Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
An outstanding performance by Fabulous Dream at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night was a strong pointer to her winning prospects in the 2130m Trotsynd Join The Fun Pace over 2130m at headquarters on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old mare, trained by Kevin Keys and driven by Shannon Suvaljko, was not bustled at the start from out wide at barrier eight and was in eleventh position at the bell before she followed a three-wide burst from Mysta Moon Walker and then was switched five wide with 300m to travel and got to the front 130m from the post on the way to winning easily from Under The Alta.
Fabulous Dream rated 1.57.9 over the 2130m trip, the fastest time of the night on a track which suited frontrunners much more than horses coming from back in the field.
“It was a super first-up run (after a three-month absence),” said Suvaljko. “There was a fast lead time (36.2sec.) and we were off the track in the last lap. She also has good gate speed and has won a lot of races when leading.”
One of the main dangers to Fabulous Dream is expected to be inexperienced six-year-old Diamond Bay, who is trained and driven by Chris Voak and will begin from the No. 3 barrier.
Diamond Bay excelled in the lead two starts ago when she won a 1609m event at Pinjarra in 1.53.5 a month ago and then got to the lead in the middle stages and finished a close second to The Wand Waver over 2242m at Narrogin on April 18.
Ace trainer Colin Brown holds a strong hand in the opening event, the 2130m Free Entry at Gloucester Park Pace restricted to three-year-olds in which he will be represented by Im Category Five and My Machane.
Brown’s daughter Maddison has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive Poster Boy filly Im Category Five, who is handily drawn at barrier No. 3. Brown’s son-in-law Dylan Egerton-Green will handle My Machane, a promising American Ideal gelding who will start from the No. 4 barrier.
Im Category Five, one of three fillies in the race, has won at five of her 15 starts and has finished second at her past two starts. She is speedy and versatile and has led and won as well as winning twice after racing without cover.
My Machane also has good gate speed, and he was a winner at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park as a two-year-old. He is capable of significant improvement after unplaced efforts at his first three outings since resuming from a spell.
Ideal Beach, trained by Justin Prentice, was an outstanding two-year-old, and is sure to improve on his two runs since resuming after a spell. He will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr and will start out wide at barrier seven.
He fought on solidly from seventh in the middle stages to finish an encouraging second to Wake Up Geoff in the $100,000 APG Sales Classic race over 2130m last Friday week.
The Kevin Keys-trained Shimmering should be prominent from the No. 2 barrier. She caught the eye last Friday night when she finished an unlucky fifth behind Wake Up Geoff in the Caduceus Club Classic.
She was ninth at the bell and was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage in the closing stages when she finished full of running.