Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Astute trainer Mike Reed’s stable is firing with impressive wins from Hoppys Way and Bettors Pride in the past week, and he will be represented by six classy pacers at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has given punters a valuable lead by declaring his best winning prospect is three-year-old filly Ruby Lou, the youngest runner in the $21,000 Nova 93.7 Pace over 2130m in which she will be driven from the No. 3 barrier by Shannon Suvaljko.
Ruby Lou, who has won at three of her 20 starts, was a $26 chance in a race for fillies last Friday night when she mustered plenty of early pace from barrier five to take up the running soon after the start and sped over the lead time in 35.5sec. before Suvaljko surrendered the lead to the $1.20 favourite Fakenit.
The final 400m was covered in a swift 27.6sec. and Ruby Lou ran home strongly to finish second, a length behind the brilliant Fakenit.
Ruby Lou meets older rivals this week and will need to be at her top to beat up-and-coming star Greatgreat Boulder, who will begin from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. But in assessing the prospects of Ruby Lou and Greatgreat Boulder it is interesting to compare the times set in the 2130m events in which they raced last Friday night.
Ruby Lou finished a length behind Fakenit, who covered the 2130m in 2min.34.5ec. and rated 1.56.7, while Greatgreat Boulder finished three lengths behind Blameitonthenight, who ran the 2130m in 2min. 37sec. and rated 1min.58.6sec.
“Ruby Lou is a good chance,” said Reed. “She ran second to a good horse last week, and she has pulled up good and is working well. I think she can lead and prove very hard to run down.”