Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Seasoned country performer Major Buzz has been driven tough to score fighting wins at Bunbury and Northam at his past two starts, and now Kylah Madden is planning vastly different tactics when the WA-bred six-year-old begins from the No. 1 barrier in the Bridge Bar, Meet Up Before The Game Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“We will come out of the gate and hopefully lead,” said Madden. “He should love it and will be a winning chance if we get to the front.”
Madden is a stablehand at Michael Young’s Banjup stables, and the trainer has engaged Madden to use her concession to drive Major Buzz and to guarantee the gelding gaining the inside barrier.
Major Buzz has begun from the back line at his latest two starts — the first runs for the Young stable — and he has revealed admirable fighting qualities to win both times.
He settled in seventh position before gaining the one-out, one-back position and then began a three-wide move 600m from home on his way to winning from Madam Tiger and Duncan Twentytwo over 2100m at Bunbury two Saturdays ago.
Then at Northam last Saturday he began from the back line and was eighth at the bell before starting a three-wide burst which took him to the front 270m from home and on to a neck victory over Sports Central over 2190m.
One of Major Buzz’s expected main dangers is seven-year-old mare Catch The Red Eye, who will start from barrier three and will be driven by Toby Lynn for trainer Chris Voak. Catch The Red Eye will be making her first appearance for three months.
Catch The Red Eye reappeared after a 20-month absence when she raced twice in 1177m sprints at Pinjarra in March for a first-up win when after racing in the breeze, followed by a close-up fifth behind Repossession.
Madden faces a busy time on Friday night with drives in seven of the ten events, and she is looking forward to handling the Bob Mellsop-trained Saifa in the Book Into Steelo’s Pace over 2130m in which the New Zealand-bred five-year-old will start from the inside of the back line.
Saifa began from the back line and caught the eye when he raced in eighth position before starting a three-wide move 500m from home and finishing with a powerful burst to be second to Medieval Man over 2100m at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Saturday week.