Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo brought $1.30 favourite Amalfi Knight home with a spirited burst from sixth at the bell to get up and win by a half-length from stablemate American Machine ($7.50) in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week, but he has a strong belief that American Machine will turn the tables when they clash in the $50,000 Team Bond Pearl Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“There is not much between them, but from the better barrier draw American Machine looks the one,” said De Campo when electing to drive that colt and engaging Dylan Egerton-Green to handle smart gelding Amalfi Knight, who has impressed with four wins and three placings from nine starts.
American Machine, who has had eleven starts for two wins and four placings, has drawn a favourable barrier at No. 3 on the front line, with Amalfi Knight out at barrier five, and stablemate Bettor Behave, to be driven by Trent Wheeler, awkwardly drawn at No.7.
“The three of them are racing very well and it is hard to split them,” said De Campo. “However, the draw points to American Machine, who has good gate speed.
“The only time he has led, he won (at Pinjarra early last October), with the only danger is that he can fire up. We will come out hard and put our eggs in one basket, and if he leads and relaxes, he will be hard to beat.”
In the first qualifying heat last week American Machine began out wide at barrier eight and settled down in ninth position before making a fast move to get to the breeze outside the pacemaker Cease To React with 1050m to travel.
He then hit the front on the home turn but failed to hold out Amalfi Knight, who raced in the breeze early and then enjoyed a good trip, one-out and two-back, before starting a three-wide move at the 600m and sustaining a strong effort to forge to the front in the final 30 metres, rating 1.55.1 after final 400m sections of 28.1sec. and 28.3sec.
Chugach, driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was an eye-catching third and is capable of a bold effort on Friday night despite beginning from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Chugach trailed the frontrunning Cease To React in last week’s qualifying heat before being eased off the pegs 220m from home but then being badly blocked for a clear passage in the home straight. Finally, he got clear with 60m to travel and he flew home, out four wide.
There is always the possibility that Roberts will make full use of Chugach’s explosive gate speed, and if that transpires the race could well develop into a thrilling affair.