Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred five-year-old My Little Big Man will be attempting to score his sixth win in a row when he contests the $21,000 Book Your Event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will start from the outside barrier (No. 6) on the front line in the 2503m standing-start race in which he will clash with New Zealand import Love On The Rocks, who will be making his Australian debut.
Chris Voak, who has driven My Little Big Man for the gelding’s five starts for Serpentine trainer Giles Inwood, said: “This looks his toughest test to date, but he is a really nice horse.
“I’m very confident that from the outside draw he will step (safely). This will give me time to swing him around and get him on the right rein. He galloped before winning at Pinjarra on Monday. I think it was my error.
“He has got a really good turn of foot and he doesn’t give up the fight. He has a strong will to compete.”
Gary Hall Snr prepares Love On The Rocks, who has raced 37 times in New Zealand for seven wins and ten placings. His final five appearances in New Zealand were early this year and produced a win and four seconds.
Love On The Rocks has performed soundly in trials at Pinjarra and Bunbury, and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr predicted that the gelding would be extremely hard to beat, particularly if he set the pace.
Love On The Rocks began safely in a 2550m standing-start trial at Byford on Sunday morning when he trailed the pacemaker for the first 550m before taking the lead. It was a casual trial, with opening quarters of 33.8sec., 31.9sec. and 30.9sec. before the final 400m was covered in 28.8sec. and Love On The Rocks won by two and a half lengths from The Running Camel.
In a mobile trial at Pinjarra eleven days earlier Love On The Rocks finished third behind Sangue Reale and Louie The Lip when the final quarter was run in 27.4sec. Love On The Rocks raced three back on the pegs before moving to the breeze 800m from home. He then took a narrow lead with 450m to travel but broke for a few strides and lost ground before finish five lengths behind Sangue Reale.
Hall Snr and Hall Jnr look set to end Friday night’s ten-event program on a high by winning the final event, the De Campo’s Golden Trifecta Pace, with Blameitonthenight, who appears capable of setting the pace from barrier two and leading his rivals on a merry dance.
Four-year-old Blameitonthenight warmed up for this assignment in fine style with an effortless all-the-way victory over Galaxy Warrior at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when he dashed over the final 800m in 56.6sec.