Erskine Range
Victorian-bred five-year-old Erskine Range has strong claims for the title of the State’s most improved pacer this season and he has the natural speed to overcome the disadvantage of starting out wide at barrier six on the front line and winning the $25,000 Pegasus Performax The Clarke final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Banjup trainer Colin Brown is likely to seize the bull by the horns and make use of the gelding’s sparkling early speed by sending him forward in a bid to take up the running. Erskine Range also started from the No. 6 barrier at his most recent outing, at Gloucester park last Friday week, when he surged to the front after 100m, set the pace and sped over the final two quarters in 27.5sec. and 28.5sec. to win by a length and a half from Bettor Party, a 135/1 outsider who fought on grimly after working hard in the breeze.
That victory took Erskine Range’s record in the 2014-15 season to 19 starts for ten wins, five seconds and a third. After a recent victory Brown said that Erskine Range had developed from a speed freak to a very laid-back customer who gave every indication of winning many more races.
One pacer who could foil a possible early bid for the lead by Brown is polemarker Mon Lamour, who is racing enthusiastically for trainer Mike Reed and relishes the role of pacemaker. The most recent time Mon Lamour has started from the No. 1 barrier was five starts ago when Mark Reed drove her to an easy all-the-way victory over 2130m ibn the third week of February. Unfavourable draws have resulted in only one placing from her past four starts.
The Ross Olivieri-trained four-year-old Bettor Pack A Pistol will have many admirers after her encouraging first-up fourth behind Smokey The Bandit last Friday night when she started from the outside of the front line and raced three wide and then in the breeze for the first circuit before obtaining a trail.
Bettor Pack A Pistol should enjoy an excellent trip after starting from the inside of the back line and is capable of unwinding a strong finishing burst.
Leading trainer Gary Hall sen. holds a strong hand with three runners, Mohegan Sun, Rowchester and The Court Jester, who are in sound form. Mohegan Sun, to be driven by Clint Hall, could prove the best of the trio.
Smokey The Bandit, trained at Busselton by Michael Callegari, will be fancied from barrier two on the front line. He gave a dazzling performance last Friday night when he started from the outside of the back line and charged home from tenth at the bell to win from Rowchester.