The $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup (2130m) the feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night, has attracted a 12-horse field of quality pacers.
Finding the winner will be no easy feat, but one member of the WA Trotting Media Guild believes he has done just that.
Longshot guru Pat Harding is keen on Ideal Agent in the cup.
“Nice to see some good fields at GP this week,” Harding said. “Still looks a tough meeting for punters and tipsters.
My best bet comes up in race five with the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Ideal Agent from barrier four. A good second last week but should go one better in this race.”
Guild president Wayne Currall has made his best bet in race three with Ima Fivestar General.
“Trainer-driver Robbie Williams will be attempting to lead all the way with Ima Fivestar General over the sprint journey,” Currall said. “The horse finished a close-up fifth behind Minstel in last week’s FFA after being held up for a run. Prior to that, Ima Fivestar General won over the 1730m journey in a time of 1:54.4 after sitting parked.”
Veteran journalist Ken Casellas, and Ryan Havercroft, the racing co-ordinator at The West Australian, have made Hotly Pursued their star bet.
“Versatility is an excellent asset in harness racing, and trainer Murray Lindau’s smart four-year-old Hotly Pursued is not only a stylish frontrunner, as he showed when he beat the brilliant Jawsoflincoln last week, but is also a splendid sit-sprinter,” Casellas said. “He has the class to overcome the perceived disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier in race eight on Friday night, and I’m making him my star bet.”
And Havercroft agrees.
“Murray Lindau has Hotly Pursued racing in fine form and I think the son of Huntsville has the class to overcome a wide barrier,” Havercroft said. “He was able to win from barriers six and eight when racing against some capable rivals in age company during November.”
Ernie Manning, the pacing expert from The West Australian and The Sunday Times, has opted for Ten To The Dozen as his best for the evening.
“Ten To The Dozen is a class colt who earned a Sydney trip after WA wins at four consecutive starts last year,” Manning said. “He was unplaced against strong opposition in a Bullion Final at Menangle, but bounced back with another Gloucester Park victory on his return to Perth. The Greg and Skye Bond-trained three-year-old again impressed when winning first-up at Pinjarra on January 29 and he ran a smart second there last Monday. He looks hard to beat with a gate one advantage.”
VALUE BETS
PAT: My double comes up in race nine with another Bond-trained runner in Ten To The Dozen from barrier one. Should lead and win.
WAYNE: I’m placing my faith and hard-earned cash on an all-up. Franco Ecuador into Ima Fivestar General and coming home with Hes Never Been Beta. Go you good things!
KEN: Finvarra is sure to have derived great benefit from his first-up sixth behind Minstrel last week, and he will certainly appreciate a drop in class when he contests race four on Friday night from the outside barrier. Makes strong appeal as a great chance at good odds.
RYAN: Withoutthetuh has options at the start as the only back line runner and can sit just off the pace over the sprint trip at an each-way price.
ERNIE: Six-year-old Tiger Royal has won only once from his past 14 starts and was beaten in his latest six appearances. But placings at headquarters in his last four appearances suggest that a victory is looming. The gelding, a winner of 13 races, showed his talent when a fighting second after facing the breeze on February 2.
Click Here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.