Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Miss Hepburn has won only two races, but ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is quietly confident that she will be able to beat the brilliant Water Lou when they clash in the $50,000 Westral Diamond Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Water Lou is the outstanding performer in the group 3 feature, with a superb record of 15 wins from 19 starts, but De Campo is basing his opinion on the fact that Water Lou is awkwardly drawn on the inside of the back line.
Miss Hepburn has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, and De Campo is planning for an all-the-way victory.
“It’s an ideal drawn and Miss Hepburn is flying,” said De Campo. “She should have enough speed to lead, and hopefully we can get the job done.
“Miss Hepburn can lead and if she doesn’t get too much pressure, and Water Lou cops a bit of traffic, I think she can win. She led and won (from Sugar Delight and Lenora Jane over 1730m) two starts ago, and then was a certainty beaten (when fourth behind Sugar Delight in a heat of the Diamond Classic) when I took the short cuts and didn’t get clear.”
Though Miss Hepburn has won only twice from twelve starts, she has been extremely consistent, with five seconds and three third placings.
Water Lou, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, is in dazzling form, having won at her past six starts, taking her career record to 19 starts for 15 wins, two seconds and stakes of $284,303.
“Water Lou has got the only barrier I didn’t want,” said Suvaljko. “But she’s a class filly.”
Reed agreed, saying: “It’s the worst draw she could’ve got. Shannon will drive his own race, whether he decides to come off the inside early or stay on the fence for a while.
“Water Lou is thriving since winning a heat of the Diamond, and I reckon she is getting better and better. She is definitely getting stronger and is capable of doing work in her races. Shannon hasn’t pulled the plugs at her past three starts.
“She has shown that she is capable of doing some work in her races. She showed that when she sat outside the leader Xceptional Arma and beat her home (in the 2130m Sales Classic on March 1 this year).”
Xceptional Arma, trained by Colin Brown and driven by his daughter Maddison, has won at twelve of her 24 starts and is sure to be prominent despite drawing out wide at barrier eight.
Sugar Delight, to be driven by Chris Lewis for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, is the least experienced runner in the field, having had only three starts for two wins and a half-length second to Miss Hepburn. She will begin from the No. 5 barrier.