Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko was in a quandary when New Zealand-bred stablemates Blitzembye and Hoppys Way were acceptors for the $25,000 The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He had driven Blitzembye 27 times for seven wins, including handling the five-year-old at his most recent 22 starts. And he had also driven Hoppys Way 27 times for nine wins, including being in the sulky for the four-year-old’s past 15 starts.
Suvaljko has given punters a strong lead by choosing to drive Blitzembye, who will start from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 1730m sprint, with Henley Brook trainer Kevin Keys engaging Gary Hall Jnr to drive Hoppys Way, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier.
Both Blitzembye and Hoppys Way possess sparkling gate speed, with Blitzembye setting the pace and winning at ten of his 13 WA successes. Hoppys Way has led at six of his nine wins in WA.
“We didn’t go forward with Hoppys Way when he won last Friday night,” said Keys. “But at this stage I would say that Hoppys Way will definitely go forward on Friday. Blitzembye also gets out quickly, but Hoppys Way can begin quick when you ask him.
“I was happy with Blitzembye’s fourth in the Marathon last Friday night (when he started from 40m and was ninth at the bell before finishing fourth behind Youre So Fine).”
What makes Friday night’s event so intriguing is that Raven Banner, like Blitzembye and Hoppys Way, possesses excellent gate speed. The Greg and Skye Bond-trained Raven Banner will start from the outside barrier in the field of six, with Deni Roberts in the sulky.
Raven Banner led from barrier four and battled on gamely when a close third behind Hoppys Way and Street Hawk over 2536m last Friday night.
“He has brilliant gate speed and racing over a mile this week is right up his alley,” said Mrs Bond. “The short trip should suit him better than running over 2536m last week.”
The Bond stable also has excellent winning prospects with Himself, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Happy Birthday Hubert Tucker Free-For-All. “He is in good form and his trackwork has been good,” said Mrs Bond. “He’s tough and he likes running along in front.”
One of Himself’s rivals will be seven-year-old Wildwest, who will be reappearing after a spell and will be driven by Hall from barrier four. Wildwest, the winner of the WA Pacing Cup in February 2022, will be making his first appearance since finishing eighth behind Diego in the WA Pacing Cup on January 27 this year.
“Wildwest has done plenty of work and is going pretty good,” said Hall, who has decided to drive the New Zealand-bred gelding ahead of the in-form Prince Of Pleasure, whose past nine starts have produced five wins, three placings and one fourth. Stuart McDonald will drive Wildwest.