Gary Hall
Champion trainer Gary Hall sen. sounded an ominous warning to Northview Punter’s rivals in the $22,500 Sully’s Painting New Seasons Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he said that the five-year-old was just starting to hit top form and would prove very hard to beat despite drawing unfavourably on the outside of the back line.
“Even though he is a noted frontrunner and loves leading, he’ll be the one to beat,” Hall said. “The journey (2536m) is right up his alley.”
Northview Punter gave a bold frontrunning display on a rain-affected track when he scored a decisive victory by just under three lengths from Ima Rocket Star in the 2536m August Cup last Friday night at his fourth start after a spell.
Hall said that Northview Punter revealed his wonderful versatility the previous Friday night when he started from the 20m mark, raced three wide in the middle stages and then without cover before finishing a close second to his fast-finishing stablemate Our Arlington over 2503m.
Northview Punter, the youngest runner in the race, will again be driven by Gary Hall jun., who combined with his father to win the New Seasons Pace with Southern Ruler in 2005 and Talk To Me Courage in 2009.
Northview Punter is one of four runners from the all-conquering Hall stable in Friday night’s feature, the others being Our Arlington (outside of the front line), Benjamin Banneker (barrier five) and Livingontheinterest (barrier four on the back line).
Seven-year-old Livingontheinterest adds considerable interest to the race. A winner at 20 of his 44 starts, he will be making his first appearance since he was an unlucky tenth behind Beautide in the final of the interdominion championship at Menangle early last March. Before that he led and finished a nose second to Im Victorious over 2536m at Gloucester Park, and at his previous outing he set the pace and won the 2130m Lord Mayor’s Cup by a half-head from Hokonui Ben.
“Livingontheinterest probably needs the run,” Hall sen. said.
A win by any of the Hall runners would enable the Serpentine trainer to equal the race record of three wins held by veteran Byford horseman Tony Svilicich, who has won the event with Taihape Tickler (2006) and Has The Answers (2010 and 2011). Chris Lewis drove Taihape Tickler and Has The Answers in 2010, while Kyle Harper was successful with Has The Answers the following year.
Lewis won the race for the third time when the Andrew de Campo-trained Dasher VC was successful in 2012. He will again combine with Svilicich when he drives ten-year-old Shardons Rocket on Friday night. The old gelding has had 169 starts for 28 wins and 58 placings, but has a losing sequence of 18. However, he is capable of a strong showing from his favourable barrier at No. 2 on the front line. He has good prospects of leading and could prove hard to overhaul.
Nine-year-old Ima Rocket Star, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the inside of the back line with Ryan Warwick in the sulky. A winner at 25 of his 68 starts, Ima Rocket Star caught the eye last Friday night when he finished strongly from three back on the pegs to be second to Northview Punter. Ima Rocket Star won the New Seasons Pace 12 months ago when he started at 5/4 on from barrier six. He raced three wide early before bursting to the front after 400m and setting a fast pace before beating the fast-finishing Rocket Reign by a metre.
The 11-year-old Rocket Reign also will have admirers. The Debbie Padberg-trained gelding will start out wide at barrier six on the front line and Mark Reed is certain to restrain him early and rely on his ability to produce a powerful finishing burst. Rocket Reign finished strongly when fourth in last week’s August Cup and at his previous out he was most impressive in sprinting brilliantly to score a runaway victory in the 3309m Marathon Handicap.
