Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Former New Zealand pacer Hugotastic has won easily at his first two Australian starts and is expected to be a hot odds-on favourite in the opening event, the $25,000 Ascot Group WA Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but star trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is confident his little gelding Ideal Muscle has the speed and strength to beat his talented rival.
De Campo has opted to drive Ideal Muscle in preference to his brilliant stablemate Menemsha, a winner of six races and $284,631, with his victories including the group 1 Westbred Classic and group 2 Pearl Classic as a two-year-old in 2023, as well as finishing second to Christopher Dance in the group 1 WA Derby last November.
Ideal Muscle has earned $106,782 from eight wins and 12 placings from 30 starts, and he impressed at his second outing after a spell when he charged home, out wide, from the rear to finish second to stablemate Magnus Victor last Friday night.
Menemsha reappeared after a spell in dashing style when he finished brilliantly to win from Magnus Victor last Friday week when driven by Trent Wheeler in place of De Campo, who was under suspension.
Ideal Muscle will begin from the No. 2 barrier, with Menemsha drawn to start from the outside barrier in the field of eight.
“The better barrier draw was the reason I’ve chosen to drive Ideal Muscle,” said De Campo. “The two horses worked together this morning (Tuesday) and I couldn’t split them at the finish.
“I thought Ideal Muscle was career best last start, and I think he can lead and win this week. He ran super times off the track (out wide) last week and hit the line strongly. His work this morning on the Pinjarra track was as good as it has ever been.
“I think he can cross the one (Chasing Hill) and prove hard to beat. Hugotastic has big wraps on him, but he is jumping up in grade a fair bit.”
It is interesting to compare the runs of Hugotastic and Ideal Muscle when they raced last Friday night. Hugotastic covered his final 800m in 56.2sec., with two 28.1sec, quarters, while Ideal Muscle ran his final 800m in 56.4sec., with final 400m sections of 27.68sec. and 28.6sec.
Wheeler will handle Menemsha, who cannot be overlooked as a winning chance. He is capable of unleashing a sparkling late burst.
Adding interest to the event will be the return to racing of six-year-old Ira Poole after an absence of ten months — when the gelding trained by Gary Hall Snr finished strongly to win over 2130m at Gloucester Park last June.
Hall Snr holds a strong hand in the 2130m Allwood Stud Pace for three-year-old fillies with Finuala (barrier two) and Fakenit (barrier four). Hall Jnr will handle Fakenit, and Stuart McDonald will drive Finuala, who will be making her debut.
Fakenit made a winning debut when she set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and beat Captainshavtime by two and a half lengths on March 4, and then finished an unlucky second to Reinette 17 days later.
“Fakenit is flying,” said Hall Jnr. “Her first-up run was terrific, and her second run was probably slightly better when she was checked on the final bend. She has come a long way in a short time.”