Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding mare Aardiebytheseaside will reappear after a four-month absence when she begins from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the $25,000 Barbagallo Jaguar Land Rover Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, Aardiebytheseaside boasts a splendid record of 22 wins, 14 placings and stakes of $629,962 from 47 starts. But she faces a stern test against some talented mares, notably Delightful Peg and Fakenit.
“The opposition looks pretty good, so it’s going to be pretty hard,” said Roberts. “She is working really good but it’s a tough draw. I haven’t yet decided how I’ll drive her.”
Aardiebytheseaside will be having her first outing since she was restrained from barrier eight at the start of the $50,000 Christmas Belles before dashing forward 650m later to move to the breeze outside Dame Valour at the 1200m and taking the lead 225m from home and being swamped by the fast-finishing $73 outsider Princess Katie and finishing a gallant second after the final 800m was run in 55.8sec.
Gary Hall Snr prepares Delightful Peg (barrier four) and Fakenit (barrier five), and these two four-year-olds are likely to make life tough for Aardiebytheseaside.
Delightful Peg, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is unbeaten at her first three Australian starts, at Gloucester Park last month, with Hall Jnr saying: “We will press forward and hopefully find the front, and then would be hard to beat, going on her latest run (when she set the pace and beat Fakenit and Penny Black last Friday week).”
Fakenit, to be driven by Maddison Brown, has performed superbly in a wonderful 11-start career of five wins, six placings and earnings of $191,218. She enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out and one-back position before finishing fast to be a one metre second to Delightful Peg over 2130m last Friday week.
There is no doubting the ability of every runner in Friday night’s race, with the return to racing after a spell of five-year-old Copy Cat Queen adding extra spice to what should be an extremely exciting affair.
Copy Cat Queen will be resuming after a five-month absence and will begin out wide at barrier eight for trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo, who was delighted with the mare’s form last season when she won at eight of her 15 starts.
“She’s flying and I’m really happy with her,” said De Campo. “But she is going to find it hard to get into the race from her wide barrier.”
De Campo is more confident with his smart three-year-old filly Wishing Belle, a winner at nine of her 12 starts, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Barbagallo Maserati Pace.
“It’s a good draw for her,” said De Campo. “She has shown good gate speed at her past couple of starts and she should be able to hold up, and if she does, she will be hard to beat. She has shown before that she can beat the boys, and so, hopefully, she can do it again.”
One of the “boys” is the brilliant colt Ideal Beach, a winner at five of his seven starts, with his victories including the Group 2 Pearl Classic and the Group 1 Westbred Classic last year. He will be making his first appearance for just over six months when he begins from the No. 5 barrier.
Ideal Beach is trained by Justin Prentice and will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr.