Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Enigmatic pacer Armed Reactor, who has finished at the rear at his past three starts, has a great chance to return to the winning list when he starts from the No. 2 barrier in the 1730m Trotsynd Syndication Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The lightly-raced New Zealand-bred eight-year-old put the writing on the wall when he was on his best behaviour and scored a runaway win in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Thursday of last week.
Driven by his trainer Gary Hall Jnr, Armed Reactor began safely from barrier four in the five-horse trial and he took the lead after 150m and set a fast pace before winning by eleven lengths from Tenzing Bromac, rating a smart 1.55.5.
Thirteen nights earlier Armed Reactor started from the back line in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park when he settled down in the one-out, one-back position before he hit a wheel and broke into a gallop 500m after the start.
He dropped back to a distant last before starting a three-wide move 1200m from home, moving to third at the bell and then wilting over the final 500m to finish last behind Getyn Wiggy Withit.
One of Armed Reactor’s seven rivals on Friday night will be former Victorian pacer Mea Culpa, a six-year-old Art Major gelding who will start from the outside barrier in his first appearance at Gloucester Park.
A winner at eight of his 77 Victorian starts, Mea Culpa is trained by Nathan Turvey and will be driven by Kyle Symington, who was in the sulky when he began from barrier five, raced four back on the pegs and ran home strongly to gain a last-stride win by a half-head from the pacemaker Cherishthememories at a 1.54 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
As usual, Hall’s drives will be popular with punters. Apart from Armed Reactor, he has sound prospects with Nevermindthechaos (race one), Moonlite Drive (race four), Prince of Pleasure (race five) and Strauny (race seven).
The Michael Young-trained Nevermindthechaos has the ability to overcome a wide draw at barrier seven in the 2130m opening event and turn the tables on Three Rumours, who defeated her by a half-neck in the Group 3 Coulson Pace last Friday night.
Nevermindthechaos was having her second start after an eight-month absence when she began from the outside barrier (No. 9), settled down in last position and sustained a strong three-wide burst from the 1000m to get within a head of Three Rumours on the home turn.
Three Rumours, who made an unsuccessful bid for the lead in the first lap, then raced in the breeze before taking the lead 390m from home. Her victory at a 1.56.9 rate over 2130m was full of merit.
Moonlight Drive was an all-the-way winner last Friday night, and he will again be fancied when he starts from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m APG Perth Yearling Sale Pace in which he will meet stiffer opposition, including Handsandwheels, Sugar Street, Typhoon Banner and Machnificent.
Hall has been engaged by Byford trainer Peter Tilbrook to drive Strauny in the TABtouch WA Pacing Cup Handicap in which he will start from barrier five on the front line in the 2503m standing-start event.
Hall, who has not driven Strauny, replaces Chris Voak, who has handled the five-year-old at his past 15 starts for six wins, two seconds and a third placing. Voak was committed to handle Troopingofthecolor, a pacer he trains and was in the sulky when he finished full of running to win a 2130m mobile event by five lengths from Tenacious George at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
Strauny is sure to prove hard to beat. He was an effortless Pinjarra winner three starts ago before he raced without cover and finished third behind Strike Team over 1730m at Gloucester Park and then was sixth behind Orlando Blue in a stand last Friday night.
Strauny was the $1.85 favourite last Friday night when he galloped at the start and lost ten lengths. He settled in eighth position before dashing forward after 600m to take an ideal sit in the one-out, two-back position. He went four wide on the home turn, but just plugged home after his early indiscretion.