Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Shannon Suvaljko, WA’s leading driver last season with 197 winners, has given punters a good lead by choosing to handle Mister Montblanc ahead of Captains Beachbabe in the Hoist Torque Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Mister Montblanc, trained by Annie Belton, will start from the 30m mark, with Captains Beachbabe, the only mare in the field of eleven, the only runner on the front line. She will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
Mister Montblanc has a losing sequence of 14 but he is knocking on the door after finishing second at four of his past five starts, with his latest appearances producing excellent seconds in stands, behind Caliente and Mandown. His previous five runs in stands produced two wins and three unplaced efforts.
Captains Beachbabe has recently entered the Mardella stables of Michael Young, and she made a good impression at her first outing for him when she covered a lot of extra ground before finishing second to Kolisi over 2265m at Albany last Saturday.
Young’s other runner in Friday night’s event is My Ultimate Chevron, who will be driven by Maddison Brown off the 30m mark, is in splendid form and looks set to fight out the finish. He started off the 60m mark when a winner over 2648m in Albany three starts ago. Since then, he has finished third in a stand behind Mandown and Mister Montblanc and was a fast-finishing third in a mobile event behind Classic Choice at Gloucester Park.
The Chris Voak-trained Caliente is the class runner in the field. He will be driven by Chris Lewis and is a standing-start specialist, capable of overcoming his handicap off the back mark of 40m.
Matt Scott’s veteran pacer Gee Smith, to be driven by Deni Roberts, is well placed on the 10m line for his 160TH start in a race. He was hampered for room until the late stages when a close second to Rock Me Over in a 2536m mobile event on New Year’s eve.
Scott will also be represented by Mydadtheterror, who will be making his Gloucester Park debut after his first two starts in WA produced a first-up victory when he set the pace and beat Im The Best in a 2400m stand at Busselton on December 26, and a well beaten fourth behind Jackpot Joe in a 2030m start on the same track six nights later. He will be driven by Aiden De Campo off the 10m mark.
Speedy mobile performer Mr Fantastic has changed stables and will be having his first start for Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell. He will be driven by Kyle Symington, starting from the 30m mark.