Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has led in the home straight with Major Martini and Jumpingjackmac in the past two WA Derbies only to be beaten into second place by the fast-finishing Patronus Star and Mighty Ronaldo — and he has high hopes of better luck and winning the $200,000 Sky Racing WA Derby at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will be driving brilliant three-year-old Tricky Miki for outstanding trainer Justin Prentice, who trained and drove Mighty Ronaldo to victory last year.
A win by Tricky Miki would give Hall a record of six WA Derbies as a reinsman. He had 11 drives in the Derby (including seconds with Ivory Trader in 2002, Ulrich in 2004 and Macraider in 2008) before driving Alta Christiano to victory in 2013.
His past eight Derby drives have produced five wins (with Alta Christiano, Beaudiene Boaz, Chicago Bull, King Of Swing and Major Trojan), seconds with Major Martini and Jumpingjackmac and a fourth with Im Rockaria in 2017.
“It’s not an easy race to win,” said Hall. “And a lot of that is because of the distance (2536m) for the three-year-olds. This is one of the weakest Derby fields I’ve seen for quite a while.”
Tricky Miki will be a firm favourite on Friday night, but the gelding will have to overcome an awkward draw at barrier six, with the progressive and speedy Machs Bettor at barrier four and appearing the likely leader.
Tricky Miki notched the seventh win from 13 starts when he trailed the pacemaking Machs Bettor and was unable to get into the clear until the home turn before finishing powerfully to get up and snatch a last-stride victory by a head from Machs Bettor in the 2536m group 2 Western Gateway Pace last Friday week.
“Tricky Miki’s past two runs (including leading and winning the South-West Derby at Bunbury by nine lengths from Rellim) have been super,” said Hall. “If we had drawn inside Machs Bettor we could’ve got to the front. Now, I’ll probably do nothing with him out of the gate, and then put him into it when I see fit.”
Ryan Bell, who trains Machs Bettor, is confident that the gelding, who will be driven by Kyle Symington, will take a power of beating, saying: “I think he can turn the tables on Tricky Miki, especially if he finds the front.
“Tricky Miki will be hard to beat, no matter what. However, our bloke is ready to go. I’m not a huge fan of barrier four, but when you study the field, it looks like that Machs Bettor will be able to find his way to the top. He needs to improve on what he did at his latest start, but I think he has. He is well and is ticking over perfectly.”
The New Zealand-bred Street Hawk, unplaced at his three starts as a two-year-old, has blossomed under the care of leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond and has won at seven of his ten starts as a three-year-old, with two wins in New Zealand early this year and then winning at five of his seven starts for the Bond stable.
Street Hawk will start from the inside of the back line, and star reinsman Ryan Warwick declared: “His ability is very good, but the draw makes it a bit awkward. It’s a comfortable spot and not a bad barrier depending on what happens. He is going well, and he is not going to be favourite. But he has a good chance to earn money.”
Greg Bond has won the Derby with Richard Henry (2005), In The Force (2009) and Seel N Print (2011) and he and his wife Skye prepared Patronus Star for his win in 2020. Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri is also seeking his fifth winner of the Derby after scoring with Saab (1998), Talladega (2000), Argent Treasure (2008) and Crombie (2010).
Olivieri is pinning his faith in Taking The Miki, the winner of the group 1 WA Oaks two starts ago. She will be driven by Chris Voak from the prized No. 1 barrier and faces the task of becoming the first filly since Whitbys Miss Penny to win the Derby. Whitbys Miss Penny, trained and driven by Rod Chambers, won the 1991 Derby from The Sleek Byrd and Smooth Business.