Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star pacer Lavra Joe, a winner of 26 races at Gloucester Park, will reappear after a four-week absence when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $31,000 Catalano Truck and Equipment Sales Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has a losing sequence of nine, but star reinsman Kyle Harper gives the Ray Jones-trained gelding a good chance of beating champion four-year-old Never Ending, who will be on trial for a start in the $200,000 Golden Nugget the following Friday night when he resumes racing after a 13-week absence.
“Talking to Ray, he is happy enough with him, and if the horse is anywhere near his top, he will be very hard to beat,” said Harper. “The plan (from barrier No. 1) will be to lead, and that’s where he does his best work, out in front.”
Harper’s wife Lauren handled Lavra Joe in a 2100m mobile trial at Bunbury last Friday night which was virtually a one-horse affair, with the other starter Miki Windermere being an unraced three-year-old colt who trailed Lavra Joe by some 100 metres throughout.
Lavra Joe was not extended at any stage when he covered the final four 400m sections in 30.4sec., 29.6sec., 28.3sec. and 27.2sec. and rated 1.56.1.
“I watched the workout which was a one-horse trial,” said Kyle Harper. “He ran good enough times.”
Lavra Joe last appeared in a race when he was an $81 outsider from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the WA Pacing Cup on November 8. He was 11TH at the bell and was hampered by a tiring horse before finally getting clear and finishing strongly into sixth place behind Minstrel.
“It was a really good run,” said Harper. “We went to the rail and drove him quietly because he hadn’t been racing up to his best. But he had no luck and got dragged back before finally he came home via the cape and finished strongly with a fast last half.”
Never Ending, a winner at 16 of his 23 starts, including a Gloucester Park record of 17 starts for 13 wins, two seconds, one third and one ninth, for outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, will start from the outside barrier in the field of seven, with Gary Hall Jnr in the sulky.
Never Ending will be having his first start since finishing eighth behind Don Hugo in the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 7.
“Justin is happy with the way he is going, and it is a difficult race to line up,” said Hall. “I’d say that Never Ending will sit up, and the small field will help him. I visualise Never Ending racing in the one-out, two-back position, and from there he would be dangerous.
“I think he could struggle first-up to beat the best version of Lavra Joe.”
Hall has several other solid winning prospects on Friday night, including Mikis Beach (race one), Franklin Delano (race two), Venture (race three), Mandown (race five) and Penny Black (race seven).
“I think Mikis Beach is the best horse in the race, and I’m happy to lead or breeze,” said Hall. “Franklin Delano has received no favours from the draw (barrier No. 7), but he is a good each-way chance. His second to Tualou at his last start was good, after setting the pace.
“Ventura and Mandown should be prominent, while Penny Black (trained by Michael Young) should prove hard to beat.”
Young is pleased with Penny Black’s form, and he reported that the four-year-old mare had pulled up in good shape after working hard in the breeze and getting up to snatch victory from the pacemaker Insta Gator over 2130m at a 1.54.9 rate last Friday night.
“Penny Black has had no luck when it comes to barrier draws,” said Young, who also prepares Acushla Machree (barrier one). Penny Black (barrier No. 5) should fight out the finish in a race in which Little Darling (barrier three) has been a nemesis of ours.
Acushla Machree has led and won at Narrogin and Gloucester Park at her past two starts, and she is sure to be prominent again, from the No. 1 barrier. She will be driven by Maddison Brown.
Astute Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed is confident that comeback pacer Ragazzo Mach will prove hard to beat when he starts from the No. 5 barrier in the Catalano Truck and Equipment Sales Ugga Dugga Pace.
“Ragazzo Mach was a most unlucky sixth behind Whataretheodds last Friday night,” said Reed. “Shannon (Suvaljko) said he was bolting and would have won if he had got out. He has had two nice easy runs (after a first-up second to Jawsoflincoln) and they will know he’s there on Friday night.”