Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star mare Little Darling will resume racing after a ten-week absence in the $25,000 HTA Rent A Gen Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She will face the stern task of overcoming the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier in the field of nine. But her trainer Cameron Ross is confident she will prevail, saying: “It is never easy from barrier nine at Gloucester Park, but you have to start from somewhere. She’s quality and I’m sure she will go well.”
Little Darling, driven by Jocelyn Young, gave a sample of her class late last year when she won a prelude and the final of the group 1 Mares Classic before finishing second to Magnificent Storm in the 2130m Navy Cup and an eye-catching fifth behind Minstrel and Magnificent Storm in the 2536m WA Pacing Cup.
Ross has a splendid second string in Friday night’s race, with Sugar Delight handily drawn at barrier three.
Sugar Delight will be driven by Chris Voak, with Young opting to handle Little Darling.
Sugar Delight trailed the pacemaker Madam Publisher and was held up for a clear run until very late when an excellent second to Alta Allure in the group 3 Kennedy Pace over 1730m last Friday week. A week earlier she trailed the pacemaker Hunger Strike before sprinting home strongly to win from that mare over 2130m.
“Sugar Delight has the runs under her belt and is going as well as most of her rivals,” said Ross. “But Little Darling has the X factor.”
Alta Allure, Champagne Everyone and Wonderful To Fly are racing in good form and will have admirers.
Alta Allure, driven by Chris Lewis for trainer Annie Belton, impressed last Friday week when she enjoyed an ideal passage before sprinting home fast to win comfortably from Sugar Delight and the frontrunning Champagne Everyone. She will begin from the No. 6 barrier on Friday night.
Champagne Everyone (barrier seven) led when a fighting third behind Minos and Kurious Boy over 2130M last Friday night. “That was a good effort when beaten by a couple of the boys,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo. “She is back in mares’ company and will run a good race.”
De Campo has sound prospects in the second half of Friday night’s program when he will drive Rockokoko (barrier one) in the HTA Access Solutions Pace over 2130m and Bling It Up from the 40m mark in the final event, the 2503m HTA Taking You To New Heights Handicap.
“Rockokoko had to do all the work in the breeze when a close second to his stablemate Bettor Arcade last week, and from barrier one this week he should have enough speed to lead and prove hard to beat,” said De Campo.
“Bling It Up will be having his first start for me in a stand, but he showed in South Australia that he stepped well in stands.”
Bling It Up is sure to be tested by Petes Honour (40m) and Bluto (50m). Petes Honour (Chris Voak) has impressed in leading and winning in 2130m mobile events at his past two starts for trainer Jemma Hayman, while Bluto is a proven standing-start performer.
Bluto will be having his first start for five months and cannot be left out of calculations. He will be driven by Stuart McDonald, replacing the gelding’s trainer and usual reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who is in Brisbane to compete in the Ultimate Driver series at Albion Park.