Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Chris Voak has begun the year in splendid form, and punters should forgive James Butt for his first-up defeat last Friday week and mark him down as a star bet at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old will start from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Retravision Pace and Voak will be planning on an all-the-way victory.
James Butt resumed after a spell a fortnight ago when he set the pace from barrier one before fading late and finishing fourth behind Pierre Whitby over 2536m. “He was put under a lot of pressure (particularly when the middle 400m sections were in 28.9sec. and 28.5sec.) and his run was terrific,” said Voak.
James Butt has been plagued by injury, and his most recent victory was when he rated 1.55.1 over 2130m and beat Iccenothink and Im Soxy on February 7, 2020.
Remarkably, James Butt is one of four pacers Voak will drive from the prized No. 1 barrier, the others being Just For Love, Disco Under Fire and Perfect Major, with those three having sound each-way prospects.
Just For Love, trained by Barry Howlett, will clash with the talented Michael Young-trained pair of Im Themightylucy and Nevermindthechaos in the 2130m Bizlink Pace. Just For Love has led and won four times, but will need to be at her top to topple the Young pair.
Emily Suvaljko will be driving Im Themightylucy (barrier two), and Gary Hall Jnr will drive Nevermindthechaos (barrier five). Im Themightylucy has won at seven of her 14 starts, and Nevermindthechaos has had 23 starts for eight wins and seven placings.
Ten-year-old Disco Under Fire, trained by Frank Vanmaris, was an all-the-way winner over 2130m three starts ago and he appeals as the likely leader in the A&E Property Group Pace in which he will clash with Valentines Brook and Mea Culpa.
Kyle Symington has given punters a good lead by opting to handle Valentines Brook from barrier six ahead of Mea Culpa, who will start from barrier eight and will be driven by Kyle Harper.
Valentines Brook is in wonderful form and will be strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick of wins.
Perfect Major, trained by Jemma Hayman, gets an excellent chance to end a losing sequence of 15 when he contests the $23,750 Parliamentarians Cup. He raced three back on the pegs and was blocked for a clear run until late when he finished strongly to be an unlucky second to Mighty Conqueror last Friday week.