Glencadam beating Mysta Magical Mac three starts ago at Gloucester Park
A favourable barrier draw has greatly enhanced Glencadam’s prospects of winning the $35,000 August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night to repeat his victory in this event 12 months ago.
Glencadam will start from barrier three in the 2536m Cup and Ryan Bell should have him in an advantageous position throughout.
Bell drove Glencadam in last year’s August Cup when the New Zealand-bred gelding started from the inside of the back line. Bell quickly eased Glencadam off the pegs and the gelding raced one-out and one-back before starting a three-wide move 130m from home.
He sustained a strong burst before hitting the front 20m from the post and winning from the pacemaker Roydon Holmes.
Glencadam started from barrier six and raced in fifth place in the moving line before battling on to finish fifth behind the brilliant Sneakyn Down Under in the 2130m Howard Porter Memorial last Friday night.
He was most impressive two starts before that when he raced behind the pacemaker Hayton Brain before finishing fast to win the Past Presidents Cup from Mysta Magical Mach and Fourmoore.
Multiple wins are not uncommon in the August Cup. In the 57-year history of this event Tavis, trained and driven by Bob Johnson, won in 1975 and 1976 before finishing second to Peter Anstey in 1977 and second to Virgil Queen the following year.
Zakara, trained by Gary Hall sen. won the August Cup in 1991, ‘92, ‘93 and ’94 and Shattering Class won the race in 1998 and 1999 before finishing second to Ghost in 2001.
Glencadam, who is trained in Capel by Andrew de Campo, had 19 starts in Victoria for six wins and six placings and he now has had 38 starts in WA for 16 wins and nine placings. Bell has driven the gelding 15 times for four wins and five placings.
Glencadam, one of nine New Zealand-bred geldings in the August Cup, is not a speedy beginner and there should be a keen tussle for the early lead between the polemarker Mister Odds On and Scruncher.
Mister Odds On is a smart frontrunner who has led at nine of his 13 wins and Colin Brown is likely to attempt an all-the-way victory. Mister Odds On started from the No. 5 barrier when he worked hard outside the pacemaker Noble Chevalier and fought on grandly when second to Talk To Me Courage over 2130m last Friday night.
Scruncher mustered great pace from barrier six to burst to the front after 100m in a 2130m event last week. He then gave a bold frontrunning display to win by three lengths from Mach Dynasty at a 1.58.6 rate.
He will start from barrier five in the August Cup and Chris Brew is sure to fire him out from behind the mobile barrier in a bid to take up the running.
Gary Hall sen. has two Cup runners in Indian Giver and Spirit of Shard and each is capable of winning. Indian Giver charged home from last at the bell to finish second to Sneakyn Down Under last Friday night, while Spirit of Shard had a torrid run outside the pacemaker Stage Coach Kid before wilting to last in the same event.
A WOODLEY DUEL IS ON THE CARDS
A family battle appears likely to develop in the Find New Friends Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Screamin Wolf and Boney Operative, the only last-start winners in the field, will clash.
Screamin Wolf is owned and trained by Waroona horseman Ray Woodley, whose 31-year-old son Nathan owns Boney Operative.
Ray Woodley’s younger son, Morgan (20) will handle Screamin Wolf, a WA-bred six-year-old who has struck a purple patch with fast-finishing victories at each of his three past starts.
The New South Wales-bred Boney Operative, had 22 starts in Victoria for four country wins and four placings before arriving in WA where he has had eight starts for one win and a close second.
Boney Operative is trained at Martin by Donald Harper, who was in the sulky when the seven-year-old set the pace and sprinted the final 400m in 28.3sec. to win easily from Go Figure over 1670m at Pinjarra last Monday week.
Screamin Wolf produced a powerful finishing burst and dashed over the final 400m in 28.6sec. when he beat Smooth Shift by a length over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when Morgan Woodley resumed driving after serving a five-week term of suspension.
Ray Woodley drove Screamin Wolf to impressive wins over 2170m at Pinjarra at his two previous starts. He covered the final 800m in those tow victories in 57.8sec. and 57.4sec.
However, Screamin Wolf faces a stern test on Friday night when he will start from the outside barrier (No. 9). Boney Operative also is drawn wide at No. 7.
One of the hardest for Screamin Wolf and Boney Operative to beat is likely to be the Andrew de Campo-trained Beach Bandit, who will be driven by young visiting New Zealander Lawrence McCormick.
McCormick, who will be appearing at Gloucester Park for the first time, has driven Beach Bandit at the four-year-old’s past four starts, all at Bunbury, for a win, a third and two fifths. Beach Bandit gave a sample of his ability when he sustained a powerful finishing burst to win over 2500m three starts ago.
Highly-regarded New Zealand-bred colt Ima Rocket Star is poised for a winning Australian debut when he contests the Find Better Health Stakes over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Badlands Hanover three-year-old, who is trained at Forrestdale by Greg Bond, impressed with a runaway win over 2150m at Byford last Sunday when he beat Fiscal Falcon by eight lengths in a six-horse trial. He covered the final 800m in 59.5sec. and rated 2.2.5.
Colin Brown will handle Ima Rocket Star when he starts from barrier seven on Friday night and will clash with another top-flight New Zealand-bred colt Banana Dana.
Ima Rocket Star last appeared when he finished 11th behind the brilliant Tintin In America over 1609m at Ashburton on May 30. The winner covered the metric mile in a smart mile rate of 1.53.2. Ima Rocket Star, who did not race as a two-year-old, has had 12 starts in New Zealand this season for six wins, two seconds and stakes of $55,434.
Banana Dana, a stablemate of star performer Sneakyn Down Under and also trained by Darren Duffy, will start from barrier No. 6 at his third outing after an absence of 12 months.
Banana Dana resumed in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park three Saturdays nights ago when he started from the back line and was shuffled back to 11th at the bell before surging home to finish a well-beaten third behind Jumbo Operator and Keep Celebrating.
Then he appeared at Gloucester Park last Saturday night when he began speedily from barrier eight and forged to an early lead before setting the pace and sprinting the final 800m in 58.4sec.a and the last 400m in 28.8sec. He won easily from Constant Addiction and Son of Fergie.
The most successful runner in Friday night’s race is Money Twitch, who is trained at Forrestdale by Skye Bond, wife of Ima Rocket Star’s trainer. Money Twitch recorded his ninth win from 28 starts when he raced wide early before getting to the front and going on to beat Midnight Disco over 2170m at Pinjarra on Monday. Money Twitch will start from the outside of the front line.
GARY HALL HOPES TO CLOSE GAP ON LEWIS
The battle between Chris Lewis and Gary Hall jun. for the mantle as the State’s leading metropolitan reinsman for the 2008-09 season will intensify at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Hall hopes to bridge the gap on his arch rival.
As usual, Hall and Lewis will drive several fancied pacers on the ten-event program.
Hall has bright prospects of landing a treble with short-priced favourites Bakerandthefatman (Find Time To Talk Pace), Talk To Me Courage (Find New Energy Pace) and Our Toto (Veolia Environemental Pace).
Lewis’s best prospects appear to be with Grinjaro (Retravision Pace), Banana Dana (Find Better Health Pace), The Vice Captain (Find Thirty and Feel Great Pace) and Mach Dynasty (Find Thirty, Find A Better You Pace).
Lewis is the leader with 136 winners from 706 drives at Gloucester Park this season. Hall has landed 129 winners from 521 drives.
DAVID HERCULES DRAWS BARRIER SIX
WA-trained two-year-old David Hercules will start from barrier six in the $311,000 Australasian Breeders Crown final for colts and geldings at Melton in Victoria on Sunday. He will be driven by Geoff Webster.
In the $170,000 final for three-year-old colts and geldings, the WA-owned and trained Lombo Crusader will start from barrier four and will be driven by Ryan Warwick.
WA’s Ruby Dazzler (Chris Alford) has drawn at No. 6 in the $100,000 final for four-year-old mares.
Truckers Ruffnut, trained by WA’s Murray Hansen, will be driven by Gavin Lang when he starts from barrier two in the $20,000 consolation of the three-year-old colts and geldings classic at Melton on Friday night.
