Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Mitch Miller has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Soho Skyfall in preference to Jimmy Rocks in the opening event, the $21,000 Merry Christmas Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Miller has driven Soho Skyfall for his six wins from 22 starts, and the Sweet Lou gelding has the class to overcome the disadvantage of the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Soho Skyfall warmed up for Friday night’s event in good style at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when he began out wide at barrier eight and raced in fifth place, one-out and two-back, before running home strongly to finish a close third behind Blazing Reactor over 1177m. He led and won from Me Flash at a 1.57.1 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park at his previous outing.
Aiden De Campo has been engaged to drive Jimmy Rocks for the first time, with the gelding handily drawn at barrier No. 3 on the front line.
Miller drove Jimmy Rocks at Pinjarra on Monday this week when the three-year-old began out wide at barrier seven and was in eighth place 1350m from home before dashing forward, three wide, to move to the breeze with a lap to travel.
Jimmy Rocks battled on gamely to finish second to the pacemaker Maximum Rock.
Maximum Rock, trained and driven by Chris Voak, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. He has won at his past two appearances, both at Pinjarra, and winning from Jimmy Rocks both times.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand in Friday night’s race in which they will be represented by Thelittle Master and Thenu Came Along.
Stuart McDonald will drive Thelittle Master from barrier four, while Deni Roberts will drive Thenu Came Along from out wide at barrier eight.
Roberts drove Thelittle Master when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before racing away to win by five lengths from Hengheng over 2130m last Friday night. That was his sixth win from 24 starts.
Thenu Came Along has raced 29 times for six wins and ten placings. He began from the outside barrier in the field of nine last Friday week when he finished powerfully with a three-wide burst from the 600m to be third behind the frontrunning Petes Honour.
Petes Honour, to be handled by Chris Lewis for trainer Jemma Hayman, will start from the inside of the back line. Petes Honour, Kabochon and Franklin Delano will have many admirers.
Jocelyn Young trains and drives Kabochon, who will be aiming to extend his winning sequence to four when he starts out wide from barrier seven. He is versatile and looks set for many more wins.
Franklin Delano, trained and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, will begin from the No. 6 barrier. He disappointed when he covered extra ground and finished last behind Petes Honour at his most recent appearance. His form before that, three wins and two seconds from five starts, was excellent.
The Greg and Sky Bond-trained Street Hawk should be a star bet when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Christmas Camel Pace. He caught the eye last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier nine and was trapped wide early before being restrained to the rear. He was tenth at the bell and charged home, out wide, to finish third behind Rockandrollartist and Joey James.