Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Speedy seven-year-old Rockandrollartist will start from the prized No. 1 barrier for the first time for 17 months when he contests the $31,000 TABtouch Watch Sky Racing Parliamentarians Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo aims to make the most of the favourable barrier by winning the start, setting the pace and winning for the 18TH time in a 104-start career.
The most recent time that Rockandrollartist began from the No. 1 barrier was when he finished a three-length second to Spicey Major at Gloucester Park on November 15, 2024.
He has won once from 14 starts this season when he charged to the front from barrier four, led and beat Petes Honour by 7m over 2130m five starts ago, on March 13.
“Rockandrollartist should be leading and will take a lot of beating on Friday night,” said De Campo.
One of Rockandrollartist’s main rivals is likely to be his five-year-old stablemate Menemsha, who will start from the inside of the back line, immediately behind Rockandrollartist. Menemshaw, who has a losing sequence of eleven, will be driven by Joey Suvaljko at his second appearance after a spell.
Also, sure to be prominent will be Chivalry, who will start from the outside of the back line after he impressed as a $51 outsider last Friday night when he began from barrier six, raced wide early and then in the breeze before getting to the front with 600m to travel and fighting on to finish an excellent second to Runkle Crunch when the final 800m was run in a smart 55.8sec.
Runkle Crunch, last year’s WA Derby winner, is trained and driven by De Campo and will be one of the fancies in the $100,000 TABtouch Preux Chevalier Classic for four-year-olds.
Runkle Crunch will begin from the No. 4 barrier and is sure to meet stiff opposition from the polemarker Lazi Dais, who looks certain to set the pace for trainer Ryan Bell and reinsman Ryan Warwick.
Lazi Dais remained unbeaten at five starts this season when he gave a powerful frontrunning display to score an easy victory over Major Miki Whitby over 2130m last Friday night when he sprinted over the final quarters in 28.6sec. and 27.5sec.
Deni Roberts faces a busy night with drives in eight of the ten events, including superstar Minstrel in the Nullarbor slot race. She also has excellent prospects with Heres Herbie (race two), Captainshavtime (race three), Mad Monday (race four) and Aardiebytheseaside (race five).
Roberts said that the seven-year-old New Zealand-bred Heres Herbie was the best winning chance of those runners. Heres Herbie will be making his Australian debut when he begins from barrier five in the 2130m TABtouch Scan My Bet Pace.
Captainshavtime will start from the No. 5 barrier in the 2536m Download Today Empress Stakes Consolation, with Roberts saying: “She goes pretty good and it is unfortunate that she didn’t get a run in the big one, the $75,000 Empress Stakes.
“Aardiebytheseaside can figure in the finish of the Empress Stakes, despite drawing the outside barrier on the front line. She was unlucky when she was hampered for room in the home straight and finished ninth behind Delightful Peg last Friday night when having her first start after a spell.”