Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
American Ideal two-year-old filly Cabsav showed her class early this year with two wins and a second from three starts, including an impressive victory in the group 1 Sales Classic, before being sent for a spell.
She reappeared after a three-month absence when she started from the No. 3 barrier and raced in the breeze before wilting to finish fifth in a field of seven last Friday week.
Trainer Mike Reed admitted that he was disappointed with her performance, but said that Cabsav was a bit underdone, and that he was now confident that she was capable of returning to form when she starts from out wide at barrier No. 9 in the 2130m Spurs Champion League Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She hadn’t trialled before her first-up run, but since then she has worked well and I think she can win, providing that there is a bit of pace on,” he said.
Adding considerable interest to Friday night’s race will be the return to racing of trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo’s talented filly Between The Thorns, who will start from barrier seven at her first appearance since she hit a wheel, broke into a gallop and finished last behind Cabsav in the Sales Classic on February 25.
At her only previous start Between The Thorns began from barrier six, dashed to an early lead and went on to win by a length from Cabsav at a 1.58.1 rate over 1730m.
Also resuming after a spell is Northam trainer Jesse Moore’s promising Sweet Lou filly Zephyra, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green from out wide at barrier eight.
Zephyra, who impressed with a last-start fast-finishing win over 1730m at Gloucester Park on March 18, warmed up for this week’s event with an encouraging effort in a 2150m Byford trial last Sunday week. She started from the outside barrier in the field of five, was restrained to last, met with interference 1300m from home and was fourth at the bell before dashing to the lead with 350m to travel and finishing second to the fast-finishing Jackie Daniels.
Reed is also confident that five-year-old Caveman will prove to be hard to beat in the 2130m Bobs In Town Pace in which he will be start from barrier seven with Shannon Suvaljko in the sulky.
Caveman raced wide early and then without cover before finishing determinedly to be a head second to the pacemaker Arma Einstein last Friday night. He also raced in the breeze when a winner at his two previous starts.
“His past couple of runs have been super,” said Reed. “I think he goes better when he races outside the leader. When he has to go out wide he seems to get a bit lost, but when he is outside the leader he is in it for the fight.
“He is in career-best form since I have changed his work a bit. I’m not hoppling him at all, and am working him, leading off the cart for 20 minutes at a time.”