Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis looks set to chalk up his second victory in the Retravision Past President’s Cup when he drives the seemingly indefatigable Lavra Joe in the $30,000 group 3 feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The four-year-old’s owner-trainer Ray Jones declares that the gelding thrives on racing — and he will be racing at Gloucester Park for the eighth consecutive Friday night when he begins from the favourable No. 2 barrier in the field of seven.
Lewis, who has handled Lavra Joe at his past 37 starts, won the 2010 Past President’s Cup with the Ross Olivieri-trained Tsunami Lombo, the $1.50 favourite who started from barrier six and led after a lap before beating Nowuseeme and Village Steel.
Lavra Joe had a tough run in the breeze last Friday night when he finished second to the frontrunning Hampton Banner. But this week he should have the luxury of leading from the No. 2 barrier. He has the speed and strength to burst past the polemarker Withoutthetuh in the early stages.
Withoutthetuh, who is trained by Michael Brennan, will be driven for the first time by Trent Wheeler, who is expected to be content to take the sit behind the better-performed Lavra Joe.
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko has chosen to handle the Nathan Turvey-trained six-year-old Miracle Moose (barrier three) in preference to the Gary Elson-trained Jaspervellabeach (barrier five).
Suvaljko has won seven times with Jaspervellabeach, and she has been in the sulky for the gelding’s past six starts for two wins, two seconds and a fifth placing. Jaspervellabeach will be driven by Deni Roberts, who has handled the gelding three times for two seconds and a fifth.
The Michael Young-trained Plutonium, who has performed brilliantly in his comeback campaign of seven starts for six wins and a third, faces an acid test from the No. 6 barrier in the field of seven.
“If Plutonium had drawn inside of Lavra Joe I thought he could’ve won,” said Young. Plutonium will be driven by Gary Hall jnr, who has won the Past President’s Cup with The Falcon Strike (2006), Beaudiene Boaz (2017) and Chicago Bull (2020).