Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
An unexpected slice of fortune has enabled promising pacer The Bettor Side to gain a start in the $125,000 APG WA Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he gets an excellent chance from barrier No. 4 to win the 1730m feature event.
The Bettor Side, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, was extremely unlucky when fourth in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week.
The gelding was then named as the second emergency for the final, and he gained a start when Hold The Ammo, a brilliant heat winner, and When In Vegas, a splendid second to that colt, were unfit to contest the rich final.
This meant that the first emergency Last Hard Copy and The Bettor Side were included in the field of ten runners.
In his heat The Bettor Side began speedily from barrier four and led for the first 120m before Mysta Moon Walker got to the front, and after slow opening quarters of 31sec. and 32.3sec. dashed over the final 400m sections in 29.2sec. and 28.8sec. to win by 2m from It Is Crunch Time.
The Bettor Side was hopelessly blocked for a run all the way in the home straight and finished fourth, with De Campo saying: “He was very unlucky and went across the line bolting. He is a nice horse who has plenty of gate speed. We will go forward, looking for the front. If he does, he should be hard to beat.”
Last Hard Copy, trained by Mark Lee, will be driven by Kyle Harper, and the colt faces a tough assignment from the outside barrier (No. 9).
Hold The Ammo, trained by Katja Warwick, was most impressive in his heat victory, surging home from fifth at the bell to win easily. However, the $140,000 yearling was lethargic after his win and returned a low blood count.
Mysta Moon Walker and Louie Vee were smart heat winners for trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams, and they look set to produce strong efforts in the final. Williams will drive Louie Vee from a somewhat awkward draw at barrier six, while Chris Voak will drive Mysta Moon Walker from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Louie Vee has mustered excellent early speed to set the pace and win at his first two starts, while Mysta Moon Seeker followed his half-head second to Louie Vee on debut with his heat win last week when he began smartly from barrier five and took the lead after 120m, set the pace and sprinted over the final 400m in 28.8sec. to beat It Is Crunch time by 2m.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell also holds a strong hand in Friday night’s race, with four runners, Charivari (barrier one), Wicked Hustler (barrier seven), It Is Crunch Time (barrier eight) and Control The Room (the solitary runner on the back line).
Gary Hall Jnr will handle Charivari, who had a tough run in the breeze before finishing a close third behind Mysta Moon Walker in a heat; Ryan Warwick will drive Wicked Hustler, who raced wide early and then took the lead after 500m and set the pace before wilting to third behind Hold The Ammo in his heat.
It Is Crunch Time, to be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, was a good second to Mysta Moon Walker in a heat, while Control The Room was an excellent second to Louie Vee in his heat. Reinsman Kyle Symington was delighted with Control The Room’s performance, saying: “His run was awesome. There were big wraps on Louie Vee, and we sat outside of him and finished second, beaten only by two metres.”