Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
WA-bred five-year-old The Miki Taker has a losing sequence of nine, but he gets an ideal opportunity to return to winning form when he lines up at barrier six in the $21,000 Trotsynd Pacing To Victory Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He drops in grade, and I’ll probably drive him more positively, and hopefully he will get the job done,” said Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
“He has been racing in Free-For-All company and from the outside barrier at his past two starts. He has been going well but has had no luck at all.”
The Miki Taker raced at the rear all the way and had no chance last Friday night when Tricky Miki dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 27.6sec.
His toughest rival appears certain to be OK Boomer, who will start from the outside barrier in the field of nine. OK Boomer has raced in fine form for trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper, setting the pace and winning from Gee Heza Sport at a 1.56.7 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
De Campo also has several other excellent each-way prospects on Friday night, including Menemsha (race three), Dominus Factum (race four) and Magnus Victor (race nine).
Menemsha, who is ranked at No. 7 for the $200,000 WA Derby on Friday week, will start from barrier seven in the Vale Hubert Tucker Pace for three-year-olds.
“He was disappointing when third behind Caberneigh at Bunbury two starts ago but was better last week (when he led and finished third behind Christopher Dance in the group 3 Western Gateway),” said de Campo.
“Seven is not the ideal draw this week, and he has taken a little bit of time to start trying again. He suffered an atrial fibrillation five starts ago, and two starts after that he hurt his knee, and these things have knocked his confidence.
“I’ve been working on getting his confidence back, and last week was a positive sign.”
Dominus Factum will need to overcome a testing barrier at No. 7 in the $25,000 Trotsynd#Winnerswin Pace over 1730m in which he will clash with Goodfellaz (barrier one), Jawsoflincoln (two), Im The Black Flash (nine) and Steel The Show (11).
Dominus Factum impressed at his third appearance after a spell when he led early and then trailed the pacemaker Paul Edward before finishing strongly to win from Chivalry over 2130m last Friday week when the final 800m was covered in 55.8sec.
“The mile suits but it’s a tough field for him,” said De Campo. “I’ll play it by ear and see how he goes.”
Magnus Victor began from the outside of the back line when he dashed forward, three wide, to get to the breeze after 550m before taking the lead at the 100m and finishing second to the fast-finishing Faster Than Dad over 2130m last Friday week.
He is favourably drawn at barrier two and De Campo will be aiming to set the pace. “He is getting back into form nicely, and hopefully he will find the front, and if he does, he will be hard to beat,” he said. “He is probably my best for the night.”