Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Former boom young pacer Ragazzo Mach is now a six-year-old who will resume racing after a 22-month absence when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $31,000 Nova Nation’s Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He showed that he is ready to produce a strong first-up effort when he was not extended in finishing a one-metre second to Whataretheodds in a four-horse field in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday week. The final three quarters were run in 28.6sec., 29.8sec. and 28.4sec.
“Whatever Ragazzo Mach does, he will improve on,” said his trainer Mike Reed. “If he runs in the first four or five, I’ll be happy.”
Ragazzo Mach will be driven for the first time by Emily Suvaljko, who replaces the gelding’s regular reinsman, her father Shannon, who is serving a brief term of suspension for causing interference in a race. Raggazo Mach will clash with several in-form pacers, headed by the brilliant speedster Pinny Tiger.
Pinny Tiger, trained by Michael Brennan and driven by Chris Voak, was strongly fancied in the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup last Friday night when he began from the No. 1 barrier and set the pace before fading to finish last behind Minstrel. He ruined his chances by over-racing.
This week Pinny Tiger will start from the No. 6 barrier, and Voak will determine his tactics after discussions with Brennan.
“Mouse (Brennan) is happy backing Pinny Tiger up after last week’s run,” said Voak. “He said the horse pulled up brilliantly after last week’s run and is ready to go again.
“This is not a strong field, and Pinny Tiger is not one dimensional. He’s good enough to win. I may drive him with a sit.”
Recent winners Jawsoflincoln, Alcopony, To Fast To Serious, Soho Dow Jones and Steel The Show will have admirers in what should be a highly competitive affair.
Jawsoflincoln, trained by Justin Prentice, is favourably drawn at barrier two. He won second-up two starts ago after working hard in the breeze and beating Dominus Factum and Hoppys Way.
Then, last Friday week Jawsoflincoln was restrained from barrier seven before covering extra ground and fading to finish sixth behind Captain Ravishing in the 2130m Navy Cup.
“Nothing went right at his last start, and he’s a chance this week,” said his reinsman Gary Hall Jnr.
Alcopony, driven by Ryan Warwick for trainer Kevin Keys, bounced back to form last Friday night when he set the pace and fought on grandly to win the 2536m WA Pacing Cup Consolation from Steel The Show and Wildwest.
Alcopony will start from the No. 3 barrier, with To Fast To Serious on his immediate outside. Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green is confident To Fast To Serious will prove hard to beat, saying: “I’ll drive him to his strength, his sprint. There should be a bit of speed on early which will suit him. His second to Captain Ravishing (and beating home Steno) in the Navy Cup was really good when he didn’t get out until late.”
Brennan and Hall will join forces in the final event, the 2130m Perth’s Kate Mac For Breakfast Pace, when My Hammer Down will begin from the No. 2 barrier in the race restricted to two-year-olds.
My Hammer Down has had only one start, when he began from barrier three in a field of nine over 1609m at Forbury Park on June 22 this year. He settled down in sixth position, ten lengths from the leader Top Pocket Chance, before he raced three wide (with cover) in the final circuit and sprinted home fast to take the lead in the final 75m and win by almost two lengths from Glenkenick, rating 1.57 after a final 400m of 29.1sec.
My Hammer Down will clash with When In Vegas (barrier one) and Mad Monday (barrier six), smart performers prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond.
When In Vegas, to be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, has impressed with three wins and two seconds from five starts, while Mad Monday (Deni Roberts) has shone at five appearances after a spell with two wins and two seconds.
Adding further intrigue to the race will be Fabulous Dream, a New Zealand-bred filly who has impressed with easy victories at her two starts, winning from Boy Blue at a 1.56.7 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra and setting the pace and winning from Ladieshavtime at a 2.0.1 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park three Tuesdays ago.
“Fabulous Dream (driven by Emily Suvaljko) is very smart, and she doesn’t have to lead,” said Reed. “She can sit and sprint.”