Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Outstanding trainer Justin Prentice is poised to complete an unprecedented hat-trick by winning the $150,000 Channel Seven Perth Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park on Friday night with the unbeaten gelding Never Ending.
The 34-year-old Prentice has trained and driven the winner of the Golden Slipper in the past two years, scoring with $31.20 outsider Mighty Ronaldo in 2020 and the $7 chance Tricky Miki last year.
The spectacular fast-finishing wins by Mighty Ronaldo and Tricky Miki followed Major Martini’s dazzling burst from ninth on the home turn to finish a head second to the pacemaker Jaspervellabeach in the 2019 Golden Slipper.
Gary Hall Jnr drove the Prentice-trained Major Martini, and he will handle Never Ending on Friday night for Prentice, who will also be represented by Valedictorian (Aiden De Campo) and Rolling Fire (Emily Suvaljko).
Hall won the 2014 Golden Slipper with Beaudiene Boaz, who was trained by his father Gary Hall Snr. Beaudiene Boaz defeated Mister Ardee, with the Prentice-trained and driven Major Reality, the 5/4 favourite, finishing third after setting the pace.
Hall Jnr had the choice of driving Never Ending or the brilliant New Zealand-bred Im The Black Flash, but he did not have to deliberate for long after Never Ending drew the coveted No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Group 1 classic and Im The Black Flash drawing poorly on the outside of the back line of three runners.
“The draw made my decision a pretty easy one, and I will be attempting an all-the-way win with Never Ending,” said Hall. “Never Ending seems to be getting better all the time, and he should lead.
“Im The Black Flash (trained by Hall Snr) is a very nice horse who reminds me a lot of the good ones from our stable. He is fast and tough, but from the outside of the back line he will find it tough to get into the race. If he had drawn barrier eleven (No. 2 on the back line) it would have been much better.”
Stuart McDonald will drive Im The Black Flash, who made a brilliant Australian debut three Fridays ago when he began speedily from barrier three, and after a breakneck early duel with the polemarker Hez All The Rage he set the pace and won by two lengths from Hez All The Rage, rating 1.57.1 over the 2130m, with a final 800m of 56.9sec.
The WA-bred Never Ending has won at all of his five starts, with his most recent victory coming last Friday week when he led from the No. 1 barrier and scored easily from Rocket City, rating 1.55.6 over the 2130m, with a final 800m of 56.2sec.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be pinning their faith on their smart New Zealand-bred colts Lusaka (barrier two) and Fess Up (inside of the back line).
They won the Golden Slipper in 2016 when Ryan Warwick drove the 3/1 on favourite Mitch Maguire to an all-the-way win over Major Pocket after starting from the prized No. 1 barrier. Greg Bond also prepared Ohokas Bondy for his Golden Slipper victory over Go West U Terror in 2010.
Warwick will drive Fess Up, who rattled home from last in the field of seven to finish an eye-catching second to Rolling Fire last Friday night.
Deni Roberts will drive Lusaka, a black Sweet Lou colt who has yet to taste defeat. Lusaka scored an effortless win at his only New Zealand start (when he beat Rakero Raider over 1980m at Addington on July 1) before a convincing victory at a 1.57.4 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday this week.
Skylord, a promising Fly Like An Eagle colt trained by Jocelyn Young and to be driven by her younger sister Madeliene, shows considerable promise and will have many admirers after her five starts have produced two wins and two placings.
Skylord, who will start from barrier five, gave an excellent performance last Friday week when he started from barrier seven and raced three wide in the first lap before racing the breeze and finishing third behind never Ending and Rocket City.
Blythewood trainer Kim Prentice has two runners, Soho Firestone (barrier three) and Crowd Control (barrier nine). He will handle Crowd Control, who faces a tough assignment from the outside barrier. Mitch Miller will drive Soho Firestone, who trailed the pacemaker Velocipede and was hampered for room until late when a sound third behind Rollin Fire last Friday night.