Driver -Chris Voak
Im A Peregrine has won only once from his past 16 starts, but reinsman Chris Voak is quite enthusiastic about the five-year-old’s prospects in the final of the $25,000 Remote Foods Chandon final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Victorian-bred Im A Peregrine has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier on the front line in the 2130m event and Voak plans to take full advantage of the gelding’s sparkling early pace by denying speedy frontrunner Soho Lennon the opportunity to set the pace after starting from barrier two.
“You saw what he did the last time he led in town,” Voak said. “He started out wide at barrier eight, raced four wide for the first 300m and three wide for the next 300m before taking the lead and racing away to win by five and a half lengths with the ear plugs in, rating 1.58.1 over 2536m
“I think he will run 1.57 in front over 2130m. He grows a leg if he leads, and I think he’s got the speed to hold up. Plan A will be to lead because he excels in front, and if he does he will be hard to beat.”
Im A Peregrine’s trainer Ross Olivieri said that the gelding had been racing well, but without luck and agreed with Voak’s prediction that he would prove hard to catch if he was able to set the pace.
No doubt Gary Hall jun. will be anxious for Soho Lennon to burst to the front from the No. 2 barrier after the New Zealand-bred gelding was untroubled to jump to the front from the inside barrier and win comfortably over 2130m last Friday night.
Apart from Soho Lennon, Serpentine trainer Gary Hall sen. has sound prospects with Cyamach, who is favourably drawn at barrier three. Cyamach surged home from seventh at the bell when a neck second to stablemate Vapour over 1730m last Friday week. That followed his fast-finishing victory over 2130m a week earlier when making his Australian debut.
Condrieu, who set the pace and broke into a gallop approaching the home turn in the Higgins Memorial last Friday night, cannot be underestimated this week. He quickly regained his pacing action last week and did well to finish a close third to Another Vinnie and Delightful Offer.
Trainers Greg and Skye Bond took Condrieu to the Byford trials on Sunday morning when the five-year-old, driven by Colin Brown, performed satisfactorily and finished a well-beaten third behind Dynamite Dude and Awesome Desire over 2150m.
“He raced in a shadow roll in the trial and he got around without breaking,” Brown said. “I didn’t extend him and he went to the line with the ear plugs in. So take no notice that he finished only third. He raced one-out and one-back and I had him three wide on the final bend, just to make sure he didn’t break. He’s a class horse.”
