Trainer Gary Hall
Champion trainer Gary Hall sen. has only vague memories of a couple of grey pacers he has prepared during his distinguished career and he is looking forward to winning races with a recent addition to his Serpentine stables, a seven-year-old South Australian-bred gelding Graybuck.
Graybuck, a last-start winner at Melton in mid-February, is a grey by American stallion Jet Laag and he will make his West Australian debut in the $22,500 Ker Gold Pellet Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park tonight.
“I remember training a couple of grey pacers in the mid to late 1980s,” Hall said. “I think I won a minor race somewhere with Jokes Aside and my most recent winner with a grey was when Pay The Gray won at Kellerberrin in the 80s.
“I have had Graybuck for about a month and he is a nice horse. He is fast and is a sit-sprint type.”
Graybuck is a winner of 20 races (14 in South Australian and six in Victoria). He has also been placed 25 times during his 77-start career which has netted $98,673 in prizemoney. At his latest appearance, over 2240m at Melton on February 14 he led early from the No. 1 barrier before taking a sit behind the pacemaker and then finishing solidly to win by a half-head from Hilltop Hustler at a 1.57.8 rate. The final quarters were run in 27.8sec. and 28.1sec.
Graybuck will start from barrier two on the back line on Friday night and should produce a strong finishing burst. Two starts ago he rated 1.55.1 in finishing second to Classy Western over 2240m at Melton and seven starts ago he rated 1.53.8 in winning over 1720m at Melton in late November.
Hall will also be represented in Friday night’s event by Notabadexcuse, who will be fancied from barrier three on the front line. Notabadexcuse was untroubled to lead from barrier one and win convincingly from Lively Shard and Rockyourbaby at a 1.56.9 rate over 2130m last Friday night.
Brilliant sprinter Sensational Gabby will need luck from barrier four on the back line on Friday night. She notched her 34th win from 67 starts when she led from barrier three and held on to defeat Shardons Rocket and Leda McNally at a 1.56.7 rate over 2536m last Friday week. She flew home from the rear when a close-up eye-catching fifth behind stablemate Dynamite Dude over 2130m the previous week.
Two of the main chances in an open event on Friday night will be Pacific Warrior and Am Opulent.
Pacific Warrior has won at three of his past four starts and will need to overcome the distinct disadvantage of starting from the outside (barrier seven) on the front line. He started from the No. 7 barrier in a 2130m event last Friday night when Kade Howson sent him forward, three wide, to take up the running after 400m. He dashed over the final 800m in 56.5sec. and won easily from Shardons Rocket at a 1.57.5 rate. Two starts before that Pacific Warrior sustained a strong three-wide burst from the rear to win the 1730m Governor’s Cup, rating 1.55.
Five-year-old Am Opulent, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, revealed sparkling gate speed to lead from barrier two on her way to a stylish victory over Galactic Galleon and Lisharry over 2130m on Monday afternoon. She will start from the No. 5 barrier with Ryan Warwick in the sulky.
John Of Arc back in action
Top-flight New Zealand-bred pacer John Of Arc, laid low by crippling injuries in the past two years, will reappear after a nine-month absence when he contests the 2130m Equijewel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has raced only 15 times for ten wins and three placings, with his 12 WA starts producing ten wins.
He bowed a tendon after finishing fifth behind Another Vinnie at Gloucester Park in the first week of August 2013 and was out of action for more than nine months before resuming racing in late May 2014. He won easily at his first three starts in that campaign before he damaged a suspensory ligament in his near hind leg.
“I haven’t done a lot with him, but he’s working all right,” said trainer Gary Hall sen. “He’s a bad-going horse and is his own worst enemy, but he can win first-up.
“I haven’t taken him to trials. We thought he might as well break down trying to win a race, rather than break down in a trial. I’m hoping he won’t break down. His work has been pretty good.” Gary Hall jun. will drive John Of Arc, who will start from barrier two on the back line and will follow out good beginner Meet George Jetson.
Also resuming for the Hall stable in the Equijewel Pace is seven-year-old Scuba Steve, who is nicely drawn on the inside of the back line and will be driven by Clint Hall. Scuba Steve led and won a 2150m Byford trial by just under seven lengths from Lombo Supremo last Sunday week and then he raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing second to stablemate and pacemaker Get Outta Eyre on Sunday morning.
Looming as the main rivals to John Of Arc are polemarker Dance Band and Meet George Jetson.
Dance Band, trained and driven by Brett Smith, will be fancied from the prized No. 1 barrier, particularly after his smart victory over odds-on favourite The Oyster Bar at Gloucester Park on Monday afternoon, when he finished strongly after enjoying the one-out, one-back position.
Meet George Jestson has struck top form for Blythwood trainer Gary Elson and has been driven to victory by Tom Buchanan at four of his past five starts. He led when he beat The Oyster Bar over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
Speedy Jasper Freeway fancied
Noted speedster Jasper Freeway has excellent prospects of improving her career record to 12 wins from just 25 starts by proving too slick for his rivals in the Perfect Partners Westbred final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jasper Freeway will start from barrier three on the front line and Busselton trainer Matt White looks set to attempt to take the gelding to an early lead and then dictate terms in front.
Jasper Freeway started from the No. 5 barrier in a qualifying heat of this event three Fridays ago when he raced three wide early before zooming to the front after 600m. He went on to win from Intrepidation and Fully Zapped at a 1.57.9 rate.
He meets much stronger company in the final, including Macon Georgia, Another Vinnie, Hugh Victor, Captain Proud and Out Back Joe and Dardy Delight.
Macon Georgia possesses good gate speed and Aldo Cortopassi could prove an obstacle to Jasper Freeway in the early battle for the lead. Another Vinnie is racing in grand form and should get a good passage after starting from the inside of the back line. He finished full of running when a runaway winner over Captain proud last Friday night.
