Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Promising young driver Emily Johnson is looking forward to driving Sport Sport Sport in the $30,000 Direct Trades Supply Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the Aiden De Campo-trained four-year-old will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
The 20-year-old Johnson notched her 49TH winner when she was successful with her only drive at Bunbury on Wednesday afternoon when she guided Magnus Victor to victory and she would dearly love to land her first metropolitan-class winner with Sport Sport Sport, who struck a purple patch of form with three wins and two seconds from her past five starts.
“Friday night’s race will be a test for her, for sure,” she admitted. “But she is trackworking well enough, and she’s got gate speed and can make use of it. She is also versatile and has a quick turn of foot, as she showed at her last start, along the sprint lane at Pinjarra last week.”
Sport Sport Sport’s most serious rivals loom large as Cyclone Charlotte, Taking The Miki and Beyond The Sea.
Cyclone Charlotte, trained by Ray Williams and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will begin from the inside of the back line at her first appearance for nine weeks. She is lightly raced and boasts an outstanding record of 18 starts for eight wins, five seconds, four thirds and one fifth placing. She has won by more than five lengths at her latest three runs.
Much interest will also centre around the first appearance for 16 weeks of Taking The Miki, who is drawn on the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and will be driven by Stuart McDonald. Taking The Miki has earned $303,603 from ten wins and 15 placings from 37 starts.
Taking The Miki won the WA Oaks last October before finishing third in the WA Derby the following month, and earlier this year she won the Group 2 APG Gold Bullion final, beating Wonderful To Fly, and was successful in the WASBA Breeders Stakes in which she beat Three Rumours and Wonderful To Fly.
“We are very happy with her, but disappointed with the wide draw,” said co-trainer Ross Olivieri. “We are setting her for the Norms Daughter Classic and the Mares Classic, and on Friday night she will just have to slot in before she should come steaming home.”
Olivieri said that Taking The Miki’s stablemate Extraordinary Mary (to be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier three) was set to fight out the finish. “Her form has been exceptional,” he said. “She has a good chance of leading and is a good chance of winning.”
Banjup trainer Murray Lindau has Beyond The Sea racing in top form, with close seconds at her past two starts to Acharne Girl and Rocknroll Sass underlying her prospects. She will start from barrier six and will be handled by Kyle Harper.
Simply Shaz (barrier two) is maintaining her solid form with excellent placings behind Lamandier, Faster Than Dad and Wonderful To Fly. She should be in the firing line throughout the race.