Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Tough New Zealand-bred stayer Watching Our Coin will resume racing after a spell when he is the solitary backmarker off 20 metres in the 2503m Tricky Miki Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Michael Young-trained Watching Our Coin will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, and he has impressed with his first 16 starts in Western Australia producing eight wins and five placings.
He has had four starts in stands in WA for a win, two seconds and a fifth placing.
Watching Our Coin’s chief rivals appear to be Yankee Lincoln, Carana, American Bullitt and Extraordinary Mary, the four runners who comprise the 10-metre line.
Eight-year-old Yankee Lincoln has struck top form for trainer-reinsman Peter Tilbrook, with his past two starts producing a second from 30m to Mikipelo in the 2670m Collie Cup and a splendid third behind Minstrel and Ardens Horizon over 2503m at Gloucester Park on December 8.
Carana, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, is a standing-start specialist whose first twelve starts in Western Australia have been in stands for seven wins, three seconds and two fourths. Then in the 2130m mobile Christmas Gift last Friday night he disappointed when he enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before wilting to finish tenth behind Alcopony. However, he cannot be underestimated in Friday night’s stand.
One of the highlights on Friday night will be the $31,000 www.gloucesterpark.com.au Free-For-All in which star pacer Lavra Joe will clash with smart in-form rivals in Arma Einstein, Blitzembye, Machnificent, Galactic Star and Vultan Tin.
Lavra Joe will need to be close to peak form to overcome the task of starting out wide at barrier seven in the field of eight.
He resumed after an eight-month absence with a dashing all-the-way victory over 1730m, rating 1.52.9 when easily beating Ima Fivestar General and Arma Einstein last Friday week. Lavra Joe then began from the outside in a field of five last Friday night when he was restrained to last before moving off the pegs 1000m from home and fighting on to finish a well-beaten third behind Minstrel and Arma Einstein in a 2130m Free-For-All.
Blitzembye will start from the No. 2 barrier, and Shannon Suvaljko is sure to use the gelding’s sparking gate speed in a bid to set the pace and go on and win. In that case, the polemarker Arma Einstein should enjoy a perfect trail behind Blitzembye.
Machnificent is in superb form, with three excellent victories from his past four starts. He will begin from the outside barrier at No. 8, and Chris Lewis looks set to opt out of an early speed battle and rely on Machnificent’s wonderful sit-sprint ability.