Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Ace Capel trainer Aiden De Campo is banking that a superior barrier draw will give Between Two Thorns an excellent opportunity to turn the tables and beat Flametree in the $50,000 APG Gold Bullion final for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Barry Howlett-trained Flametree started from the No. 1 barrier in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week when she set a slow early pace and sprinted over the final 400m in 27.8sec. to win by just over a length from Between Two Thorns, who started from barrier four and raced in third place in the Indian file affair before fighting on determinedly.
This week Between Two Thorns will begin from the No. 4 barrier, with Flametree starting from the outside barrier in the field of five.
“We have the barrier draw advantage over Flametree and we will definitely be using that to our advantage,” said De Campo. “If Between Two Thorns finds the front, she will take a heap of beating.
“I’m really happy with her tractability, and she has been running through the line really well. She will improve a heap on her first-up run and her trackwork this morning (Tuesday) was good. After all the headaches she has given me, she is starting to give me a little bit of a smile.”
Mitch Miller gives Flametree a good chance of winning, saying: “I think she will improve a fair bit after her heat win when she felt the best she has since she won the Gold Bracelet in March last year. She was racing second-up, and there was a month between runs.
“Apart from Between Two Thorns I am expecting plenty of opposition from Jackie Daniels, who ran a good third in last week’s heat, and from No. 1 this week she could try to hold up and pinch the race.”
Colin Brown trains and drives Xceptional Arma, who looks a certainty in the $50,000 APG Gold Bullion final for two-year-old fillies. Xceptional Arma has raced five times for two wins and three second placings, while her five rivals have managed one win between them — and that was when the Peter Anderson-trained Remarkable Rock set the pace and scored a runaway victory at Gloucester Park three starts ago.
Xceptional Arma will start from the No. 2 barrier, and she has the necessary gate speed to lead and go on and win from Remarkable Rock.