Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Montana Glory from the inside of the back line in preference to noted frontrunner Seven No Trumps from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 21130m Join Trotsynd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Montana Glory, trained by Mike Reed, has been driven by Suvaljko at her two wins (at Pinjarra and Northam in February 2023) from 14 starts in Western Australia.
She will be making her first appearance after a six-month absence, with Reed saying: “She is first-up for a while, but her work has been good. If Seven No Trumps leads, she will definitely be in the finish.”
Seven No Trumps, trained by Peter Tilbrook, has won at nine of his 62 starts. Suvaljko has driven him at four of those victories, with three of them coming when he set the pace.
Seven No Trumps has not been successful for 18 months, but his recent efforts have been encouraging, with a last-start fourth behind My Little Big Man last Friday night coming after a second to Courage Of Lombo at Northam and his fourth behind Franco Western at the same track.
He will be handled by Dylan Egerton-Green, who had his first drive behind the five-year-old last Friday night.
Reed and Suvaljko also have bright prospects of winning the 2130m Trotsynd Group 1 Winners Pace with promising three-year-old Dark Eyes, who will be clashing with older and more experienced pacers.
Dark Eyes, a winner at four of his 22 starts, is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, and his good gate speed should enable him to win the start and set the pace.
He was unlucky as a $126 outsider when he finished a close-up fourth behind quality three-year-olds Artful Miki, Bet The House and Menemsha last Friday night. He began from barrier seven in the field of eight and was a conspicuous last at the bell before finishing strongly along the inside. He was blocked for a clear run in the home straight.
“He is working good, and he definitely has a winning chance,” said Reed.
Let It Linga, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainer Michael Young, has a losing sequence of 19 but is racing keenly and is due for a change of luck after three seconds and a third placing at Gloucester Park from her past four appearances. She possesses good gate speed and is handily drawn at barrier three.
Young has excellent prospects of winning the $30,000 WASBA Pace for four and five-year-old mares with the brilliant New Zealand-bred Penny Black, who is capable of overcoming the wide barrier at No. 8 and extending her winning sequence to eight.
Rattlin Lilly, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, will begin from the outside barrier in the field of nine and should again be placed behind Penny Black after her strong performance when second to that mare last Friday week after covering a lot of extra ground.
Roberts also has excellent winning prospects with last-start winners Tenzing Bromac and Aardiebytheseaside, two of the best pacers in the powerful Bond stable.
Tenzing Bromac, who won from Never Ending last Friday night, will start from barrier seven in the $31,000 Trotsynd Free-For-All over 2130m, while Aardiebytheseaside should extend her winning sequence to six by proving too good for her seven rivals in the Trotsynd Syndication Paced over 2130m.