Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star reinsman Chris Voak has driven Sunnys Little Rose at 16 of her 18 WA starts for three wins and nine placings, but he has given punters a valuable lead by electing to drive Chumani in The Game Trotters Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chumani, trained by Terry Ferguson, will start from the No. 1 barrier on the front line in the 2503m event, with the Barry Howlett-trained Sunnys Little Rose at barrier two.
“I like Sunnys Little Rose, but Chumani went really good when he won at Pinjarra on Monday,” said Voak. “He began well in the stand, set the pace and did it easily, and if he can run those sort of times out in front on Friday night, I think he can run top three.”
Chumani, who began fast from barrier four, took up the running after 300m and he dashed over the quarters of the final mile in 30.8sec., 29.6sec., 29.4sec. and 29.5sec. to win by 13 lengths from Betty Bootz.
At his previous start, at Pinjarra 18 days earlier, Chumani began from 20m and raced four back on the pegs before winning by a head from Uptown Lad, with Sunnys Little Rose a half-length farther back in third place.
Sunnys Little Rose, Uptown Lad and the 30m backmarker Luvaflair appear to be the main dangers to Chumani, whose 82 starts have produced 14 wins and 30 placings.
Luvaflair, to be driven by Donald Harper for Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, notched her 23RD win from 119 starts when she was sixth early and third at the bell before finishing fast to beat Patched and Sunnys Little Rose in the group 3 Trotters Sprint over 1730m last Friday night.
Uptown Lad, to be driven by Kyle Harper from barrier three on the front line, is in excellent form for Wandering trainer Karen Bennett, having finished second by a margin of a head at his past two starts, both in stands over 2116m at Pinjarra, losing to Chumani and to Cyclone Kadabramelia.