Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
A brilliant first-up victory by Waverider has boosted trainer Ryan Bell’s confidence that the colt will prove hard to beat in the $50,000 group 3 Caduceus Club Classic for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Waverider, who cheated death last September, has made a wonderful recovery and he was most impressive at his first appearance for seven months when he began from the outside barrier (No. 9) and worked hard in the breeze before defeating Quinton and Dark Eyes, rating 1.56.2 over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
He will be driven by Kyle Symington from an awkward draw at barrier six in a bid to notch his sixth win at his eighth start in a race.
“Waverider had a few feet issues when his final two runs as a two-year-old (when unplaced behind Menemsha in the group 2 Pearl Classic and the group 1 Westbred Classic) were a bit off,” explained Bell.
“When he went for a spell, he was bitten by something and nearly died. He was in hospital for two weeks and lived on drips.
“He has made a full recovery and we have brought him back nice and slowly to build his muscles because he had lost a fair bit of condition. He now looks a million dollars.”
Bell won the Caduceus Club Classic in March 2022 when Swingband, the $4.10 second favourite, raced in the one-out, one-back position and finished strongly to beat the $1.55 favourite The Miki Taker, who dashed to the front 500m after the start and then set the pace.
The Miki Taker was driven by his trainer Aiden de Campo, who will be looking for his first win in this event in which he will handle the promising gelding Ideal Muscle from the No. 3 barrier.
Ideal Muscle has had two country runs earlier this month since resuming after a five-month absence, and he showed good form, finishing solidly to be a half-head second to The Van Gogh Camel over 2185m at Pinjarra and running home with a spirited burst to finish second to Cork Can Run over 2100m at Bunbury.
His final three runs as a two-year-old were at Gloucester Park in October and November for two seconds behind Artful Major and a victory over Arma Believer at a 1.57.1 rate over 2130m.
“Both his runs in this campaign have been good, and I have a lot of time for him,” said de Campo. “There are two good horses drawn inside of him on Friday night, but he gives his all every time he goes out on the track.”
de Campo also expects a strong showing from Grevis, who will be driven by Trent Wheeler from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. “Grevis is consistent, and you can never count him out in these big races,” said de Campo.
Opal Hunter, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, has won at five of his 13 starts, including impressive victories at two of his four starts as a two-year-old, beating the speedy Golden Lode and that gelding’s stablemate Thenu Came Along.
Opal Hunter will start from the prime No. 1 barrier and Williams is expected to make a bold bid for an all-the-way win.
Bet The House has won at four of his seven starts for Byford trainer Ron Huston and he is capable of strong effort, despite starting from the outside of the back line. “This is an intriguing gate, and hopefully we can get to the one-out, one-back position,” said reinsman Chris Voak. “And then we’ll be thereabouts.”
Artful Major also will have many admirers. Gary Hall Jnr will drive the Justin Prentice-trained gelding, who will start from the inside of the back line. Convincing victories at his past two starts have taken his record to five wins and three placings from nine starts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]