Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Up-and-coming four-year-old Rockmyster will begin from the perfect No. 1 barrier for the fourth time in the space of six starts when he contests the $30,000 Im Themightyquinn Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And this should enable him to notch his fourth consecutive victory. His previous starts from the No. 1 barrier have resulted in all-the-way wins by comfortable margins for Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green.
“Getting another No. 1 barrier is unbelievable; it’s bizarre, and I’m not complaining,” said Egerton-Green, who is planning for another all-the-way win. “Leading is not his only strength; he is a good sit and kick horse as well, and this will be an attribute when he goes up in grade.”
This recent welter of perfect barriers has followed five back-line draws and front-line barriers of six and eight at his first seven Australian starts after arriving in WA with a New Zealand record of one win and one placing from nine starts.
Rockmyster gave his rivals little chance at his most recent appearance, over 2130m last Friday week, when he began speedily, set the pace and sprinted over the final 400m sections in 27.7sec. and 28.8sec. to beat Ardens Horizon by seven metres at a 1.57.1 rate.
Rockmyster will need to be at his peak to beat four-year-old mare Acharne Girl, the least experienced runner in the race, with five wins and four placings from 15 starts.
Acharne Girl, prepared by Gary Hall Snr and driven by his son Gary, has resumed after a seven-month absence in dazzling form with two wins at Pinjarra followed by two more at Gloucester Park from four starts.
Acharne Girl is a versatile pacer whose wins at Gloucester Park on the past two Friday nights have been in 2130m events restricted to fillies and mares.
“I think she can handle herself against the boys,” said a confident Hall Jnr.
Another runner who will have plenty of admirers is four-year-old Goodfellaz, who is prepared by Hopeland trainer Debra Lewis and will be driven by her husband Chris from the outside of the front line.
Goodfellaz, whose 19 starts have produced eight wins and eight placings, was most impressive last Friday night when he broke in the score-up and settled at the rear before he surged home from ninth at the bell to finish third behind Soho Dow Jones. He dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.9sec.
Rock On Top (barrier three) also is capable of a strong showing at his fourth appearance after a spell. Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo said he was pleased with the four-year-old’s fourth behind Soho Dow Jones last Friday night.
“It was good that he ran a better race last week after a very disappointing run at his previous start (sixth behind Rockmyster),” said De Campo.
De Campo has sound prospects in the final event in which he trains and drives speedy four-year-old mare Sovrana, a winner at seven of her 28 starts who will begin from the No. 5 barrier. Sovrana has finished second (behind Nullarbo Navajo and Steno) at her past two outings.
“She has been disappointing at her past couple of runs, even though she has run seconds,” said De Campo. “So, I have freshened her up, and hopefully she improves.”
The only other four-year-old in the race is the Greg and Skye Bond-trained mare Mighthavtime, who will be driven by Deni Roberts from the awkward draw at barrier six. Mighthavtime, a winner of four races in New Zealand, will be having her start in Australia, following a sixth at Pinjarra and a fifth behind Illawong Mustang at Gloucester Park after galloping 150m from home and then recovering to finish strongly, out four wide.
“Mighthavtime goes alright, and we think we have got her right,” said Roberts.