Trainer Gary Hall
Star reinsman Gary Hall jun. drove Crusader Banner to an effortless first-up victory at Northam on Tuesday night, but he has elected to handle stablemate Soho Lennon in the 2130m Slater Gartrell Sports Pace for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park tonight.
Crusader Banner and Soho Lennon are two of champion trainer Gary Hall senior’s five runners in Friday’s event, the others being Eliseos Falcon, Themightynadal and High Courage, and Hall junior’s decision to drive Soho Lennon comes as an important guide to punters.
Soho Lennon, driven by Hall jun., overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line when he raced wide in the middle stages before finishing powerfully to win by a length from the pacemaker Local Rogue at a 1.58.4 rate in a 2536m Pathway Pace last Friday night.
Again, Soho Lennon is not ideally drawn at No. 3 on the back line in Friday night’s race in which Crusader Banner is much better drawn at No. 3 on the front line.
“I’ll drive Soho Lennon and will be putting him in the race at some stage,” said Hall jun. “I think he can win. Black Mr Mach is obviously improving and he’s probably the danger from the draw.”
Black Mr Mach, to be driven by Colin Brown for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has excellent prospects from the coveted No. 1 barrier. He has won at his past two starts, running on to beat Tarsao at Gloucester Park and then setting the pace and winning narrowly from Ima Tragedy over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Crusader Banner was having his first start for 12 months when he gave a sparkling frontrunning display to score an easy victory from Your Excused, rating 1.59.1 over 2190m at Northam on Tuesday night.
“He’s still very green and very much a baby in the head,” said Hall jun. “He pulled a little bit and did a few things you’d expect from a two-year-old. But he hasn’t had much racing. He’s had a lot of time off with a damaged ligament in his shoulder.
“His best asset is his speed and he’s probably best sat up. But while he’s going through the grades he will race in front if the lead is there for him.”
Eliseos Falcon, a former Victorian pacer, made an impressive WA debut when he produced a strong finishing burst to win from Machs A Pearler over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. It was his seventh win from 19 starts.
Slick Chapel to lead all the way
Noted frontrunner Slick Chapel will be a short-priced favourite for the $25,000 City Livestock The Chandon final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier.
He is one of four runners in the race prepared by Gary Hall sen. and when he drew the inside barrier Gary Hall jun. had no hesitation in opting to drive him in preference to last-start winners Rowchester and Heez Orl Black and Notabadexcuse, a winner two starts ago.
“Slick Chapel is probably the best of our runners and he’s drawn the best,” said Hall jun. “It’s a good draw for more than one reason. He’s got the lead and has Dynamite Dude drawn behind him. So I should be able to control the result and I won’t be letting Dynamite Dude out.”
Dynamite Dude, trained by Ross Olivieri and to be driven by Chris Lewis, will start from the inside of the back line and will need plenty of luck to get a chance to beat Slick Chapel.
Dynamite Dude won at his first five starts in Western Australia before he started from barrier four ion the back line and raced three wide for much of the way when a fighting fourth behind Condrieu at Pinjarra last Monday week.
Slick Chapel has had 32 starts for ten wins and ten placings. He was an all-the-way winner two starts ago and then started from the back line and raced without cover for most of the way before winning from Soho Monza last Friday week.
The No. 1 barrier also will greatly enhance the prospects of Miss Atomic in the $40,000 McInerney Ford Pace for mares. A winner at ten of her 23 starts, she should be able to hold up and set the pace for Chris Lewis.
Speedy My Lady of the Night was a smart all-the-way winner over 1730m last Friday night, but though she is blessed with sparkling gate speed it is problematic whether she will be able to cross Miss Atomic. Lucky Joy, a brilliant winner at Gloucester Park last Saturday night, will start from barrier three on the back line and is capable of a bold showing.
