Michael Heaton | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Prolific winner Always An Angel has been victorious at six of her past seven starts, including all four runs this campaign, but Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice is mindful the filly faces a tricky task from her outside draw in Friday night’s DTS Powertools & Machinery 3YO Fillies Pace (2130m).
The talented Art Major three-year-old will have to overcome barrier nine under the preferential barrier draw race conditions, with in-form rivals Boora and Royal Essence drawn gates five and seven respectively, giving Prentice some minor concerns.
“Obviously she’s going good but it’s never easy drawn out there and there are a couple of nice fillies drawn inside of us,” he said.
“She’s going to need a good drive and a good run but she’s going well enough that if she can get into it or the race is run to suit, she’s going to be thereabouts.”
A winner of the $100,000 Group 1 2YO Fillies Diamond Classic (2130m) last season, Always An Angel finished second in both the $150,000 Group 12 WA Oaks (2536m) and $50,000 3YO Fillies Diamond Classic Final (2130m) this year.
Asked if there are any major aims for her this preparation, Prentice says he’ll just keep working his way through similar races.
“There are only fillies races every fortnight so we’ve just been going every fortnight with her which sort of suits the way I like to do it, anyway,” he said.
“We don’t really have anything to aim her for.
“She’ll probably race a few more times and then we’ll give her a break and bring her back for the mares races next season.”
Meanwhile, stablemate Know When To Run impressed when finishing runner-up to Otis first-up off an almost-22-month lay off on October 2 and is set to tackle the Group 3 Preux Chevalier (2130m) on Friday night.
A six-time winner who has finished in the money at 13 of 16 race starts, the Roll With Joe gelding injured a tendon when finishing fifth to superstar pacer Shockwave in the 2019 edition of the $200,000 Retravision 4YO Golden Nugget (2536m).
“Know When To Run went really good first up,” Prentice said.
“It’s a good field and a tricky draw on Friday so he’ll need things to go his way a little bit but he’s definitely not out of it on class.
“He’s got the ability so he might just take a few runs to remember what racing is all about and to hit that top fitness level.
“He had 12 months off then some rehab work before he came back into work with me.
“We’ve taken our time with him to try and give him every chance.”
Prentice says his other runner on the night, Manning, is going to need luck after drawing the back line in the DTS, Your One-Stop Shop Pace (2130m).
“Manning is working really good and I’m really happy with him but he needs a draw,” Prentice said.
“A trailing draw doesn’t really suit him so he’ll probably go to the rail and wait until he can get a draw where he can lead or breeze.”