Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
It should be a case of all guns blazing when brilliant beginners Blitzembye, Watts Up Sunshine and Vampiro clash in the 1730m Cowden The Insurance Brokers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
They possess dazzling gate speed and are excellent frontrunners.
The Mike Reed-trained Blitzembye has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, and Shannon Suvaljko will be hellbent on defying expected early strong challenges from Watts Up Sunshine (barrier two) and Vampiro (barrier three) and setting the pace with the Bettors Delight gelding whose 16 wins from 52 starts include eleven when he has led all the way.
Blitzembye also has won three times from five attempts over 1730m. He drops in class this week after being placed at two of his past four outings — a third behind Wildwest and Jumpingjackmac and a second to Steel The Show, both over 2536m.
Watts Up Sunshine will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Michael Young, with Deni Roberts in the sulky behind the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Vampiro.
Watts Up Sunshine has led at four of his five wins at Gloucester Park and is in top form, rating 1.54.1 when he led and easily beat Valentines Brook over 1730m three starts ago, and then trailing the pacemaker Talks Up A Storm before finishing fast to be a close second to that pacer over 2130m last Friday night.
Nine-year-old Vampiro is noted for his brilliant beginnings, and he has led at 17 of his 28 victories. He has not been successful for 21 months but his recent form from wide barriers has been encouraging.
Vampiro’s classy stablemate Patronus Star adds lustre to Friday night’s event in which he will begin out wide at barrier seven. He has managed just one win from his past 18 starts, but the 2020 WA Derby winner is capable of producing a strong finishing burst.
Reed and Suvaljko also have strong claims with four-year-old Dardy Boy in the final event, the 2130m Cowden Insurance Pace, in which he will begin from barrier three and has bright prospects of ending a losing sequence of 13.
Dardy Boy has resumed after a winter spell in fine fettle. At his two most recent starts he has raced wide early and then without cover before fighting on to finish third behind Lucapelo and second to Henwood Bay.
Suvaljko also has a good chance of winning with Whos The Dad, who will start from barrier three in the Cowden First For Insurance Pace over 2130m. Whose The Dad, trained by Kevin Charles, led from barrier two and romped to victory by six and a half lengths from Hillview Bondi over 2130m last Friday night. He meets stiffer opposition this week and is sure to be tested by Ima Fivestar General, who should be ready to produce his best at his third appearance after a spell.