Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Brilliant colt Waverider looks set to give punters a flying start by winning the opening event at Gloucester Park on Friday night, despite drawing the outside barrier in the field of eight in the $21,000 Westside Auto Pace over 2130m.
“I wasn’t planning to start Waverider on Friday night but he’s that well at home that I decided to start him because he is jumping out of his skin,” said trainer Ryan Bell.
“He will then back up and run in a heat of the Pearl Classic next Tuesday. Then there’s the final of the Pearl ten days later, and after that he will have a let-up before getting ready for the Westbred Classic and WA Derby.
“It’s not going to be a walk in the park on Friday night, but I do think he is the best horse in the race.”
Waverider has shown great promise in winning at five of his eight starts. At his most recent appearance he gave an outstanding performance when a half-length second to Bet The House in the Group 3 Caduceus Club Classic last Friday week after being restrained to the rear from a wide barrier.
“He tramped three deep from the 1200m when he and Bet The House ran away from the others,” said Bell.
Waverider will again be driven by Kyle Symington, and he should prove too smart for the opposition which includes the Robbie Williams-trained Opal Hunter, who impressed two starts ago when he raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to win easily from Thenu Came Along over 2130m.
Waverider’s stablemate Franco Encore will be driven by Mitch Miller from the No. 3 barrier. Franco Encore caught the eye at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he began from the outside barrier, was trapped three wide early and then restrained to the rear before finishing strongly from tenth at the bell to be second to Arionrock.
Serpentine trainer Gary Hall Snr will be looking for a strong performance from Atlas The Titan, an inexperienced colt by Lazarus who will be making his first appearance at Gloucester Park. His three starts have been at Pinjarra for a debut second placing to Fat Louie and a last-start victory on Monday of last week when he raced without cover before winning by two lengths from Prince Of Pain.
Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is contemplating driving Ideal Muscle conservatively when the gelding starts from barrier six, after he set a solid pace in the Caduceus Club Classic before fading to finish tenth behind Bet The House.
“Ideal Muscle did a fair bit off the gate before he pulled hard in front and couldn’t relax,” said De Campo. “I think he choked down a little bit, and I’ll probably drive him a bit quieter on Friday.”