Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented gelding Tricky Miki will need a good share of luck in the $50,000 Cowden Insurance Western Gateway Classic over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who declared: “He’s a big chance providing he gets into the clear after starting from the inside of the back line.”
Hall will handle Tricky Miki for outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, with both seeking to win the group 2 Western Gateway for a fourth time.
Prentice trained and drove Major Martini for his win in 2020 after driving Lively Royce (2008) and Im Victorious (2012) for their wins, while Hall has won the feature event for three-year-olds with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Chicago Bull (2016), brilliant pacers trained by Gary Hall Snr.
“I expect Machs Bettor to lead from barrier one, so we will be there (behind the leader) all the way,” said Hall. “We will need luck to get out, and if Tricky Miki gets into the clear he will be hard to hold out.
“His win in the South-West Derby at Bunbury was super. Everyone thought he was a one-trick pony, with his closing speed. But he showed in that race he has more than one string to his bow.”
In the 2100m South-West Derby last Friday week Tricky Miki began speedily from barrier three and was able to withstand a spirited challenge for the lead from Floewriter before he relaxed and coasted through the first 400m section of the final mile in 31.7sec. and then accelerated with final quarters of 28.6sec., 28.2sec. and 27.4sec. to nine by nine lengths from Rellim, rating 1.55.8.
At his previous start, a month earlier, Tricky Miki won the group 1 Westbred Classic at Gloucester Park, rating 1.56.2 over 2130m in beating Loucid Dreams and Whos The Dad. He began from barrier seven, settled down in eighth position before dashing forward, three wide, after 350m to race in the breeze briefly and then in the one-out, one-back position. He was switched three wide 270m from home and took the lead in the final 70 metres.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a strong hand in Friday night’s classic in which he will be represented by Machs Bettor (six wins from 18 starts) from the prized No. 1 barrier, and the brilliant Swingband (11 wins from 19 starts) from the outside (barrier three) on the back line.
Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington has chosen to drive Swingband in preference to Machs Bettor, a gelding he has driven at his past six starts for four wins, a second and a third. Symington has handled Swingband only once, for an outstanding victory at a 1.57 rate over 2130m three starts ago when the gelding began from the outside barrier (No. 9), raced three wide for the first lap before taking the lead and going on to defeat The Miki Taker.
Mitch Miller has been engaged for Machs Bettor for the first time, and his instructions will be to set the pace, with Bell saying: “Machs Bettor has got good natural gate speed and he will definitely lead.”
Swingband and Machs Bettor contested a five-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when Swingband raced in the breeze for the first lap and then set the pace before finishing second to smart pacer Theo Aviator, who got to the front 70m from the finish and rated 1.55.5 with the final three quarters being run in 29.4sec., 29.sec. and 27.2sec.
Machs Bettor raced in fifth position and fought on, three wide, to be third, six lengths behind Swingband.
“I was very happy with Swingband’s trial,” said Bell. “He needed it, and he has come through it very well. It’s going to be a bit tricky from the draw. I hope we get to use his speed; we’ve seen that only once, and you saw the result in the Sales Classic.”
In the Sales Classic in February this year Swingband started from the No. 9 barrier and was 12th and last at the bell before charging forward and going five wide on the home bend to burst to the front at the 110m mark and win by just under three lengths from Soho Santorini.
“So, Swingband is not out of it on Friday night when Tricky Miki is the one to beat,” said Bell. “But if the field can keep Tricky Miki locked up on the fence, he’s going to find it hard. But if he sees daylight, he’s going to be hard to hold out.”
Only three runners have been successful over the 2536m journey, Hoppys Way (two wins and a second placing), Swingband and High Price.
Hoppys Way, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, will have many admirers. The New Zealand-bred colt has won at eight of his 26 starts and should enjoy a favourable passage after starting from barrier two on the back line.
Reed has won the Western Gateway with Manageable (1988) and Bechers Brook (2018), and Suvaljko drove the Ron Huston-trainer Jumbo Operator to victory in 2009.
Stuart McDonald will drive High Price (barrier nine) for champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, who has won the Western Gateway with The Falcon Strike (2001), Alta Christiano (2013), Elegant Christian (2014), Beaudiene Boaz (2015), Chicago Bull (2016) and Eloquent Mach (2019).
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be pinning their faith in the New Zealand-bred Street Hawk, a winner at seven of his 12 starts who will be driven by Ryan Warwick from the No. 5 barrier. The Bonds prepared Mitch Maguire when Warwick drove him to victory in the 2017 Western Gateway. Greg Bond also was successful with Ohokas Bondy in 2011.