Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Four-year-olds have won the past four John Higgins Memorials, and star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr is hoping to maintain the trend by winning the $50,000 feature event over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night with the New Zealand-bred gelding Major Jay.
Major Jay, trained at Ravenswood by Nathan Turvey, produced a splendid performance to win a qualifying heat at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Saturday week, and he has the ability to overcome the awkward draw at barrier six.
He began from the back line in the heat and settled down in ninth position before he surged forward with a fast three-wide sprint after 450m to move into the breeze, with Tantabiddi setting the pace.
After middle quarters of 28.8sec. and 28.3sec., Hall drove Major Jay vigorously over the final stages, with the Art Major four-year-old getting to the front 120m from the post and fighting on grimly to beat the fast-finishing pair of Onesmartfella and Hunt The Magic in a thrilling three-way photo finish.
Friday night’s race will be the 31st running of the Higgins Memorial, an event in which Hall has been successful with Partywiththedevil (2010), In The Perfect Storm (2014), Rub of The Green (2016) and Mr Fantastic (2022). Turvey drove the Ray Williams-trained Pacific Warrior to victory over the $1.80 favourite Condrieu in the 2013 Higgins.
Hunt The Magic warmed up for Friday night’s race in fine style when she raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, in the qualifying heat at Bunbury. She unwound a spirited finishing sprint, out wide on the track.
Hunt The Magic, to be driven by Kyle Symington for Byford trainer Ian Gossage, will need to buck the odds to win the Higgins, which has been won by only one mare, four-year-old Lucie Boshier, who finished strongly to beat the $2.20 favourite and pacemaker Dashing Christian, who was driven by Hall in July 2012.
Hunt The Magic, who has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, ended a losing sequence of 21three starts ago when she enjoyed a perfect sit behind the pacemaker before finishing solidly to win a half-length from $34 outsider Del Bocavista Bay over 2130m.
Hunt The Magic won twice when setting the pace early in her career but generally runs her best races when used as a sit-sprinter.
Tantabiddi, trained by Kim Prentice and to be handled by Mitch Miller, is favourably drawn on the inside of the back line. He won a 2242m heat of the Higgins at Narrogin last Saturday night when he raced in the breeze early before setting the pace and winning easily from veteran pacer Cordero.
Prentice has a good record in the Higgins, having trained and driven In The Reign (1999) and Next Ruler (2002) to victory and also driving Our Toto (trained by Gary Hall Snr) when he won easily from Rancho Ruler in 2009.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be looking for a strong effort from the freewheeling four-year-old mare Lady Camel, who has drawn out wide at barrier No. 8 and will be driven by Deni Roberts.
Greg Bond and reinsman Colin Brown combined to score nose victories in the Higgins with Money Magnet (2004) and Richard henry (2005), and Greg and Skye Bond and Roberts have been successful with See Ya Write in 2021 and Peter Petrify in 2023.
Chris Lewis, who turns 70 on Friday, will drive the Jemma Hayman-trained nine-year-old Onesmartfella, who will begin from barrier two on the back line.
Lewis has won the Higgins with Hail The Judge (1997), Our Graedy (1998), Ianalbert (2006) and Sneakyn Down Under (2008).