Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Six years ago trainer Michael Brennan and his nephew, reinsman Michael Grantham combined to win the Nights Of Thunder final with Nathans Courage, and they plan to stick with their winning formula — charging to the front from the outset and setting a fast pace.
Brennan and Grantham are planning for brilliant five-year-old Pinny Tiger to burst straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier in the $48,500 The West Australian Nights Of Thunder over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Nathans Courage was the $3 second favourite in the Nights Of Thunder final on January 13, 2017, when Grantham fired him out from barrier three to charge straight past the polemarker and $2 favourite American Boy.
Nathans Courage sped over the opening quarter in 27sec. and he left his rivals floundering on his way on his way to winning by a length and a half from American Boy, rating 1.53.4.
Pinny Tiger will be the odds-on favourite on Friday night when Grantham will use the Mach Three gelding’s sizzling gate speed to burst to the front and then set a scorching pace in a bid to conquer his eight rivals.
Pinny Tiger rated 1.51.8 when he began with a dazzling burst of speed from barrier six in a qualifying heat last Friday night. He then reeled off 400m sections of 27.7sec., 28.6sec., 27.6sec. and 28.9sec. to win by just under four lengths from Talks Up A Storm, rating 1.51.8.
“Fans love to see horses like that, just freewheeling and running time,” said Brennan. “It gets everyone excited, and that’s what the Nights Of Thunder is about, running time. People like to see horses going fast, and they love to see a tearaway leader like that and to see if he can hold on.”
Brennan is confident that Pinny Tiger will improve on last week’s superb performance, saying: “He was a little bit underdone, but that run will tighten him up nicely for the final. He is big and powerful, and if he repeats his heat win in the final I would love to have him in the WA Pacing Cup the following week.
“You would think that they would be mad not to put him in the Cup. That would create some excitement. He was a lovely looking colt as a two and three-year-old when he was tall and lanky. Now he has furnished into a horse who looks like a grand circuit horse.”
Grantham has also finished second in a Nights Of Thunder final — when he drove the Craig Saligari-trained Bob Wheel from barrier one in January 2020 and he trailed the pacemaker Ocean Ridge, who went on to win by four lengths at a 1.52.6 rate.
Ocean Ridge was prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who have three of the nine runners in Friday night’s event — Dont Bother Me None (Ryan Warwick), Tenzing Bromac (Dylan Egerton-Green) and Ima Rockabilly Rebel (Deni Roberts).
They were well beaten behind Pinny Tiger in last Friday night’s heat when Dont Bother Me None finished seventh, Tenzing Bromac third and Ima Rockabilly Rebel fourth.
Greg Bond has a good record in the Nights Of Thunder, having been successful with Quick Draw McCaw in 2008 and Ohokas Bondy in 2012. Greg and Skye Bond had two runners in last year’s final – Ideal Agent and Double Up when Ideal Agent, the $1.26 favourite, took the lead after 450m, set the pace and was overhauled in the final stride and was beaten by a head by the fast-finishing Machnificent. Double Up trailed the pacemaker and finished fourth.
Talks Up A Storm, to be driven by Kyle Harper for Banjup trainer Murray Lindau, impressed last Friday night when he was seventh at the bell before running home fast to finish second to Pinny Tiger. He faces a stern test this week from out wide at barrier eight.
Boom trainer Michael Young has two runners — Moonlite Drive (barrier one) and Orlando Blue (barrier six). Moonlite Drive will be driven by Stuart McDonald, and Maddison Brown will drive Orlando Blue, who trailed the pacemaker Sugar Street before finishing strongly to win a qualifying heat from Ragazzo Mach at a 1.55.1 rate.
Chris Lewis, who drove the Ross Olivieri-trained Davisons Destiny to victory in the 2009 Nights Of Thunder, will be in the sulky behind the Barry Howlett-trained Classic Choice, who will start from the No. 5 barrier. Classic Choice raced three back on the pegs in Pinny Tiger’s heat last week when he was blocked for a clear run in the final stages and finished sixth.