Connections of Sensational Gabby with reinsman Chris Lewis after one of the mares wins
Bennett Springs trainer Greg Schofield looks set to celebrate his 52nd birthday on Friday night by winning the $25,000 Ford Kuga final with brilliant mare Sensational Gabby.
Four-year-old Sensational Gabby, the only mare and the youngest runner in the 2100m event, was the fastest and most impressive of the three heat winners and she has the class to overcome a back-line draw.
Sensational Gabby will start from the No. 3 barrier on the back line and Chris Lewis looks certain to adopt similar tactics to those he used when she scored an effortless victory in a qualifying heat last Friday week, rating 1.57.1.
In that race she started from the back line and Lewis dashed her into the lead 450m after the start. She gave her rivals no chance by sprinting the third 400m section of the final mile in 27.9sec. before cruising over the final quarter in 29sec.
The other heat winners were the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Onedin Crusader (1.58.5) and Johnny Be (1.58.3). They have fared well in the random draw, with Onedin Crusader starting from No. 2 on the front line and Johnny Be at No. 3.
Onedin Crusader led from barrier one in his heat, while Johnny Be was more impressive when he worked hard without cover before winning his heat from Takebow.
The Bond camp also will be represented by the consistent Nimrod, a winner of 13 races. Nimrod will start from barrier two on the back line and will be driven by Morgan Woodley, who opted to drive the gelding in preference to Move Over, who has managed just one placing from his past nine starts. Move Over will be driven by Kyle Harper.
Henley Brook trainer Darryl Howes will have two starts, the eight-year-old Dhoni and the seven-year-old Takeabow. Both geldings are racing keenly and are capable of unwinding a powerful finishing burst. Clint Kimes will drive Dhoni and Nathan Turvey will handle Takeabow.
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Kim Young has engaged star Victorian reinsman Chris Alford to drive Im Elmer Fudd, who impressed with his fast-finishing second to Romulus over 2503m at Gloucester Park last Saturday night.
NIVEA FRANCO HAS A CHANCE OF CREATING HISTORY
New Zealander Nivea Franco has the rare opportunity of creating history on Friday night by becoming the first mare to produce three winners on a program at Gloucester Park --- with the first three of her progeny.
Nivea Franco, who managed one win from four starts in New Zealand in 2004, will be represented by champion four-year-old Chancellor Cullen in the group 1 McInerney Ford Classic, Bollinger Baby in the opening event, the Ford Mustang Pace, and Wotavugot in the Ford Falcon Pathway Pace.
Six-year-old Bollinger Baby, trained at Capel by Andrew de Campo, has had 37 starts for eight wins and ten placings and has sound prospects from barrier three on the back line over 1700m. She was a smart all-the-way winner at Bunbury two starts ago.
Five-year-old Wotavugot, trained at Forrestdale by Greg and Skye Bond, has had 36 starts for ten wins and ten placings. He has finished solidly to be placed at two of his past three starts and will have many admirers, starting from barrier three on the back line. His chief rivals appear to be other New Zealand-bred pacers, stablemate Waipawa Junior and This Time Dylan, trained by Gary Hall sen.
