Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Lightly-raced four-year-old Goodfellaz has resumed after a spell in splendid form and he looks a star bet at Gloucester Park on Friday afternoon when he will start from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Garrard’s Rio Cobra Pace.
The American Ideal gelding, trained by Debra Lewis, raced in the one-out, one-back position for much of the way before finishing strongly to be third behind talented four-year-olds Noted and Tricky Miki in a Gold Bullion heat on Tuesday night when the final 800m was covered in 56sec.
That was his second appearance after a seven-month absence, and his effort earlier this week delighted champion reinsman Chris Lewis, who said: “He is a good leader and this is a drop in class. I think that this should be a good race for him.”
Toughest for Goodfellaz to beat is likely to be Alcopony, the only other four-year-old in the field who will be driven by Emily Suvaljko from barrier four.
“I drove Alcopony three starts ago when he went very well, finishing second to Roll Up,” said Suvaljko. “And at his next start he finished a very good fourth behind El Chema and Street Hawk.”
Suvaljko is also looking forward to driving Gliding Star for trainer Jemma Hayman in the Garrard’s Here On Track Pace for three-year-old fillies. She has driven Gliding Star at her five starts for three wins, one second and a fifth placing.
Under the preferential barrier conditions of the race Gliding Star will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight.
“It is an even field, and we just have to hope that they go hard,” said Suvaljko. “Gliding Star has shown that she can lead and come from behind. We will probably sit up and hope there is a good tempo.”
Seven of the eight runners were bred in Western Australia, the exception being the New Zealand-bred filly Sweet Ivy, who is trained in Bunbury by Sarah Wall.
Sweet Ivy, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from barrier five, followed her excellent debut second to promising gelding Franco Mecca at Bunbury with an excellent victory over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
She began out wide at barrier six, raced three wide early and took the lead after 400m before going on to win by a length from Syncopation.
Sweet Ivy took a little while to get to the front and then she got it all her own way,” said Hall. “She has her main dangers (Gliding Star, Fly To Fame and Thorium Energy) outside of her on Friday, so we will try to keep them there, behind us or outside of us. She will go well.”
The Katja Warwick-trained Fly To Fame is the most experienced and best performed runner in the race, and is capable of fighting out the finish after starting out wide at barrier seven.
Fly To Fame will be handled by Chris Lewis, who said: “She needs an inside draw. She is only a little filly and is up against some decent horses.”