Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
D Mac, the brilliant winner of the Group 1 Golden Slipper last September, is firmly on target for the $200,000 WA Derby on October 30, and he will be strongly favoured to turn the tables on his classy stablemate Im Stealthy when they clash in the 2130m ULE Hoof Oil Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
They are two of trainer Gary Hall senior’s four three-year-olds in the event which is sure to be a highlight of the ten-event program. Hall’s other runners are He Is Talking (Dylan Egerton-Green; barrier two on the back line) and Bumrah (Maddison Brown; barrier two).
D Mac, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, has appeared twice in his current campaign when he raced in the breeze and finished a first-up second to Skinny Dippin and then began from the outside of the back line and finished second to Im Stealthy last Friday week.
Im Stealthy started out wide at barrier eight and raced four wide early before surging to the front after 550m and setting a fast pace on his way to winning by a length from D Mac, who settled down in tenth position and was seventh, out three wide at the bell before running home with great determination.
With D Mac drawn better (at barrier six) than Im Stealthy, to be handled by Stuart McDonald from the outside of the front line at barrier No. 9, D Mac looks set to turn the tables on Friday night.
He Is Talking should be able to slot into a handy position from his back-line draw and should figure in the finish. He took the lead from Bumrah after 350m and then enjoyed a perfect passage behind the pacemaker before finishing third.
El Mystro, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, will be making a welcome return to racing when he begins from the No. 5 barrier for his first start since finishing fourth in the Golden Slipper last September.
He is a promising pacer who won at three of his eight starts as a two-year-old. He warmed up for his first-up assignment with a smart win in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra three Wednesdays ago when he raced in the breeze and beat Skyhigh Adda by more than two lengths, rating 1.58.1 after final quarters of 27.3sec. and 28.4sec.
Proposition Joe and Ideal Beach are talented youngsters who look set to be strong WA Derby contenders. Proposition Joe, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is awkwardly drawn at barrier No. 7, but cannot be underestimated.
Proposition Joe resumed after a four-month absence in fine style, racing wide early and then in the breeze before dashing over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 28.3sec. and winning from El Raes Girl and Maas Attack over 2190m at Northam on July 18.
Trent Wheeler will handle Ideal Beach for Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice when he begins out wide at barrier eight at his first appearance for 14 weeks. He has won at five of his ten starts.