Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
A slight edge in fitness and a diet of hard racing over the past 12 weeks could well tip the scales in favour of Mister Smartee against the brilliant Never Ending when the superstars clash in the $200,000 Retravision Golden Nugget over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr had to deliberate hard and long before choosing to handle Mister Smartee, prepared by his father and Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr, in preference to the Justin Prentice-trained Never Ending.
It was an agonising decision by Hall Jnr, who has driven Mister Smartee at 13 of his 15 starts in Western Australia for 12 wins and a second placing, compared with his record of driving Never Ending at 21 of his 24 starts for 14 victories.
A major factor in favour of Never Ending is that he has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, while Mister Smartee is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2.
Prentice, who has driven Never Ending three times for two wins and a second placing, plans to take full advantage of the WA-bred gelding’s natural gate speed by attempting an all-the-way win.
On the other hand, Hall will go into the race with a clear mind keeping his options open as he assesses his tactics in what is sure to develop into an enthralling contest between two outstanding four-year-olds.
The New Zealand-bred Mister Smartee has raced 17 times for 14 wins and a second placing for earnings of $440,211, while Never Ending has had 24 starts for 16 wins, five placings and stakes of $680,839.
Mister Smartee warmed up for this week’s group 1 event with a comfortable victory in the group 2 Four-Year-Old Classic last Friday week when he enjoyed a perfect trip in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to beat Lusaka by a length, rating 1.53.9 over 2130m. He covered the final 400m sections in 27.66sec. and 27.72sec.
Never Ending resumed after a 13-week absence when he began from the outside in the field of seven in a 2130m Free-For-All last Friday night and was driven conservatively by Hall.
He relaxed in last place before Hall sent him forward, three wide, with 600m to travel. He ran home strongly to finish third behind Jumpingjackmac and Lavra Joe, with final quarters of 27.18sec. and 27.96sec.
This was an excellent first-up effort from Never Ending, who also was produced by Prentice in wonderful shape for a first-up run for 12 weeks in the 2536m Winter Cup on July 12 when he was eighth at the bell and tenth with 450m to travel before going five wide on the home turn and flying home to snatch a last-stride victory over Tenzing Bromac.
Outstanding records and the times recorded by both Never Ending and Mister Smartee reveal that very little separates these super pacers, who will be clashing in a race for the second time.
Their only meeting was in the 2536m WA Derby on November 3, 2023, when Never Ending (barrier No. 2 on the back line) finished second to Skylou, and Mister Smartee (out wide at barrier eight) finished ninth.
Never Ending settled in fifth place before dashing forward after 450m to take the lead 150m later and then was overhauled 60m from the post by Skylou, who had trailed him for the final two laps.
Mister Smartee had no luck. He was inconvenienced 300 metres after the start and lost two lengths before then being restrained to the rear. He then went forward in the second lap to move to the breeze 1200m from home. But he wilted in the final stages to finish ninth.
Never Ending and Mister Smartee will dominate betting on Friday night’s race, with the likely prospect of many of the other runners fighting it out for the third and fourth placings.
Trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper will be looking forward to a comfortable passage on the pegs after starting from the inside of the back line with OK Boomer, a winner at four of his past five starts.
Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo has Sorridere racing with great heart, and from barrier four the Sunshine Beach gelding has the class to make his presence felt.
Prentice’s No. 2 runner Rolling Fire will be driven by Trent Wheeler from barrier No. 6. Rolling Fire, a winner at eleven of his 30 starts, overcame the No. 8 barrier in the Four-Year-Old Classic when he was tenth at the bell before finishing strongly to be fourth behind Mister Smartee.
Deni Roberts will handle the consistent Lusaka for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond. Lusaka, a winner at 14 of his 34 starts, trailed the pacemaker Chivalry before taking the lead 220m from home and finishing second to Mister Smartee last Friday week.
Prentice will be looking for his third Golden Nugget success after driving Im Victorious to victory for trainer Michael Brennan in 2012 and preparing Tricky Miki (driven by Maddison Brown) 12 months ago.
Hall Jnr has won the Nugget with The Gold Ace (2011) and Beaudiene Boaz (2015), with both pacers being trained by his father, who guided the Des Parr-trained Valley Champ to victory in the 1993 Nugget.