Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr has declared lightly-raced New Zealand-bred pacers Tuas Delight and Extreme Prince fit and ready to be prominent first-up in metropolitan maiden company at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Each pacer has recovered from injury. Tuas Delight, who will start out wide at barrier eight in the $18,000 Dishlex Pace, suffered serious injuries to a hock soon after finishing a most encouraging second to Mister Versace at Gloucester Park in the first week of April this year. That was his second start in Western Australia after his first-up fourth behind Americanbootscoota at Pinjarra at his WA debut.
“He hurt himself when he got caught up in a fence,” said Hall. “He is better now and the injury is not going to affect him.”
Tuas Delight, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, has won at four of his 24 starts and should prove hard to beat on Friday night. However, he may have to lower his colours to the Nathan Turvey-trained and driven six-year-old Livura, a winner of 17 races and capable of overcoming the distinct disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Extreme Prince, a six-year-old who has won at five of his 19 starts, will begin from barrier four on the front line in the 1730m Kelvinator Pace. He has not appeared since finishing fifth behind Majorlicious at Pinjarra on May 1 this year. “He has now recovered from an infected pedal bone,” said Hall Snr.
Extreme Prince revealed excellent gate speed when he began speedily from barrier six and set the pace before winning in 1.53.3 over 1609m at Menangle five starts ago, back in October 2016. The David Thompson-trained Rudimental Sol will start from the prized No. 1 barrier and he and Extreme Prince are likely to dominate betting on the race.
