Reigning TABtouch Interdominion champion Lennytheshark is spot on to make a successful defence of his title, according to the stallion’s trainer David Aiken.
The seven-year-old has drawn out wide at barrier eight on the front line of nine in the field of ten to contest the first heat of the Retravision Interdominion Championship over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He’s ready to go,” said Aiken, who admitted that the wide barrier would make Lennytheshark’s task tougher. “All’s good; he’s settled in well and his work has been good. The barrier draw is not ideal.
“There’s no set plans for him. There’s plenty of speed on his inside and I’ll leave the tactics up to Chris (Alford); he’ll put him in the race at some stage.
“I’m happy with his preparation. We took him to Sydney and he had two really good runs there (working hard three wide and then in the breeze before winning in 1.49.9 from Allblack Stride and Freyberg over 1609m at Menangle on October 15 before leading from barrier seven and winning easily at a 1.55.8 rate from Ultimate Art the following week).
“Then he got beaten last week (when second to the fast-finishing Bling It On over 1720m at Melton). But his run was full of merit.
“He’s on par with what he was 12 months ago; he’s just as good and I’ve got no issues with him. There is a fair bit of depth in the three heats and I think it (the opposition) will be stronger this year.”
Lennytheshark, whose 54 starts have produced 29 wins, 16 seconds and five thirds for stakes of $1,934,890, will clash with another Victorian-trained seven-year-old Guaranteed and local stars Beaudiene Boaz and Our Jimmy Johnstone.
Guaranteed, trained by Emma Stewart, has not won a race for 22 months, but he looms as a major player at his fourth outing after a 20-month absence (while recuperating from a torn suspensory ligament). He possesses good gate speed and though he has led from barrier No. 1 and won over 2240m at Melton in May and December 2012, he is not a noted frontrunner.
He is a tough competitor who is capable of producing a strong finishing burst and can also perform strongly after racing in the breeze. He started from the back line and raced three wide before working hard without cover and going on to win the South Australian Cup from Flaming Flutter in January 2015 when he set a track record with a rate of 1.54.4 over 2230m. His three runs in the past six weeks have been solid.
Our Jimmy Johnstone, trained by WA’s leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is in superb form and is sure to prove hard to beat. Ryan Warwick is expected to make a bold bid for the early lead.
Our Jimmy Johnstone mustered splendid early pace from barrier six and gave a bold frontrunning display to win the $50,000 Bunbury Cup at his latest outing, on November 12. He dashed over the final two quarters in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec. and rated 1.55.4 in beating Mynameskenny over 2569m.
Five-year-old Beaudiene Boaz has drawn awkwardly at barrier No. 5 and ace trainer Gary Hall sen. said he was hopeful that his son Gary would be able to drop the horse into a favourable position in the early stages.
“Then the tactics will be governed by how the race is run. I think that there is a good chance that Guaranteed will hold out Our Jimmy Johnstone in the battle for the early lead,” he said.
Beaudiene Boaz cannot be underestimated. He overraced badly when he set a cracking pace before wilting late to finish second to stablemate Waylade over 2130m last Friday week. His 27.2sec. second quarter of the final mile, followed by a 27.6sec. quarter left him at the mercy of a swooper.
