Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington has recently returned home after five months away in the United States where he gained invaluable experience driving, and he will be keen to resume in style when he competes in four of the ten events at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has a good chance in the opening event, the $21,000 Trusted Asbestos Removal WA Pace over 2130m in which he will handle seven-year-old Rellim for part-owner and trainer Dean Miller.
Rellim, who has a losing sequence of 27, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six. But that should not be a problem, considering that his recent racing pattern has been to be restrained to the rear before finishing strongly.
Rellim was eleventh in the middle stages and eighth at the bell before charging home to finish fifth behind Girl Of Brightness over 2130m last Friday week. A week earlier he was most impressive when he was tenth at the bell before flying home, out seven wide, to finish a close third behind Your Grace
The WA-bred gelding also caught the eye at his two previous outings when he finished strongly into third place on both occasions.
Rellim’s chief rival is sure to be Bettathanlife, the only mare in the field of twelve, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line for trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
Four-year-old Bettathanlife did not race as a two-year-old and her only appearance in New Zealand was when she finished third behind Tosana at Winton in May 2025. Her next start was four months later when she led and won by eleven lengths from Pipers Parade over 2185m at Pinjarra, rating 1.56.8, early last September.
Her next three starts resulted in a nose second to the brilliant Fakenit in a prelude of the WA Oaks, a second to Fakenit in the Group 3 Daintys Daughter Classic and a fourth behind Fakenit in the Oaks final last October.
Symington’s other drives on Friday night will be behind Infinite Sign in race four, Funky Music (race seven) and Chugach (race ten).
Infinite Sign, a seven-year-old trained by Jocelyn Young, faces a stern test from out wide at barrier eight in the 2130m Ascot Group Made In WA Pace, in which Mad Monday looks the testing material from barrier four at his first appearance since leading from the No. 8 barrier and winning convincingly from Captain Stirling at a 1.54.9 rate over 1730m on November 21.
Mad Monday, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, has raced 19 times for six wins and five seconds, and his clash with smart performers Sebastian James (barrier two on the back line), Spitfire (inside of the back line) and Bettor Arcade (outside of the front line) should provide plenty of action.
Funky Muscic, trained by Cody Wallrodt, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m AGWA Refurbishments Pace. She is a five-year-old mare who has raced 85 times for eight wins and 19 placings. She has raced at Gloucester Park only five times for a third, fourth, fifth, seventh and 11TH placing.
Chugach, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, has won at two of his 13 starts and is awkwardly drawn at the No. 6 barrier in the Demolition Services Perth Pace for three-year-olds.