Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Veteran trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper is forming a successful partnership with leviathan Leeton harness owner Mick Boots, and he is hoping for a first-up win with Spyglass when the five-year-old makes his WA debut in the first qualifying heat of the Nights Of Thunder at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Boots, who owns hundreds of pacers and trotters, sent Spyglass to Harper’s Martin stables after the gelding had finished an excellent third behind Ghost Of Time over 1720m at Melton on November 30.
Spyglass has drawn perfectly at barrier No. 1 in the first qualifying heat of the Nights Of Thunder over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and he should perform strongly against several smart and speedy rivals, including Rockandrollartist, Ventura, Dalvey Robyn and Thenu Came Along.
Over the past 16 months Harper has trained and driven 14 winners for Boots — eight with Chivalry, four with Unlucky and two with Sugar Apple.
The New Zealand-bred Spyglass has done all his racing in Australia, with his 22 starts producing ten wins (seven in Victoria and three in New South Wales) as well as six placings for earnings of $65,105.
At his most recent appearance Spyglass began from barrier two on the back line at Melton on November 30 when he raced three back on the pegs and was sixth on the home turn before finishing solidly to be third, 8m behind Ghost Of Time, who rated 1.53.2 over the 1720m, with final 400m sections of 27.5sec. and 27sec.
Three starts before that Spyglass was successful over 1740m at the Riverina Paceway in Wagga when he started from the No. 7 barrier and was restrained back to eighth. He improved to be fifth 400m from home and he finished fast, out four wide, to beat Charlies Angel by a half-neck, rating 1.54.5, with a final quarter of 26.4sec.
Spyglass warmed up for Friday night’s event in good style when he won a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning. Harper restrained him at the start, and he settled down in fifth position in the field of six before racing four back on the pegs.
Harper eased him off the pegs with about 700m to travel and the gelding then gained an ideal sit behind the pacemaker Sly Terror before he again moved off the inside approaching the home turn. He dashed to the front in the final 50m and was not extended in winning easily from Sly Terror, rating 1.59.6. The final three quarters were run in 29.6sec., 30.5sec. and 28.4sec.
Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo has given Rockandrollartist a freshen-up, and the six-year-old will be making his first appearance for five weeks when he begins from the No. 5 barrier. The gelding is one of the fastest beginners in the State and De Campo appears certain to attempt to steal a march on his rivals by setting Rockandrollartist on fire in a bid to burst to the front and then set the pace.
Rockandrollartist rated a smart 1.56.3 when he dashed to the front from barrier eight and then set a fast pace before winning by four lengths from Joey James over 2130m five weeks ago. He is a brilliant sprinter, as he revealed when he led and won twice over 1177m at Pinjarra last April.
Ventura, trained and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is in top form and will have many admirers at his first outing for three weeks. He has the ability to overcome the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Ventura started from barrier five in a 2536m event on December 27 when he raced in the breeze in the first lap and then set the pace before winning from the fast-finishing Dalvey Robyn and Soho Santorini.
Two starts before that Ventura led from barrier three and won by just over a length from Rockandrollartist, rating 1.55.2 over 2130m, with final quarters of 27.8sec. and 27.6sec.
Thenu Came Along, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Deni Roberts, warmed up for Friday night’s race by finishing strongly from the rear to win by a half-length from Arionrock at a 1.58 rate over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon when the final quarters were run in 27.7sec. and 28.4sec.
Four-year-old Thenu Came Along, who will start out wide at barrier seven, has earned $103,027 from seven wins and 12 placings from 32 starts.