Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Up-and-coming pacer Rock Artist will end a sequence of eight appearances in standing-start events when he returns to mobile racing in the Happy 90TH birthday Des Parr Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred gelding’s eight stands resulted in four wins and three placings, including excellent seconds to Carana in the 2503m BOTRA Cup and the 3309m Marathon Handicap.
He should appreciate a drop in class when he begins from the No. 3 barrier this week.
“This program of running in stands has always been part of my plan leading into the feature events for four-year-olds later in the year,” said Voak.
“I always thought Rock Artist was on the weak side, and my plan was to condition him over the longer trips in the stands. Now I think he is a far stronger horse, and his stamina has improved.’’
“He should run a good race. I don’t think he has to lead to win. He is a good sit-sprint horse as well. We aim to go forward and take up a position on the pace somewhere, and he will run a strong last mile. I’m confident he will be in the finish.”
Comeback pacer Serious Moonlite, to be driven for the first time by Stuart McDonald for trainer Michael Young, has won at two of his past three outings, and he should fight out the finish after starting from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Young will also be represented by Chillin, who will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line with Gary Hall Jnr in the sulky. Hall Jnr timed Chillin’s finishing burst perfectly when the four-year-old got up in the final stride to snatch a last-stride victory over Major Overs over 1730m last Friday night.
Gully Gum (barrier seven) and Skylord (eight) have the ability to win, while the Annie Belton-trained Louie Dior adds considerable interest to the race after scoring easy victories at his three appearances after an eight-month absence. Louie Dior, to be driven by Ryan Bell, will start from the outside of the back line.
Trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Bellezza Nera (barrier five) ahead of stablemate Illawong Mustang, who will start from the No. 1 barrier with Trent Wheeler in the sulky.
Emily Suvaljko will drive Eton Rock (barrier six) for trainer Nathan Turvey. The five-year-old possesses sparkling gate speed. “It’s a hard field, but Eton Rock is racing well without much luck,” said Suvaljko.
Trainer Bob Mellsop said that Gully Gum, a winner at eight of his 18 starts and to be driven by Deni Roberts, was a lovely, honest horse. “Barrier seven makes it hard, but he’s not keen on going back,” he said. “Deni will sort things out.”
Skylord, part-owned, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, is a quality four-year-old who has won at nine of his 26 starts. He will start out wide at barrier eight at his first appearance since he began from the No. 8 barrier over 2536m at Gloucester Park on May 21 and surged forward, out three wide, to get to the front in the first lap before winning easily from Machs Bettor, rating 1.57.9, with final quarters of 28.9sec., 27.8sec. and 28.4sec.
Mellsop’s smart square gaiter Hold That Gold will be favoured to improve his record in his current campaign to nine starts for seven wins by proving the master of his ten rivals in the 2130m Never Trot Lodge Trot.
Hold That Gold will start from barrier four and will be driven by Deni Roberts. “He doesn’t have to lead but he will be trying to,” said Mellsop. “He has natural gate speed and has won in the breeze at Gloucester Park. He raced in good company in Melbourne and is now racing with a good bit of confidence.”
Aiden de Campo, who is driving in brilliant form, said that Lombo Mitchinson appeared to be his best winning chance on the ten-event program. The four-year-old, trained by Michael Blakemore, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m We Love Our Members Pace.
“I think he can do a fair bit of work and still go close to winning,” said de Campo.
Lombo Mitchinson trailed the pacemaker Sly Terror in a 2130m event last Friday night before de Campo eased him into the clear at the bell, and he ran home strongly to finish a desperately close third behind Rattlin Lilly and Soho Firestone, with the margins being a head and a half-head.
Gary Hall Jnr will drive the polemarker Let It Linga for trainer Michael Young. Let It Linga has led and won at Stawell and Maryborough, and three times at Gloucester Park.
“If she can hold (the lead) she will go close,” said Hall. “I think she will be able to lead.”