Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
It’s all systems go for star pacer Never Ending as he prepares for his final assignment in Western Australia before leaving next Tuesday on the first leg of his trip to Sydney to contest the $2.1 million Eureka at Menangle on September 7.
The champion four-year-old faces a stern test when he starts from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the $31,000 Vale Ron Davies Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He seems to have come through last week’s win in good shape,” said trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice. “Hopefully, we will head off next Tuesday on a flight to Melbourne before he will travel by truck to Sydney.”
Under the conditions of Friday night’s race Never Ending had to draw the outside barrier, which will test him, with so many talented pacers on his inside.
His stumbling block looms large as the New Zealand-bred six-year-old Tenzing Bromac, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green from the No. 7 barrier, with the gelding’s Greg and Skye Bond-trained stablemates Steel The Show (barrier five) and Mighty Conqueror (barrier six) drawn to his inside.
Tenzing Bromac resumed in fine style after a spell three Fridays ago when he began from the No. 5 barrier and raced without cover with Jumpingjackmac setting the pace in the 2536m Winter Cup.
Tenzing Bromac took a narrow lead 225m from home and finished a head second to Never Ending, who thundered home from eighth at the 250m to get up in the final stride.
Never Ending then continued on his winning way with a comfortable victory over Talks Up A Storm and Arma Einstein over 1730m last Friday night. He rated 1.54.6 after final 400m sections of 28.1sec. and 28sec.
Talks Up A Storm, having his second start after a spell for trainer Murray Lindau and reinsman Kyle Harper, trailed the pacemaker Soho Dow Jones before running home strongly. He will begin from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night.
Most of the runners in Friday night’s event possess excellent gate speed, with Hampton Banner favoured to get to an early lead from the No. 3 barrier. He has set the pace and at 12 of his 15 wins. Talks Up A Storm (barrier two) has led and won four times at Gloucester Park.
Arma Einstein (barrier four) has led and won five times, and Steel The Show has set the pace and won on eight occasions, while Tenzing Bromac has led and won at six of his 16 wins in Western Australia. He is an extremely strong and versatile pacer who has won nine races in WA after racing in the breeze.