Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star driver Deni Roberts is confident consistent four-year-old Thelittle Master will prove hard to beat after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in the $31,000 Garrard’s Westbred Autumn Feature Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He rarely runs a poor race, and last Friday night he began from barrier four before getting to the front after 250m and then setting a solid pace and being swamped in the final couple of strides to finish a close third behind Menemsha and Magnus Victor.
“Thelittle Master went really good and is very much in the zone,” said Roberts. “I’ll try to get him out as quick as I can and try to lead. He felt really good in himself last week, and even though he has been racing for a while it was the best he has felt in a warm-up for me. He felt sharp, and usually they get out of the gate better when they’re like that.”
Thelittle Master, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will clash with Menemsha and Magnus Victor again this week.
Joey Suvaljko will again drive the Aiden De Campo-trained Magnus Victor, who poses the most serious threat to Thelittle Master. He was most impressive last week when he began out wide at barrier eight and was eighth at the bell before charging home.
Princess Katie has struck top form for trainer Michael Young, and she will also have admirers, particularly considering her favourable barrier at No. 2. She began from out wide at barrier eight last Friday night and worked hard in the breeze for much of the way when a fighting second to the frontrunning Sweet Vivienne.
A week earlier Princess Katie raced wide early and then without cover before winning narrowly from Hunt The Magic, rating 1.56.8 over 2130m.
“Princess Katie was super last week in what was probably her career-best run,” said reinsman Gary Hall Jnr.
The Bond stable and Roberts also will be favoured to notch another victory with star four-year-old Justcallmemiki, who has created a tremendous impression with easy wins at his first three appearances in Australia, all over 2130m at Gloucester Park.
Justcallmemiki, who has relished his role as pacemaker in his three WA wins, will begin out wide at barrier seven on Friday night, with Roberts saying: “The plan will probably be endeavouring to stay ahead of our dangers, Montana D J (barrier eight) and Hillview Bondi (nine).
“They look like our two dangers, so I’ll probably have to press forward from barrier seven and hold a forward spot.”