Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star driver Deni Roberts has handled Lusaka at his past 15 starts for nine wins, but she has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive stablemate Minstrel in the WA Foton Diesel @ Catalano Trucks Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Both pacers are prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, and they have strong claims of fighting out the finish of the 2503m standing-start event.
Lusaka, perfectly drawn at barrier one on the front line, will be driven for the first time by Dylan Egerton-Green, with Minstrel the solitary backmarker off 30 metres.
Minstrel appears ideally suited, dropping down in grade after competing in top company against pacers of the calibre of Magnificent Storm, Jumpingjackmac, Diego and Steel The Show.
Roberts has driven the six-year-old Minstrel six times for two wins and two placings. He will be making his first appearance in a stand since he galloped out from the 40m mark and went on to win from Awaitinginstructions on July 30, 2020. Since then, he has raced in 31 mobile events.
However, Minstrel has a perfect record in stands in WA, four starts for four victories (after starting from 40m, twice from 30m and once from 20m).
Minstrel raced in last position in the field of four and he finished fourth behind Magnificent Storm in a 2130m mobile event last Friday night when the final quarters were run in 28.6sec. and 26.7sec. His most recent victory was six starts ago when he led from barrier one and beat Mighty Ronaldo in a 2536m mobile event on October 6.
Lusaka is a three-year-old colt who will be competing against much older and more experienced rivals on Friday night. He made his first appearance in a stand last Friday night when he began from the 10m mark and was ninth at the bell before starting a three-wide move with 650m to travel and finishing gamely to be third behind Extraordinary Mary and Carana.
Lusaka has abundant ability, and he has won at eleven of his 19 starts. He is a versatile pacer who revealed plenty of spirit five starts ago when he covered extra ground before finishing third behind Mister Smartee in the Group 3 Western Gateway Pace.
Roberts will have many admirers earlier in the program on Friday night when she drives Cyclone Charlotte in the Catalano Trucks One Stop Shop Pace in which the four-year-old mare will be tested from the outside barrier in the field of nine. However, she has the class to overcome that disadvantage.
A strong performance should clinch a spot for Cyclone Charlotte in the $200,000 Golden Nugget on the following Friday night.
Cyclone Charlotte had little luck in the Four-Year-Old Classic Consolation last Friday night when she began from barrier six and was shuffled back to twelfth and last at the bell before she ran home strongly, out wide, to finish an unlucky eighth behind Floewriter.