Ken Casellas |
Classy youngster Wishing Belle has drawn perfectly at barrier one in the $35,000 North Coast Fibreglass Gold Bracelet for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and trainer Aiden De Campo declares: “She will be out to lead and prove hard to beat.
“I’m happy with her and she probably has improved since her latest run (when second to Ma Petite Dame in the Sales Classic final a fortnight ago).”
De Campo is currently serving a term of suspension, and he has engaged Trent Wheeler to drive Wishing Belle, whose only previous run before her last-start second was a nose victory over the talented Ma Petite Dame.
Miss Red Velvet, trained by Ryan Bell and driven by Kyle Symington, looms as Wishing Belle’s most serious rival, who will start from the No. 4 barrier.
“I’m happy with Miss Red Velvet but she is unlikely to be able to cross Wishing Belle and get to the front,” said Bell.
Koh I Noor Camel, (trained and driven by Donald Harper) and Cinch (to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond) are last-start winners but their prospects diminished when they drew the two outside barriers.
Veteran trainer Colin Brown will be looking for a strong debut performance from The Sea Siren, who will be driven by his daughter Maddison from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
The Sea Siren impressed in winning recent trials at Pinjarra and Byford, and she is capable of a bold effort. She rated 2.63 when an easy winner in a 1684m Pinjarra trial on Wednesday of last week, and she rated 2.2.2 when winning a 1750m trial at Byford last Saturday.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has a drive in seven races, and he expects his best winning chances will come late in the ten-event program, when he is confident of success with Chumani in the Harleys Plumbing Trot over 2130m and Cyclone Jordy in the TCS Washroom Supplies Pace.
Hall drove the Terry Ferguson-trained Chumani when the eight-year-old raced in the breeze before getting to the front 350m from home and winning by 2m from the odds-on favourite Patched, who enjoyed a perfect sit behind Chumani all the way.
“Chumani went awesome last week,” said Hall. “And it is hard to see how Patched can turn the tables this week. He sat on Chumani’s back and couldn’t get over him.”
Chumani will start from barrier five on Friday night, with Patched out wide at barrier seven. They are unlikely to have matters all their own way, with the Michael Munro-trained Nickys Son in splendid form and with the advantage of drawing inside of Chumani and Patched.
Chris Lewis is sure to be keen to take advantage of Nickys Son’s more favourable barrier at No. 4.
Cyclone Jordy, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will be at extremely short odds when he begins from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the final event. The outstanding three-year-old has won very easily at his first four starts in WA, and he should carry too many guns for his older and more experienced rivals on Friday night.
“Of my other drives, I expect Princess Katie to perform well (from barrier seven in the Vale Dr Ed Dewar Pace),” said Hall. “She is a chance with the right sort of run,” he declared.