Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Wanea, a dismal failure when a $1.45 favourite last Friday week, can make amends by winning the Ora Foods Pace for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to the filly’s trainer-reinsman Chris Voak.
Wanea started from the outside in the field of seven last week when she raced without cover early and then enjoyed a perfect sit behind the pacemaker Pocketful Of Opals and fading in the final circuit to finish a well-beaten sixth behind the frontrunner.
“Put a line through her last run,” said Voak. “She was very disappointing last week and was very much underdone. She was getting over a virus and wasn’t fit enough. I had been soft with her.
“Her work this morning (Tuesday) was extraordinary. It was only a little worse than Soho Confidential, who ran home in 26.8sec. Wanea ran home in 27.3sec. when she ran a mile and a half in 3min. 9sec. I hadn’t been able to get her to run any better than 3.14, and her heart rate this morning was excellent.
“I’m expecting a lot of improvement on Friday night when I think she can lead. But I’ve also got options; I’ll see how she feels at the gate.”
Wanea will need to be at the top of her game if she is to beat the unraced New Zealand-bred colt Advantage, who is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2.
Advantage is trained by Greg and Skye Bond and will be driven by Ryan Warwick, who handled him in a 2150m Byford trial on Sunday morning when he started from barrier three, took the lead after 150m and was not extended in winning by two and a half lengths from Bartlett, rating a modest 2.5.4 after easy sectionals of 32.7sec., 31.8sec., 30.8sec. and 29.7sec.
Advantage is certainly capable of running considerably faster, and he is sure to take plenty of beating on debut.
Voak also has a good chance of winning with the Ross Olivieri-trained eight-year-old, who is ideally drawn at the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Durrant Racing Pace.
This will be the gelding’s fourth run after a spell, and he has finished solidly at his past two starts for a second to Alta Rhett and a third behind Will I Rocknroll and Typhoon Banner.
“I think Boom Time gets his chance to lead and win,” said Voak. “He has very good gate speed, and I expect him to be hard to beat.”