebaran Sundown over 2692m at Pinjarra last Monday week. He raced three wide early and then in the one-out, one-back position before getting to the front 600m from home.
Luvaflair, trained and driven by Nigel Johns, has finished third at three of her past four starts, and she will have many admirers, keen to support her after her win in this event last year. The six-year-old chestnut rarely runs a poor race and boasts an excellent record of 97 starts for 18 wins and 32 placings for stakes of $167,850.
Tricky Ric, trained by Gary Hall Snr and to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, won the Trotters Sprint in March 2022 when he led from barrier three and beat My Mdina by three lengths at a 1.58.4 rate.
Tricky Ric, who gave a sample of his ability when he won nine races in a row between March and December 2022, has not raced since October 14 when he began from 50m and was denied a fair start when the hand-held strand failed to release. He broke soon after the start and was retired, with the stewards declaring him a non-runner.
His two starts before that, in September, resulted in second placings behind Our Maestoso at Pinjarra and Scootin Around at Gloucester Park. He impressed in a 2150m trial at Pinjarra last Sunday week when he was not extended in finishing strongly to be third behind Travelban.
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett holds a strong hand in the race with last-start winners Our Maestoso (barrier four) and Love You Lucy (seven).
Our Maestoso is a five-year-old who has had only twelve starts for ten wins, a third and a sixth placing. He will be driven by Chris Lewis. The New Zealand-bred gelding has been freshened up since he made most of the running and beat Tricky Ric over 2692m at Pinjarra on September 18. He led and won from Luvaflair over 2130m at Gloucester Park 13 nights earlier.
Love You Lucy, a five-year-old mare, made an excellent debut at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when she set the pace and won by four lengths from Hold That Gold over 2503m.