Ross OIivieri
Nine wins, one second, two thirds and one fourth placing from 13 starts in Western Australia is compelling evidence that former Victorian pacer Dynamite Dude is in devastating form and should prove hard to beat in the $25,000 final of the Will Smedley Im Themightyquinn Pace at Gloucester Park tonight.
The six-year-old trained by Ross Olivieri has the strength and speed to overcome the awkward draw at No. 5 on the front line in the 2130m event. Chris Lewis looks set to go forward in the early stages to race in the breeze and put pressure on the likely pacemaker Galactic Galleon, who has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier.
Dynamite Dude began smartly from the 20m mark in a 2503m stand last Friday night and Lewis dashed him forward, three wide, in the first lap to race outside the pacemaker Fuoco. Dynamite Dude took the lead 300m from home and coasted to victory, by just under two lengths, from Bartowski.
He also raced without cover at his previous appearance when he sprinted over the final 800m min 56.9sec. and beat Ben Cartwright by two lengths at a 1.57.5 rate over 2130m.
Galactic Galleon, to be driven by Colin Brown for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is a spirited frontrunner who will take plenty of catching. He started from the back line and raced without cover for much of the way before taking a narrow lead in the home straight and finished a head second to the fast-finishing Soho Lennon in a qualifying heat last Friday week.
Soho Lennon, who has drawn unfavourably on the outside of the front line, is one of three last-start winners from the all-conquering stables of Gary Hall sen. The others are Ben Cartwright and Notabadexcuse, and all three Hall runners cannot be underestimated.
The Bonds also hold a strong hand in the race, with Galactic Galleon, Our Major Mark and Mr Nickel.
Hall should notch his century
Champion trainer Gary Hall looks set to continue his fabulous winning streak when he starts 15 talented pacers at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and he should bring up his century of winners for the 2014-15 season which is almost five months old.
He has had 378 starters this season for 97 wins, 55 seconds and 38 thirds for prizemoney of $1,668,749. His best prospects lie with Classic American (race one), Algranco Under Fire (two), The Court Jester (three), Notabadexcuse and Ben Cartwright (six), My Hard Copy (seven) and American Muscle (nine).
American Muscle is his most interesting runner. The South Australian-bred seven-year-old will be making his West Australian debut when Clint Hall drives him from the 10m mark in the Stephanie Smedley Handicap over 2503m. It will be the gelding’s first appearance since he was a fading tenth in a 2240m mobile at Melton last June.
American Muscle has a losing sequence of 18, dating back to May 3, 2013 when he set the pace and won the group 2 $50,000 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship at a 1.58.7 rate over 2240m at Melton. A week before that American Muscle was an easy winner of the Rising Stars Pace, a $25,000 listed classic.
American Muscle has earned $140,129 from his 19 wins and 11 placings from 56 starts. But he has managed only one placing (a third) from his past 12 starts. He is related on the dam’s side to former star mare Jasmarilla, who amassed $503,000 from 50 wins and 68 placings from 216 starts. She won 15 races as a two and three-year-old in Victoria and South Australia and was the Australian two-year-old pacer of the year in the 1982-83 season.
American Muscle showed his ability to perform strongly first-up after a spell when, on October 4, 2013, he finished fifth in a 2240m Free-For-All at Melton, just 5m from the winner Smoken Up. Other star performers Wartime Sweetheart (second), Caribbean Blaster (third) and Melpark Major (fourth) finished just ahead of American Muscle.
There are no pacers remotely anywhere near those horses who will be opposed to American Muscle on Friday night. It is quite a weak field of nine runners.
Clint Hall drove American Muscle in a 2150m mobile trial at Byford on Sunday morning when he raced in seventh position on the pegs in a field of seven before finishing solidly to be third behind the pacemaker Desirable Guy and Jaccka Felix. The winner rated 2.0.4, with the final two quarters taking 29.7sec. and 29.6sec.
Also resuming racing in Friday night’s race is 20m co-backmarker J Walker, who is being prepared by Sonia Zucchiatti and will be driven by Callan Suvaljko.
J Walker has been off the scene since having his first start for Zucchiatti, when he performed well below par and finished ninth behind Finbar Abbey over 2503m at Gloucester Park on November 14. He contested a two-horse 2550m stand trial with Rowchester at Byford last Sunday week. He trailed Rowchester and finished length behind him after the final 400m had whizzed by in 27.9sec.
Suvaljko will be hoping for a successful reunion with J Walker. He has driven the New Zealand-bred gelding only once, when he finished ninth behind Shardons Rocket in March 2013. J Walker’s latest success was when he started from 20m and won the Mount Eden-No Dill Christmas Handicap 11 starts ago, on December 20, 2013, beating Salliwood and Braemoor at a 2.1.3 rate.
