Inexperienced five-year-old Sheez Our Hope has captivated harness racing fans in her brief career with her sparkling speed, and she has bright prospects of overcoming considerable odds by winning the Group 2 $50,000 Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Alta Christiano mare, owned and trained by Michael Cornwall, faces the immense task of beginning from the outside of the back line at her first appearance at Gloucester Park at only her seventh start and at her first attempt over 2536 metres.
But I have been excited by her enthusiasm and great natural point-to-point speed and expect her to upset her far more experienced and better-performed rivals.
Sheez Our Hope will be driven by Kyle Harper, who caused an upset in the Empress Stakes in April 2012 when he drove $20 chance All In Baby to a last-stride nose victory over the $1.80 favourite and pacemaker Kamwood Laughter, driven by Colin Brown, who is hoping that his tough mare Fifty Five Reborn can give him his second training and driving success in the big race after scoring with Sand Pebbles in 2004.
Harper realises the magnitude of Sheez Our Hope’s task this week, but he predicts a bright future for the mare.
“It’s hard not to be impressed by her,” he said. “For a horse who has had only six starts (for four wins, a second and a third) she is doing things that you would expect from a seasoned Free-For-All mare.
“This is a huge jump up in class for her. It was also a big rise in class when she ran in the Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra on Monday of last week and she handled it with ease.”
Sheez Our Hope was an $8.50 chance from the back line in the 1684m Pinjarra feature event in which she settled down in seventh position, was eighth at the bell and started a three-wide move 700m from home and finished strongly to be third behind Star Of Diamonds and Nikasa, with the winner rating 1.53.3 after final quarters of 27.5sec. and 28sec.
“She was running on strongly at Pinjarra, and two starts before that, over 2242m at Narrogin, I clocked her to run her final 800m in 55.7sec. when second to the leader Bee Jays Boy. Running 55.7sec. around Narrogin on the rail is impressive, let alone off the rails, chasing.
“You don’t run that sort of time at Narrogin, especially for an inexperienced horse. Then, at her next start, over 2100m at Bunbury when she won from Star Of Diamonds, she came from the rear and was clocked at 54.2sec. for her final 800m.
“She did that without cover, three deep. She just has that type of speed. But it’s still early doors for her and she is still learning. She is a great horse to drive, and with her you can make your own luck. She could have drawn better on Friday night, but for her the back line is fine.
“She is a sit and kick style of horse who has led and won, but in this class over this distance, sit and kick is her go. It is really a question of whether she is up to these over the long journey. However, I don’t think the 2500m will worry her. She has certainly got the ability to stand up and make her presence felt.”
Star reinsman Chris Voak is confident that the Barry Howlett-trained four-year-old Star Of Diamonds will be hard to beat. Star Of Diamonds, who has had 29 starts for five wins, seven seconds and three thirds, will, like Sheez Our Hope, be having her first start over 2536m.
She will start from barrier two on the back line on Friday night and Voak declared: “She’s a very good chance. I think that she and Sheez Our Hope are the two most promising up-and-coming mares in the State.
“They are as good as each other right now, and with a season of winter campaigning under them, I expect them to be potentially a threat to Balcatherine and other good mares when they meet in the major events for mares next summer.”
Star of Diamonds has sparkled during her current preparation of four starts for wins at Narrogin and Pinjarra and close seconds at Bunbury and Gloucester Park. She enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing powerfully to hit the front 120m from the post and go on and easily beat Nikasa and Sheez Our Hope in the Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra.
“Star Of Diamonds can repeat the does and beat Sheez Our Hope again,” said Voak. “Whoever gets the better trip out of the two is going to win the race.”
Nikasa, to be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green from the No. 4 barrier, is sure to be prominent on Friday night. She finished strongly in the Golden Girls Mile and then warmed up for Friday night’s engagement with an excellent second to Bettys Lass over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when she finished strongly from sixth at the bell.
Fifty Five Reborn has won twice over 2536m, Delightfulreaction has won once over 2536m and twice over 2503m, and Sweet Maddison has won twice over 2536m and once over 2569m.
By Ken Casellas