Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star driver Deni Roberts deliberated at length before giving punters a good lead by choosing to handle Chugach in preference to his stablemate and promising filly Slay Queen in the Nathan, Nat and Shaun For Breakfast Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Slay Queen, who was most impressive in winning at a 1.55.4 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday this week, will again be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 3 barrier, while Chugach, racing first-up for four months, is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven.
“Behind the scenes Chugach has been pretty good, while Slay Queen is very improved and I liked her win in good time at Pinjarra,” said Roberts. “If she gets to the front, she is capable of winning and beating the colts and geldings.”
Chugach gave a sample of his ability earlier in the year when he raced three times for wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park before setting the pace and finishing a close second to Wishing Belle in the $50,000 Champagne Classic at a 1.56.4 rate over 1730m on March 21.
Friday night’s race appears to be a very open affair with all ten runners capable of a strong showing. Ace Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a strong hand with four runners — Strong The Striker, (barrier one), Fear The Storm (five), Majestic Lombo (six) and Ma Petite Dame (eight).
Bell will drive Majestic Lombo, who notched his second win from three starts when he enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position for most of the way before finishing determinedly to win by a head from Strong The Striker, rating 1.59 over 1780m at Northam last Saturday week.
While Bell admitted that his four runners would be tested, he declared that Strong The Striker, to be driven by Liam Elliott, was likely to prove the best of his quartet, saying: “He’s a handy little pacer and I think that if he hadn’t got on to his knee at Northam and lost a bit of balance I’m pretty sure he would have won the race. If he can hold the front on Friday, he will take some catching.
“Majestic Lombo has surprised me. He keeps on getting better. He will need some luck from barrier six, but the way he is working and racing shows that he is definitely a chance.
“Fear The Storm (to be driven by Trent Wheeler) is a nice colt, going forward. He will need the hit-out but is forward enough to take advantage of it if he gets a nice run.”
Like Fear The Storm, Ma Petite Dame (Kyle Symington) will be racing first-up after a spell. She will be making her first appearance since she set the pace from barrier four and scored a convincing victory over Wishing Belle in the $125,000 Sales Classic, rating 1.57.4 over 1730m on February 28.
“Ma Petite Dame will be driven quietly, hoping for the best,” said Bell. “She is a classy filly, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she finishes top three. This is a very good race, with several chances.”
Leading trainer Michael Young will be represented by Cease To React (to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from the outside of the front line) and Butter Me Up, to be handled by Emily Suvaljko as the only runner on the back line.
“Cease To React is the better of the two, but because he won those early races, he is drawing wide which brings him back to the pack,” said Young.
Young is looking for another strong performance from Blaze On, who will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the Vale Pat Duncan Pace over 2130m.
After a dashing first-up win on June 13 Blaze On has worked hard in the breeze at his next two races for excellent seconds to Brickies Dream and No Noney.
“Blaze On is being crucified by wide barriers in pref.-draw races,” said Young. “However, he is racing extremely well and is versatile and capable of fighting out the finish again this week.”