Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Soho Shakedown will be all the rage for the Bob Ridgers Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but ace driver Deni Roberts is in no mood to concede defeat, explaining that Our Crunch Time is in peak form and is ready to run a big race.
Soho Shakedown, to be driven by Abbey Vidovich for trainer Kim Prentice, is favourably drawn at barrier No. 3, with Our Crunch Time somewhat awkwardly drawn at barrier five.
Much will depend on the start, with Full Swing Denario (barrier one) and Gully Gum (barrier two) both speedy beginners and successful frontrunners.
Soho Shakedown has resumed after a spell in grand style, leading from barrier one and winning from Lucca over 2130m three Fridays ago, and then holding up from the No. 1 barrier to set the pace for the first 500m before taking the sit behind superstar Magnificent Storm and running home strongly to finish a 2m second to that pacer in last Friday night’s August Cup.
Our Crunch Time, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, finished a last-start seventh behind Alta Allure over 2130m last Friday week, but he appeared a certainty beaten. He began swiftly from the No. 7 barrier before being restrained to the rear.
He was last in the field of ten at the bell and was still in last place 250m from home before being switched out wide. But he was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage in the home straight.
At his previous outing, a fortnight earlier, he began from barrier seven and raced four wide early before being restrained to gain the perfect one-out, one-back position. He was switched three wide with 600m to travel and finished strongly to get to the front on the home turn on the way to winning by a half-head from Soho Moonraker, rating 1.56.5.
“This horse is airborne at the moment, and I expect I’ll be driving him positively,” said Roberts. “I think he is right up there.”
Our Crunch Time and Soho Shakedown are emerging as strong candidates for the rich feature events for four-year-olds later in the year, and their rivals on Friday night include in-form veteran performers Machnificent (barrier nine) and Ima Fivestar General (inside of the back line).
The Bonds should also be at the fore in the Tom Davies Pace over 2130m in which they have three of the nine runners, Kinky (Liam Eliott; barrier one), Captainshavtime (Roberts; barrier three) and Captains Creek (Kyle Symington; barrier eight).
Roberts has given punters a good lead by choosing to handle Captainshavtime, saying the mare who has a losing sequence of eight, had sound winning prospects.
“She is going really good but has had no luck, having back-line draws (at her past two starts),” she said. “She is a frontrunner and I think I will be driving her fairly positive, and she will go really good in front.”
Captains Creek has the ability to overcome his wide draw and figure in the finish. He did himself no favours by overracing in front in the 3309m Marathon Handicap last Friday week when he faded to finish fifth behind Luvbite.
The main danger to the Bond runners looks certain to be the Katie Howlett-trained five-year-old Brought To Light, who will start from the No. 7 barrier with Chris Voak in the sulky.
Brought To Light has been most consistent in his brief career of 20 starts for five wins and nine placings. He had a tough run without cover when a fighting third behind Hold The Ammo and Curadh over 2130m last Friday night.