Mach Three - sire of Black Mr Mach
New Zealand-bred four-year-old Black Mr Mach will resume after a spell when he starts from barrier two on the back line in the 2130m TAB Radio Pathway Pace at Gloucester Park on tonight and he should prove hard to beat, judged by his splendid trial at Byford last Sunday week.
Driven by Ryan Warwick for Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Black Mr Mach was untroubled to win the 2150m trial by five lengths from Meet George Jetson, rating 2.0.9 after covering the final quarters in 29.8sec. and 29.5sec.
The Mach Three gelding has not appeared since he was a 7/4 on favourite in a 1684m sprint at Pinjarra on October 6. He led from barrier one, but hung out, contacted a sulky and raced roughly before finishing a distant fourth, more than 13 lengths behind the winner Erskine Range.
Before that, Black Mr Mach had won four in a row, three in Kalgoorlie and one at Pinjarra. He has had 33 starts for eight wins and 14 placings and looks to have an edge on his rivals, who include polemarker Estilo (an impressive fast-finishing winner at Bunbury two starts ago) and the American-bred Westernator, who has a losing sequence of 17, but will pay to follow after a series of encouraging performances at Gloucester Park.
Harper to drive Copagrin
Kyle Harper has been engaged to drive smart six-year-old Copagrin in the 1730m Premier Suzuki Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and the gelding has sound prospects of ending a losing sequence of nine, despite drawing the outside of the front line.
Harper will become the eleventh reinsman to drive Copagrin in a race. Callan Suvaljko, who has driven the gelding at his past eight starts, has been engaged for the Craig Abercromby-trained Mosquito Buzzin, who impressed with a fast-finishing fifth behind Ben Cartwright over 2130m last Friday night.
Copagrin worked hard in the second lap and was a wilting 11th in the 2936m WA Pacing Cup last Friday night. He trailed the pacemaker David Hercules when a fighting third to that pacer in the 2536m Fremantle Cup the previous week. At his previous start he was prominent on the pegs throughout before finishing a sound third to David Hercules and Dundee in the 1730m Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park.
The versatile Copagrin, a $25,000 yearling, has been a wonderful moneyspinner for West Swan part-owner and trainer John Guagliardo, earning $171,997 from 15 wins and 16 placings from 69 starts.
