Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Inexperienced two-year-old Velocipede warmed up in style for the $20,250 Steel Blue Boots Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night with a dashing performance in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning.
The Fly Like An Eagle gelding, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will begin from the No. 2 barrier and will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, who said: “We will come out and have a look (for the lead) and see if we can find the rail. It’s a good field and I think one of his main dangers is his stablemate Hes never Been Beta.”
Hes Never Been Beta will be driven by Stuart McDonald, who handled Velocipede in Sunday’s five-horse trial in which he began speedily from barrier four, dashed straight to the front and after slow opening quarters he sprinted over the final 400m sections in 29.7sec. and 27.3sec.
He careered right away from his rivals and won by 51 metres from True Aristocratic, rating 2.0.5. Velocipede rated 1.56.6 when he led and won over 1684m at Pinjarra two starts ago. He then enjoyed a good passage in the one-out, one-back position before pacing roughly with 250m to travel and finishing fourth behind Skylord over 2130m at Gloucester Park on September 6.
Velocipede is a full-brother to champion three-year-old filly Wonderful To Fly, who will be the main attraction on Friday night when she looks a certainty to win the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic.
Hall Jnr said he expected Hes Never Been Beta (barrier five) to make a bold bid for victory. The Hes Watching colt made a successful debut when he raced in the breeze before beating Hez All The Rage and Fess Up over 2185m at Pinjarra on September 5 before finishing sixth behind Im The Black Flash after 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.
“Disregard that sixth,” said Hall. “He would’ve finished second to Im The Black Flash if he had got a clear run.
Advantage (barrier one) and Rolling Fire (four) are smart geldings who will have admirers. Advantage, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has raced once for an impressive victory when he sat behind the pacemaker Wanea before surging to the front 300m from home and winning by 5m from Your Grace at a 1.57.3 rate over 1730m at Gloucester Park on August 12.
Aiden De Campo will drive Rolling Fire for Capel trainer Justin Prentice. His five starts have produced wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park.
With Three seconds from his past four starts Cheer The Major is overdue for a change of fortune, and the Gary Elson-trained New Zealand-bred six-year-old will attract considerable attention when he starts from the outside barrier in the nine-horse Tom’s Ride For Ahlia Pace.
Cheer The Major, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko, caught the eye last Friday night when he was trapped wide from barrier seven in the early stages before being restrained to last in a field of 12. He was tenth at the bell before flashing home, out wide, to finish second to Rockstar Rebel.
He covered the final 800m in 28.02sec., with the last 400m taking 27.43sec.
“I’ve always thought he was more of a tough horse, but this time in he’s got a bit of a sprint to him,” said Suvaljko. “I thought he should have won when he led at Pinjarra two starts ago (when second to Aussie Scooter). I was asking him to go at the 800m, and he wasn’t responding.
“We put the blocks on him last Friday night, and he was much sharper. Nine is not the barrier we wanted this week, but if the pace is on early and if luck goes his way, he is a winning chance.”
Hall Jnr also believes that he has sound prospects with Master Publisher, who will start out wide at barrier seven at his third run after a spell.