Rival reinsmen Aiden de Campo (Ideal Tyson) and Kyle Harper (Bettors Fire) have a healthy respect for each other’s horse and are anticipating a spirited duel in the $25,000 GPHR Members Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The sparks are set to fly from the outset, with Ideal Tyson and Bettors Fire, as well as Galactic Star and Vultan Tin, blessed with sparkling gate speed.
Ideal Tyson, trained at Coolup by Kristy Elson, will start from barrier four on the front line, with Bettors Fire at No. 6. Vultan Tin (Chris Voak) will start from No. 3 and Galactic Star (Ryan Warwick) at No. 5.
De Campo made his intentions quite clear when he said: “’From gate four, we’ll be pressing forward pretty hard. I’d love to lead. We’ll work forward and hopefully be in front, or in the breeze. On his latest run, you would suggest he could win again from the breeze. However, Bettors Fire is a very good horse and can go very fast.”
Harper said that Bettors Fire (who has made most of the running to win over 2536m and 2130m at his past two starts) was always a winning chance over any distance.
“He’s a good sprinter who loves the mile,” he said. “It’s hard from barrier six over the short trip and I’m sure it’s not going to be easy. Vultan Tin goes well in front and Ideal Tyson went very well, first-up, sitting in the breeze and winning in 1.52.8 over 1730m.
“If we go too hard early it will bring horses like Shandale and Our Jimmy Johnstone into the race from bad barriers. I’ll play it by ear, but over the sprint trip I don’t think we will be going back.
“I often get asked the question whether Bettors Fire is better at a staying distance or a short trip and the answer is ‘I don’t know’. He’s very good over all distances.”
Punters would be well advised to take into account Bettors Fire’s performance at his most recent outing over 1730m. That was 12 starts ago when the wonderful nine-year-old burst to the front from barrier seven and set the pace before winning the Group 2 Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park on December 29. He was a 55/1 outsider and won from the 7/4 on favourite Soho Tribeca, Chicago Bull, Zach Maguire and My Hard Copy, rating 1.52.6.
His ten runs over 1730m have produced three wins (including a victory over Im Victorious in the Mount Eden Sprint at Gloucester Park in November 2013), two seconds, one third, two fourths, one fifth and one sixth.
De Campo was overseas on holidays when Gary Hall Jnr drove Ideal Tyson to a dashing first-up victory in considerably weaker company over 1730m two Fridays ago.
“He went super first-up and I’m lucky to get the drive back,” said de Campo, who has driven Ideal Tyson 26 times for six wins, seven seconds and seven thirds.
Ryan Warwick, who drove Our Jimmy Johnstone to an all-the-way victory over Beaudiene Boaz in the 2017 Members Sprint, has given punters a good lead by opting to drive the Skye Bond-trained Galactic Star in preference to Our Jimmy Johnstone this week.
Our Jimmy Johnstone, an impressive winner from Shandale and The Bucket List over 2130m last Friday week, will start from barrier eight on Friday night, with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky. Galactic Star, a noted speedster, is capable of a bold showing from barrier five at his first appearance since finishing second to Major Star in the Albany Cup on February 2.
Heez On Fire also will be racing first-up for veteran trainer Bill Horn. The eight-year-old, the winner of 20 races from 51 starts, is handily drawn at barrier two. He proved his fitness with a narrow trial win over Gotta Go Chocolate in a 2550m standing-start trial at Byford last Sunday week.
