Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Busselton trainer Katie Howlett has brought back five-year-old Brought To Light in splendid form after an injury-enforced absence of 30 months and the Bettors Delight gelding should prove hard to beat when he begins from barrier three in the 2130m Westral Meshlock Security Doors And Screens Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ace reinsman Chris Voak is bullish about Brought To Light’s winning prospects, saying: “He is versatile and I think there is a chance of leading, and I’m going into the race with a fair bit of confidence.
“With the barrier advantage over his main rivals he is the one to beat. He sat in the breeze and won easily at Bunbury two starts ago, going 1.56.7 and then finished third behind Lincoln Lou and Golden Lode in the Manea Classic at Bunbury last Saturday night.
“He ran up behind them and was half held up. He is a horse who doesn’t sprint until he gets clear running. He is quite a tough horse as he showed two starts ago.”
Brought To Light revealed excellent early promise as a two-year-old when he finished second to Vegas Strip in the group 1 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park in September 2023. That was his tenth appearance that season and then injuries kept him out of action for 30 months.
Several of his rivals this week are racing keenly, and they include Kinky, Up And Alive, Opal Hunter, Wall Street Girl and When In Vegas.
Up And Alive, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, impressed last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier eight and was tenth at the bell before running home strongly to finish third behind Kinky, who sustained a spirited burst to get to the front with 250m to travel.
“Up And Alive is racing well and with a good draw I will try to give him a good chance in front,” said De Campo. “There are a couple of nice ones out wide, so I will try to take advantage of the draw.”
Menemsha also has sound prospects for De Campo when he begins from the outside of the back line on he $31,000 Team Bond Free-For-All over 2130m. “He has raced really well at his past two (for a win and a second placing) and this is another winnable race for him,” said De Campo.
The Bond-trained Gee Heza Sport, to be driven by Deni Roberts, is the pre-post favourite who is sure to receive plenty of opposition. The eight-year-old has been raced sparingly in recent months and he was the $1.70 favourite when he began from the back line and had a tough run when a half-head second to Otis in the 2662m Narrogin Cup last Saturday week.
“He has a tough barrier,” said Roberts. “It was a slick last half (56.4sec.) in the Narrogin Cup when he was not suited by the slow early pace. He goes better when the speed is on.”
Voak gives his five-year-old Maximum Rock a good winning chance, pointing out the gelding’s unlucky third behind Youre So Fine and Menemsha last Friday night.
Maximum Rock, who set the pace and won from Opal Hunter over 2130m two starts ago, will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line on Friday night.
“If he was able to get a crack at them last week, he would’ve gone close,” said Voak. “We were held up on the back of the eventual winner and then I should have come out wider on the (home) bend. He is up to this class, and if he gets the gaps, he will be capable of winning.”
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green also gives his five-year-old Im Lightning Banner a good chance of ending a losing sequence of 17 when he begins from the inside of the back line.
“He is not having a lot of luck, and hopefully this week he will be on the leader’s back,” said Egerton-Green. “We will start immediately behind Alcopony, and that horse usually likes to lead.”
Trainer Gary Hall Snr will be looking for strong efforts from his last-start winners Youre So Fine (Maddison Brown; barrier nine) and Sweet Pins (Stuart McDonald; barrier five) as well as Alta Tribute (Briana Edman; barrier seven). Alta Tribute won the 2536m Parliamentarians Cup three starts ago.
De Campo reports that his brilliant mare Copy Cat Queen is poised to put in another excellent performance when she starts from the No. 6 barrier in the Go One Better With Westral Pace for mares over 2130m.
“She was sensational last start when she put another couple of strings to her bow (and won the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes last Friday week),” said De Campo. “All things are on track, and she will run a good race.”
The Bond stable will be looking for forward showings from Aardiebytheseaside (Deni Roberts; barrier No. 7) and Captainshavtime (Kyle Symington; barrier five).