Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Smart two-year-old gelding Lake Pichola made a splendid debut when a winner at Pinjarra three Mondays ago, and he will be out to repeat the dose when he begins from barrier four in the Nova Nation’s Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trained by Ron Huston and driven by Chris Voak, Lake Pichola impressed at Pinjarra when he settled down in sixth position in the field of eight and began a three-wide move 400m from home and sprinted fast to get up in the final stride to beat Im Massimo, who had sat behind the pacemaker Lazarus Star and made use of the sprint lane to take the lead 75m from the post. The winner rated 1.59.7 over 2185m.
A week later the Justin Prentice-trained Im Massimo set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and dashed over the final quarters in 28.1sec. and 27.5sec. to win easily from Captain Said So over 1684m at Pinjarra.
Lake Pichola and Im Massimo will clash with winners By Gee By Jingo, Captain Stirling, Captain Said So, Mysta Moon Walker and Louie Vee.
Captain Stirling, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will begin from the No. 3 barrier and will have admirers after two seconds and a last-start victory by three lengths over Formel over 1684m at Pinjarra. “He has led at his past two starts, and I didn’t think that was his go,” said Egerton-Green.
Deni Roberts will drive By Gee By Jingo for trainers Greg and Skye Bond. The American Ideal gelding finished solidly to win comfortably on debut over 2130m at Kellerberrin.
“He is an immature type and is still learning,” said Roberts. “But he has a nice draw (No. 2).”
Roberts is looking forward to driving the Bond-trained three-year-old Ten To The Dozen in the opening event, the 2130m Perth’s Hit Music Station Nova 93.7 Pace in which he will start from barrier two on the back line.
Ten To The Dozen, a winner at eight of his 18 starts, will be resuming after an absence of 14 weeks. All his wins have been when he has set the pace, and the back-line draw will see him in a different role on Friday night.
“It’s unfortunate that he won’t be leading because that is where he does his best work,” said Roberts. “And this will be his first race outside his age group when he will be racing against older and more experienced horses.
“I’ll have to drive him the way the race pans out. He is working well and should be there at the finish.”
Captain Bligh, Bellezza Nera and the polemarker Star Of Willoughby, an all-the-way winner last Friday night, should provide Ten To The Dozen with solid opposition.
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green said he expected a strong performance from six-year-old Bellezza Nera, who will start from the No. 4 barrier on the front line. “He is racing well and has been running home strongly,” said Egerton-Green. “Hopefully, his turn of foot will help him. He’s a good chance.”