Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr compares Never Ending’s raw speed with that of retired superstar Im Themightyquinn, and the WA-bred gelding’s trainer Justin Prentice describes his turn of foot as “awesome and unreal.”
Hall and Prentice are excited at the prospect of Never Ending producing yet another outstanding effort by winning the $50,000 Cowden Insurance Western Gateway at Gloucester Park on Friday night which would give each of them their fifth success in the group 3 classic for three-year-olds.
Never Ending will be contesting a 2536m event for the first time, but that should not trouble him — just as it did not affect the Prentice-trained and Hall-driven Tricky Miki, who got into the clear on the home turn and unleashed a brilliant sprint to get up in the final stride to win the Western Gateway by a head from the pacemaker Machs Bettor last year.
Prentice drove the winner of the Western Gateway with the John Graham-trained Lively Royce in 2008 and the Michael Brennan-trained Im Victorious in 2012 before he prepared and drove Major Martini, who led and beat stablemate Gardys Legacy in 2020.
Hall’s wins in the classic have been with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015), Chicago Bull (2018) and Tricky Miki (2022). He declares that Never Ending and Mister Smartee, trained by his father Gary Hall Snr, as the best three-year-olds in the State.
Hall Snr holds the record as a trainer in the Western Gateway with six wins, and his confidence soared when the inexperienced but brilliant New Zealand-bred gelding drew the prized No. 1 barrier.
Mister Smartee has raced only five times — for a win and a second placing from two New Zealand appearances and three starts for three impressive victories in WA when driven by Hall Jnr. It is significant that Mister Smartee has won over 2536m at his past two runs at Gloucester Park.
Stuart McDonald will drive Mister Smartee, and he is hoping that on his 29TH birthday he will land his second winner in the Western Gateway. He handled Eloquent Mach (trained by Hall Snr) when he won the race in 2019, beating Franco Edward and Major Trojan (who was trained by Hall Snr and driven by Hall Jnr).
Never Ending warmed up for Friday night’s big race with an effortless victory in the four-horse 2100m South-West Derby at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Wednesday of last week when he was not extended in taking the lead after 550m and coasting to victory by two lengths from Runningonempty, with final quarters of 28.5sec. and 27.3sec.
Never Ending has raced 13 times for 12 wins and a third placing (which was four starts ago when he galloped and lost 15 lengths at the start before running home fast with final 400m sections of 27.96sec. and 27.04sec. to finish behind Louie Dior and Sorridere).
Hall Jnr has great respect for Mister Smartee, and from the testing No. 4 barrier he will determine his tactics as the race unfolds.
Prentice holds a strong hand in Friday night’s event, with Maddison Brown driving Mikis Beach from barrier five, and Emily Suvaljko driving Rolling Fire from out wide at barrier No. 7.
Mikis Beach made a big impression last Friday night at his first appearance at Gloucester Park when he overraced and set a fast pace before being beaten by a head in the final stride by Mister Smartee, who raced in the breeze for most of the way.
Rolling Fire also ran a splendid trial for this week’s event when he was ninth at the bell and rattled home from fifth (four wide) on the home turn to finish third behind Mister Smartee. His 17 runs have produced nine wins and three placings, and he should be prominent.
New Zealand-bred colt Lusaka is in outstanding form for trainers Greg and Skye Bond. He will be driven by Deni Roberts and will start from barrier six. He cannot be underestimated with a record of ten wins and three placings from 14 starts. He won at his only appearance in New Zealand (as a two-year-old), and he has set the pace at seven of him nine wins in WA.
Lusaka maintained his splendid form when he sustained a powerful three-wide last-lap burst to win from Star Casino over 2130m last Friday week. The Bonds won the 2017 Western Gateway when Ryan Warwick drove Mitch Maguire to victory in 2017. Greg Bond also won this event with Ohokas Bondy in 2011.
Warwick will drive Hale Saint Louie (a winner at four of his seven starts) for trainer Dylan Egerton-Green. The Sweet Lou gelding will need luck from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Egerton-Green, who won the 2018 Western Gateway with Bechers Brook for trainer Mike Reed, will be looking for a strong performance from Rocket City (a winner at six of his 21 starts) from the favourable No. 2 barrier.