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Im Victorious back at Gloucester Park
13 September 2012
by Ken Casellas
Some of the legion of owners of star 4yo Im Victorious.
New Zealand-bred four-year-old Im Victorious, the youngest and least experienced runner in the TABForm Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, should be the star bet on the ten-event program despite getting the outside barrier in the random draw.
Im Victorious was produced in superb condition by Serpentine trainer Michael Brennan for his return to racing at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Saturday night when he started from 30m, burst to the front 1100m from home and raced away to win the 2500m stand by four lengths from Bolshevic after dashing over the final 400m in a sparkling 27.9sec.
That was his first appearance since winning the WA Derby in April and he should prove too good for his rivals in Friday night’s 2100m event in which the first four placegetters will qualify for a $25,000 event at Gloucester Park on September 28.
Im Victorious, who will again be driven by Justin Prentice, has raced only nine times for eight wins and a second placing. Her looks set for stardom.
Black N Bettor, trained by Gary Hall sen. and second at each of his past two starts, is ideally drawn at barrier two on the front line and should be prominent throughout and looks certain to qualify for the final.
Whatashambles also has sound place prospects. He raced three wide for most of the way before winning from Cyclone Mitch at Bunbury two starts ago and then caught the eye when he finished strongly from the rear to be fifth behind Johnny be over 2100m last Friday night.
MORE TRACTABLE THEYALLNEEDLOVIN AIMING FOR A HAT-TRICK
Perseverance is paying off for Byford trainer Ron Huston and problem pacer Theyallneedlovin has bright prospects of completing a hat-trick by overcoming the disadvantage of the outside of the back line and winning the 2100m The Form Westbred Pathway Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Theyallneedlovin, a lightly-raced five-year-old, has wrecked his chances in many of his starts by racing erratically. But Huston seems to have cured the gelding’s waywardness and Theyallneedlovin’s victory in heavy rain at Pinjarra on Monday was impressive.
This followed a good first-up win at Northam a month earlier. At Pinjarra, Theyallneedlovin, driven by Shannon Suvaljko, raced four wide early and then three wide before charging to the front after 650m.
Theyallneedlovin set a solid pace before sprinting over the final 800m 56.7sec.m to beat Fuse by 5m. That was his third win from only 11 starts.
Theyallneedlovin will clash with talented but injury-plagued ten-year-old Talon Spike, who has resumed after an absence of 28 months in fine style. Talon Spike covered a lot of extra ground before winning, first-up, at Gloucester Park and he followed that run with three minor placings.
His effort when third to Johnny Be and Mirthful Mac at Gloucester Park last Friday night was eye-catching. He raced without cover early and then in the one-out, one-back position before being blocked for a clear passage until very late, when he flashed home to be third.
