Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star Of Diamonds is awkwardly drawn at barrier six in the 2536m Sunrise On 7 Pace, but she is ready to return to her best form at her third outing after a spell.
The Bettors Delight mare is trained in Busselton by Barry Howlett and she will be driven by Chris Lewis. Her first two runs (both from out wide at barrier eight) after an absence of ten months have been full of merit.
She was ninth and last 400m from home before she was switched five wide at the 300m and surged home to finish third behind Booraa and American Arma in a 2130m Free-For-All for mares three Fridays ago.
Then she was restrained from her wide barrier in another 2130m Free-For-All for mares. She was ninth in the field of eleven with 300m to travel before going four wide and finishing solidly into sixth place behind Alcippes Delight last Friday night.
Her form last year as a four-year-old was excellent when she won the Group 2 Breeders Stakes (beating Heavens Showgirl) and the Group 3 Race For Roses (beating Savvy Bromac) and the Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra, rating 1.53.3 over 1684m. She also finished third behind Wainui Creek in the Group 2 Empress Stakes and third behind Perfect Major and Vampiro in the Group 2 Stratton Cup.
Toughest for Star Of Diamonds to beat is likely to be Master Publisher, who bounced back to form at his third outing after a spell when he began from barrier six and finished boldly from seventh at the bell to win by a length from Vintage Blu.
Lewis also has good prospects in the following two events on Friday night in which he will handle Fanci A Dance (race three) and Hampton Banner (race four), with each pacer fancied to set the pace and prove hard to topple.
Fanci A Dance, a hardy nine-year-old and a stablemate of Star Of Diamonds, will begin from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Home And Away On 7 Pace. Fanci A Dance gave a strong performance last Friday week when he began from barrier seven and dashed forward from the rear to race in the breeze for more than a lap before winning by a head from the frontrunning Doc Holliday, rating 1.56.1 over 2130m.
He then was a $41 outsider when he improved from sixth at the bell to finish fifth behind Lavra Joe in the Group 3 Past President’s Cup last Friday night. He is sure to appreciate a drop in class this week.
Hampton Bannner, trained by Debra Lewis, is a brilliant beginner and a smart frontrunner, and he is sure to prove hard to beat from the No. 1 barrier in the $30,000 Australia’s Got Talent on 7 Free-For-All over 2130m in which he will clash with talented four-year-olds Mighty Ronaldo and Jumpingjackmac, the in-form Plutonium, Miracle Moose and Gambit.
Considerable interest will surround the return to racing of the Justin Prentice-trained Mighty Ronaldo, who has had a spell since finishing strongly to be third behind Beyond Delight and Drain The Swamp in the Group 1 $210,000 APG Gold Bullion final for four-year-olds at Menangle on May 7 when the winner rated 1.51.6.
That followed wins at Gloucester Park at his three previous starts. “Justin is happy with his progress, and I’ll probably drive him conservatively before having the last crack at the opposition,” said Hall.