Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Smart four-year-old pacer Skylord has bright prospects of breaking through for an overdue win when he begins from the No. 3 barrier in the Mister Smartee Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Skylord, owned, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, has had little luck and has been unplaced at his past six starts from unfavourable barriers, barrier seven twice, barrier eight and three back-line draws.
Skylord had no luck at all in the 2130m Christmas Gift last Friday night when he went forward early from barrier seven in a bid to get to the breeze outside Brickies Dream. He was unable to get past the breeze horse Chivalry and Young then had to restrain the horse back to last in the field of twelve. He was forced three and four wide in the final circuit and finished in 11TH place.
The hardest for Skylord to beat are expected to be back-line runners Storyteller and Franco Ecuador.
Storyteller, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Stuart McDonald, produced an outstanding performance last Friday night when he finished second to Tualou in a fast-run 2130m event. He dashed forward from the outside barrier in the field of eight before being restrained to the rear.
Storyteller then charged home, out four wide, in a run which suggested that he would pay to follow.
Friday night’s feature event, the $30,000 Coulson Pace for mares, is a wide open affair, with Our Lady Jen and Pocket The Change capable of figuring in the finish.
Our Lady Jen, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will start from the No. 4 barrier. Her form in her current campaign has been sound, with eleven starts producing one win and six placings.
She finished strongly from eighth at the bell when third behind Freyja over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. She also unwound a powerful late burst when fourth behind Montana Glory and Peaceful over 2130m at Gloucester Park two starts earlier.
The Kim Prentice-trained Soho Firestone is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class when he starts from the No. 3 barrier in the 2130m Cyclone Jordy Pace.
Soho Firestone, to be driven by Mitch Miller, has been unplaced at his past seven starts when he has been matched up against quality pacers of the calibre of Mister Smartee, Sorridere, Lusaka, OK Boomer, Im The Black Flash and Skylord. He could lead his rivals on a merry dance this week.
Great interest will surround the clash between Lavra Joe and Lusaka in the $31,000 Aardiebytheseaside Pace over 2130m, with Deni Roberts to handle Lusaka from barrier two and Maddison Brown to drive Lavra Joe from the No. 6 barrier in the small field of seven runners.
Both pacers excelled last Friday night, with Lavra Joe dashing to an early lead and winning easily from To Fast To Serious, and Lusaka finishing powerfully when a close third behind Hampton