Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Inexperienced four-year-old Our Twinkle is showing signs of developing into a star performer, and ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo declares him as his best winning prospect at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will be in action in nine of the ten events.
Our Twinkle looks set to complete a winning hat-trick when he begins from the No. 4 barrier in the 2130m Graham Whitton Pace. The Ultimate Machete gelding won at his final appearance in New Zealand, and then was successful at his Australian debut, at Northam last Saturday night.
De Campo, who has drive100 winners this season, said: “Our Twinkle has a lot of ability, but it might take him a few runs to get used to the WA style of racing.
“The big fella was probably a bit relaxed at Northam, but he got the job done, and I expect him to improve on that first-up run. He has a decent barrier to drive him positively.”
Our Twinkle began from barrier three on the back line in the 2190m event at Northam when he raced wide early, overcame a slight check after 100m and settled down in seventh position before moving to the breeze after about 550m.
He appeared quite lazy in the final circuit and De Campo had to drive hard to urge him to the front in the home straight before beating the pacemaker True Grit by a half-length, rating 1.58.1 after final quarters of 29.3sec., 29.9sec. and 28.7sec.
That was his first start since he scored a convincing victory over 2400m at the Central Southland Raceway in Winton on May this year when he began from the back line and was ninth at the bell before sprinting fast to burst to the front with 700m to travel and win by more than a length from Mr Cash Man.
Our Twinkle was most impressive three starts before that with a runaway victory at a 1.56.5 rate over 2200m at Invercargill on April 2. He began from the back line and was eighth at the bell before dashing forward brilliantly to burst to the lead in the back straight and careering away to beat Putere Boy by 17 lengths after a final 400m in 27.5sec.
Our Twinkle’s main rivals on Friday night are expected to be Curadh, Franco Mecca and The Beaudster.
Curadh, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will start from barrier six. He began from the No. 7 barrier in a 2130m event last Friday night when he dashed to the front after 250m and was kept honest by the breeze horse Brought To Light before wilting slightly and finishing second to the fast-finishing Hold The Ammo.
Franco Mecca caught the eye with a strong first-up performance last Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs before surging home to finish second to Getn Wiggy Withit over 1730m. He will begin from the No. 5 barrier.
The Beaudster, to be driven by Tom Nally for trainer Cody Wallrodt, will be having his first start for 21 months when he begins from the favourable No. 2 barrier. He finished a sound second to Girl Of Brightness in a 2150m trial at Byford last Saturday morning.