Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey made a wise decision earlier this year to purchase Salsawithsierra, a handy five-year-old mare who has bright prospects of completing a winning hat-trick when she contests the 2130m Congratulations Dr Jim Giumelli Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I picked her up cheap from Victoria, and she has been doing a good job without being a star,” said Turvey. “Barrier eleven (No. 2 on the back line) is a good barrier and she can make her own luck and can be driven a number of ways.”
Salsawihsierra has been driven by Kylah Madden at midweek Gloucester Park meetings for excellent wins at her past two starts — over 1730m and 2130m when Turvey engaged the 22-year-old to handle the mare in events in which she was eligible to start, using Madden’s claim.
On Friday night Salswithsierra will be contesting a metropolitan-class event for the first time when having her 37TH start in a race. “I have used Kylah’s claim at the mare’s latest two starts but I didn’t require a claim this week,” said Turvey. “But Kylah deserves to drive her again after she had handled her so well for her two recent wins.
“Salswithsierra’s run two starts ago when she came from behind (three back on the pegs at the bell) revealed a good turn of foot. Then at her next start Salsawithsierra led from barrier one and beat Goggins and Leeroy Rox.”
Turvey bought Salswithsierra after she had raced in Victoria 27 times for two wins (in minor events at Cranbourne and Melton) and four placings. The mare now has had nine starts in WA for Turvey for four wins and three seconds.
Friday night’s event will see Madden in action for the sixth time on the program in which she has each-way prospects with Miss Uneek (race one), Official Rock (two), Blaze Away (three), Hotly Pursued (five) and Luvbite (seven).
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr also is looking forward to an extremely busy night during which he will be in action in nine of the ten events, with his best winning prospects likely to be Elite Fleet (race one), Final Collect (two), Ultimate Miki (four), A Little Silence (seven) and Eastbro Chrissy (nine).
“Final Collect gets his chance to break through for a win,” said Hall, who trains the New Zealand-bred six-year-old who has been unplaced at his past nine appearances following his victory as the $1.80 favourite at Gloucester Park on February 27 this year when he came from the rear early to work in the breeze and then take the lead 1300m from home.