Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis is the only multiple winners in the 17-year history of the $50,000 Trotsynd Trotters Cup, and he has high hopes of notching his third winner when he drives Our Maestoso in the Group 2 event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Five-year-old Our Maestoso is the youngest and least experienced runner in the 2503m standing-start race. But the New Zealand-bred gelding, prepared by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, boasts an outstanding record of 13 starts for eleven wins, one third and one sixth placing.
Lewis has scored runaway victories in the Trotters Cup, with the Clive Dalton-trained 5/4 favourite Earl Of Charity starting from the 20m mark and winning by eight lengths in 2015, and the Ross Olivieri-trained Mr Sundon, the $1.30 favourite off 10m, scoring by six lengths in January 2020.
Lewis has also recorded placings with Trappers Spirit (2008), Apache Blue Jean (2010), Nicky Eileen (2011 and 2012) and Earl Or Nothing (2015).
Howlett will be seeking his second success in the Trotters Cup, after Kiara Davies drove Sunnys Little Whiz to a 2m victory over Lightning Calder in 2016.
Our Maestoso resumed after a four-month absence when he dashed to the front from the No. 4 barrier, set a solid pace and won by 2m from Evas Image in the 1730m Trotters Sprint last Friday week.
“He is definitely one of the main players in Friday night’s race,” said Lewis. “He is coming off one run in this campaign, a 1730m sprint, and this week’s stand over 2503m is quite different. The main aim will be to get away safely (from the inside of the 10m line) and get a reasonable position.”
Howlett predicted that Our Maestoso would prove a better horse over 2503m than over the sprint trip of 1730m.
Our Maestoso, purchased by Howlett for $8000 as a weanling in New Zealand, was named by Howlett’s wife Lyn, with maestoso being the Italian word for majesty or in a dignified way as a musical direction. The Howlett family will be hoping that Our Maestoso will be directing affairs on Friday night.
Our Maestoso has the natural speed to threaten the race record rate of 2.1.1 set by Mr Sundon four years ago. But he certainly won’t get near to the 1.55.1 rate recorded by Idao de Tillard when 26-year-old Clement Duvaldestin drove the French trotter to victory in the $1.4 million Prix d’Amerique over 2700m to the cheers of a 35,000 crowd at the Hippodrome de Vincennes in Paris on Sunday.
Gary Hall Jnr, who drove Princess Mila to a head victory over Sunnys Little Jestic in the Trotters Cup in December 2020, has opted to handle Evas Image for Mardella trainer Michael Young in preference to the talented eight-year-old Tricky Ric, who is prepared by Gary Hall Snr.
Evas Image, who will start off 10 metres, gave a spirited performance when she raced without cover and fought on determinedly to finish a 2m second to Our Maestoso in the Trotters Sprint.
“She is racing well and should be prominent,” said Hall. “She breezed last start, and Tricky Ric sat on her back and couldn’t beat her home.”
Pinjarra trainer David Young and Capel reinsman Aiden De Campo combined to win the Trotters Cup 12 months ago when Patched started off 20m and was the $2.70 favourite who was seventh at the bell and flew home to beat Chumani by two lengths.
“Patched is going at least as well now as he was when he won the Cup last February,” said Young. “I worked him this morning when my brother Matthew drove him and was glowing in his praise after the workout in which he beat EE Jay Why (a lightly-raced five-year-old mare). Patched beat the mare by more than 20 metres, and I think he is stronger than he was last year.”
Patched, a winner of 18 races, faces a tough task when he begins from the back mark of 40m with Tricky Ric and Luvaflair.
Luvaflair will be driven by Donald Harper for Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, who prepared Compressor when he started from 30m and was driven to victory by Morgan Woodley in the 2009 Trotters Cup.
Johns trains and drives eight-year-old Aldebaran Sundown, who will begin from the 10m line on Friday night. The gelding finished a short half-head second to Patched over 2692m at Pinjarra four Mondays ago.
Seven-year-old Chumani, who will start off the front for Wonnerup trainer Terry Ferguson and will be driven by Chris Voak, has a losing sequence of 24 but has been placed at three of his past four starts.
“Chumani ran second to Patched in last year’s Cup, and if he gets to the rail at some point, he is an each-way chance,” said Voak.