Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented mares Water Lou and Penny Black will share the back mark of 30 metres and look set to fight out the finish of the $35,000 Race For Roses over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
They are by boom American stallion Sweet Lou, whose third runner in the annual event is Sweet Vivienne, who has bright prospects of finishing third behind the backmarkers.
None of those three mares have contested a standing-start event, but all three have qualified recently after sound getaways behind the barrier strands at trials.
Gary Hall Jnr will drive Penny Black for trainer Michael Young, and he said that the 2500m journey would suit the redoubtable stayer Penny Black, a winner at ten of her 22 starts.
“She is ideally suited off the back mark, and she was safe enough away in her trial (at Pinjarra three Mondays ago),” said Hall. “I expect Penny Black or Water Lou to win.”
Hall has a good record in the Race For Roses, having won the event with Nowuseeme (2009), Beaudiene Beach Babe (2019) and Semiramide (2020).
Four-year-old Water Lou, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, has won at 21 of her 30 starts for earnings of $428,052. She will be making her first appearance for six weeks — since she trailed the pacemaker before fading to finish last behind the speedy Steno in 2130m Lord Mayor’s Cup.
Water Lou was most impressive when she began safely in a 2550m standing-start trial at Byford last Saturday when she sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 27.1sec.
“I expect her to match up against the older mares in Friday night’s race,” declared Reed. “She works with fast-class horses from our stable, and I’m very happy with the way she is going.
“She got away well in the trial, and I think she will get away a lot better, following out the ones drawn in front of her. Shannon (Suvaljko) didn’t pull the plugs in the trial, and that run should do her the world of good.”
Trainer-reinsman Chris Voak, who drove Taking The Miki to victory in the 2023 Race For Roses for trainer Jemma Hayman, is looking for a strong effort from Sweet Vivienne, who has won easily in mobile events at Gloucester Park and Narrogin at her past two starts.
Sweet Vivienne, who qualified to race in stands with a smart getaway in a standing-start trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week, will begin from the 10m mark on Friday night.
“She has gone to another level at her past couple of starts, but I’m not super confident about the stand even though she led and won her qualifying trial by about four lengths,” said Voak. “She will either fly away and lead by three (lengths) or she will miss the start. It’s heart in your mouth early with her.”
Young, who has a high opinion of Penny Black, will have a good second-string runner in five-year-old Acushla Machree, who will be making her first appearance for just over 15 weeks. She will begin from 10m and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko.
Acushla Machree, a winner at five of her 32 starts in New Zealand, has raced five times in WA for two wins and two placings. Her only appearance in a stand was when she began off the 30m mark and galloped and lost five lengths at the start before finishing a close-up seventh in a field of eight behind Boudica over 2700m at Alexandra Park on May 24, 2024.
Several of the lesser lights in Friday night’s race are vastly experienced in stands, including the David Young-trained frontmarker Minor Catastrophe, who will be driven by Aiden De Campo, who said: “She steps like a bullet, and she should be whereabouts, although it looks very hard.
Minor Catastrophe has won at seven of her 26 starts in stands, with her stablemate Jackie Daniels (Dylan Egerton-Green) has had one stand win (at Northam).
Jill Mach, to be driven by Trent Wheeler for Pinjarra trainer Karen Young, has contested 81 stands for nine wins, 17 seconds and eight thirds. She has raced in the past three Race For Roses for a sixth behind Purest Silk (2022), a second to Taking the Miki (2023) and a third to Turn the Page (2024).
The Biana Ashcroft-trained Fleur Du Marquis (Kyle Harper) has been successful in five standing-start events, and she is capable of solid showing from the 10m mark.