Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
It was a back to the drawing board for Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green after he had driven Captain Stirling into a close second on debut at Pinjarra just over 15 weeks ago.
On the surface, Captain Stirling had given a stout-hearted performance to finish a half-length behind When In Vegas after racing in the breeze for the first 400m and then in the one-out, one-back position and then running home determinedly, out wide, from fourth at the 100m mark.
“I wasn’t happy with him,” said Egerton-Green. “He is a big colt and he needed time to develop. And now I’m happy with his development, and his recent work has been so good that I have decided to start him in the Team Bond Champagne Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He’s got the gun draw (at barrier No. 1 in the $50,000 feature event over 2130m) and hopefully he will lead. I really like the horse and he has a bright future.”
Before his debut Captain Stirling gave a sample of his ability when he sizzled home and covered the final 400m in 26.9sec. in a 1684m Pinjarra trial in which he raced in third position in the single file five-horse field before finishing powerfully to win convincingly from the pacemaker Lake Pichola.
Captain Stirling’s main dangers are likely to be American Major, Reinette, Noble Thorondor and Into The Future.
American Major will make his debut from barrier three. He will be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, who is hoping the colt will go one better than his runner Whataretheodds, who finished second to Bushwacked in the Champagne Classic three years ago.
“I might have thrown him in at the deep end a bit, but they’ll know he’s there,” said Bell. “I’m pretty confident that he’s at the top of my two-year-olds.”
American Major warmed up for Friday night’s feature event with a good win in a three-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.
He sat behind the pacemaker Everywhere Man until Symington eased him off the pegs with 650m to travel. He was not fully extended in wining by a neck from Everywhere Man, rating 2.1.6, with a final quarter of 28.8sec.
The Frank Nafranec-trained Reinette is the only filly in the field. She will begin from barrier five with Trent Wheeler in the sulky. She has won at two of her five starts (at Pinjarra and Bunbury) and was an excellent second to Highview Heidi over 1730m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.
Noble Thorondor, trained by Bruce Lovett and to be driven by Kyle Harper, will start from the outside barrier the field of eight. He has shown considerable promise, with his four starts (all at Pinjarra) producing an easy win over Titus and three second placings.
Byford trainer Peter Anderson, who prepared the brilliant James Matthew for his victory in the 2008 Champagne Classic, is looking for a strong performance from Into The Future, the most experienced runner in Friday night’s race.
Into The Future will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from barrier six. He has raced nine times for wins at Pinjarra and Northam as well as two seconds and three thirds.