Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler will be looking for improved gate speed from Ignite The Furnace when the Bunbury-trained gelding lines up from the inside barrier in the $150,000 Channel Seven Goden Slipper over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“We’ve got the prized draw (No. 1) again, and obviously we should make the most of it,” said Wheeler. “He got out of the gate a bit better (than normal) from that barrier in the Westbred Classic three weeks ago.
However, Ignite The Furnace was beaten for early speed in the Westbred Classic by Hez The Boss, who revealed blistering pace to charge straight to the front from barrier three before setting the pace and winning by a length from Ignite The Furnace, who was blocked for a clear passage throughout the final lap.
Wheeler said that he was pleased that Ideal Whisper, a speedy beginner, would be starting from the No. 2 barrier, saying: “with that horse starting next to us, it should be a help (to get Ignite The Furnace to fire up and hopefully to get to the front).
“There is a fair bit of speed on the front line and there should be a fair bit happening early. The No. 1 plan is to lead, but if we get crossed, hopefully there will be plenty of pressure which should enable us to get clear and have a crack at them, late. Ignite The Furnace has proved that he is up to them; all he needs is to get the right run.”
Wheeler is hoping to go one better than his best result in the Golden Slipper, a second placing to Cyclone Jordy with $51 outsider Reinette two years ago.
Deni Roberts, who will handle Ideal Whisper for ace trainer Justin Prentice, has bright prospects of winning the Slipper for the second time, following her success with the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Vegas Strip in 2023.
Prentice has won the Slipper with Mighty Ronaldo (2020), Tricky Miki (2021) and Never Ending (2022) as a trainer. He drove the first two of those winners, with Gary Hall Jnr the sulky when Never Ending defeated Skylord and Lusaka.
Hall trains and drives Off Shore, one of two New Zealand-bred youngsters in Friday night’s event. The colt’s two wins have been at Cambridge and Gloucester Park.
Off Shore had a tough run in a Slipper preview last Friday night when he raced three wide in the first circuit and then in the breeze before fading to finish seventh behind Ideal Whisper, who was most impressive in winning convincingly from Sweet Robbie and Jetpack after racing without cover for the first lap and then setting the pace.
“Off Shore will go better this week but is likely to find it tough from out there (at barrier seven),” said Hall, who has won the Slipper with Beaudiene Boaz (2014), Never Ending (2022), Cyclone Jordy (2024) and D Mac (2025).
Colin Brown, who has driven two Slipper winners, Western Apache in 2003 and Ohokas Bondy in 2010, is seeking his first success as a trainer in the big race in which will be pinning his faith in the brilliant Hez The Boss, who has won at his past eight starts.
Hez The Boss, a smart frontrunner, faces a stern test from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. He will be driven by Brown’s daughter Maddison.
“We are not blueing about a bad draw because we have had a fair bit of luck this season (with favourable barriers) and good runs in transit,” said Brown. “I’m looking forward to the race because I haven’t seen the bottom of the horse.
“And we are going to see the bottom of him on Friday. I don’t know how good he is and we will find out on Friday. Maddison probably will work her way forward to the breeze.
“At the track with me sitting against him he runs 27sec. quarters at the end of good work and it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a 26sec. quarter in him.
“No matter how hard I work him I haven’t got to the bottom of him. He is the best I’ve had him; he’s one of those horses who makes you look good as a trainer.”
The two fillies in the race are the Bond-trained Ilikeitlikethat (Kyle Symington; barrier three) and Scandaleyes (Dylan Egerton-Green; barrier five). Both are racing in fine style.
Egerton-Green is confident that Scandaleyes will be prominent, saying: “She is pretty fast and is a good knockout chance. She was held up in the Westbred Classic before getting out late (finishing third behind Seaside Serenade and Nevele Arma) and if she gets the right run, I expect her to be dangerous.”