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Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators

Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko will compete in eight of the ten events at Gloucester Park on Friday night — and she has given Miracle Moose the nod as her best winning prospect.

Miracle Moose, prepared by Nathan Turvey, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m The Running Camel Pace, and Suvaljko said that the New Zealand-bred five-year-old and the four-year-old mare Savvy Bromac were her best two chances.

Miracle Moose caught the eye last Friday night when he started from barrier five in a field of eight, and raced in last position before charging home, out five wide, to finish fifth behind Bletchley Park in the Fred Doy Memorial over 2536m.

“He was back to his best last start, and hit the line really good,” said Suvaljko. Miracle Moose showed his versatility three starts before last week’s effort when he set the pace and won from Fanci A Dance and Jaspervellabeach over 2130m.

All six runners in Friday night’s event in which Miracle Moose looks set to fight out the finish have a hope of winning. Thereugo was a stylish winner last week; Alta Blues is in grand form and has won at 12 of his 25 starts; the versatile Boom Time is racing with plenty of enthusiasm; My Carbon Copy sprinted home brilliantly to win last Friday night; and veteran pacer Rock Me Over has won 22 races and cannot be underestimated, particularly from the prized No. 1 barrier.   

 Gary Hall jnr has given punters an important lead by opting to handle Alta Blues (barrier six) ahead of My Carbon Copy, who will be driven by Maddison Brown from barrier three.

“It’s a good race, a tricky tactical race,” said Hall. “It wasn’t an easy decision to choose Alta Blues. My Carbon Copy was super last week when he was back to his best. He has to be driven with a sit, and the small field will suit him. Alta Blues is a good horse who is capable of doing plenty of work.”

Chris Voak said that he considered the Ross Olivieri-trained Boom Time to be his best drive on the program. The seven-year-old ran on solidly from sixth at the bell when fourth behind Bletchley Park last Friday night, a week after he set the pace and finished second to Howard Hughes.

“Boom Time looks my best on the night,” said Voak. “I think he will be much improved from last week, and hopefully he can get home well.”

Savvy Bromac will start from the outside in the field of nine in the 2130m Westside Auto Pace for mares, with Suvaljko saying: “I’ve got four barrier nines on the night, and with Alta Louisa in the race (from barrier seven) it makes it a bit hard.

“But Savvy Bromac went really good at her latest start when fourth behind Born To Boogie. If I had driven her more positively, she would have run second or third. She needed that first-up run.”

The other No. 9 runners for Suvaljko are Leosabi (race one), Roman Art (race two) and Walsh (race four).

“Leosabi has got a real good turn of foot, and apart from Machnificent there’s nothing in the race that can really sprint,” said Suvaljko. “I really like Roman Art, but the draw is not ideal.

“Walsh’s run (when a fading eighth behind Mandy Joan after racing wide early and then without cover) looked disappointing. But he had to do a bit early. He has beaten horses like Whatabro and Vespa, and I reckon Walsh will be able to slot in and run home.”

Suvaljko has been engaged to drive the Hayden Reeves-trained 11-year-old Another Vinnie, who will start from barrier one in the Direct Trade Supplies Pace at his first appearance for 24 months. It is difficult to suggest that Another Vinnie, a winner of 23 races, can seriously trouble in-form pacers of the calibre of Bettorstartdreaming, Born To Boogie, Mandy Joan and Rockaball.