Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Two perfect getaways in mobile trials have boosted Abbey Vidovich’s confidence that the Kim Prentice-trained four-year-old Float My Boat will be on his best behaviour when she drives him from the No. 1 barrier in the Free Entry Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Float My Boat was a well-fancied $3.70 chance in a race at Gloucester Park last Friday week, but he ruined his chances when he galloped badly 50 metres after the start and then trailed his rivals before finishing a distant last.
He was then ordered back to trials and Vidovich handled him when he began smoothly in trials at Pinjarra two Wednesdays ago, and again at Bunbury two nights later.
“He didn’t put a foot wrong in the trials, and he should go well from the inside barrier on Friday night,” said Vidovich. “Hopefully, he will be the leader or on the leader’s back. I’m looking forward to him making amends.”
Before he galloped at his latest outing Float My Boat impressed with wins over 1177m at Pinjarra and over 2190m at Northam at his two previous starts.
Two of Float My Boat’s main rivals, five-year-olds Curadh and Brought To Light, have drawn out wide but they have shown excellent potential in brief careers.
Curadh, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will begin from barrier seven, and Brought To Light, to be driven by Chris Voak for trainer Katie Howlett, will start from the No. 8 barrier.
Curadh set the pace when an easy winner at Northam three starts ago, and he is also a versatile performer who has unwound powerful finishing bursts in country and city events.
Brought To Light began out wide at barrier nine when he sustained a strong run from ninth at the bell to finish fourth behind Captain Stirling over 2130m last Friday week. That followed four wins and three placings at his previous seven starts.
Dourado, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, is capable of figuring strongly in the finish despite starting from the outside of the back line and having a losing sequence of eleven. “He is working back into form,” declared De Campo, who faces a busy night with drives in nine of the ten events.
Apart from driving Magnificent Storm for trainer Ray Williams, De Campo suggests his best winning prospects are Captain Said So in race seven, and Magic Captain in race ten.
“Captain Said So was unlucky at his last start (when he began out wide at barrier nine and raced six back on the pegs before being hampered for room and finishing fifth behind Sebastian James last Friday night) and he should run a good race this week,” said De Campo.
“Magic Captain has a bad draw (No. 8) to contend with, but this still looks a winnable race. He won very well last week (coming from eighth at the bell to beat Raklou by two lengths).” De Campo added that he expected forward showings from Major Disco (race five), Artful Major (race six) and Gelsomino Amal (race eight).