For American Boy to achieve a winning strike rate of 62 per cent is an outstanding performance and he possesses the speed and strength to overcome a wide barrier and win the $25,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Lewis final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old, prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall sen. and to be driven by his son Gary, gets his chance to make amends for his shock defeat at 10/1 on in a 2536m event last Friday week. He started from the outside barrier (No. 9) and had a torrid run when beaten a half-length by 75/1 outsider Foxy Dame.
He was trapped three wide for the first 700m and then was forced to work in the breeze before getting to the front 520m from home. A week earlier, he raced without cover before winning convincingly from Our Regal Ideal over 2130m.
This week American Boy, who has raced 26 times for 16 wins and seven seconds, will start out wide at barrier eight and will need to be at his top to win from the Greg and Skye Bond-trained in-form trio of Bettor Offer, Our Regal Ideal and Bungalow Bill.
Bettor Offer, to be driven by Ryan Warwick from the No. 6 barrier, makes strong appeal. He began speedily from barrier six to lead after 100m in a qualifying heat last Friday night. He rated 1.57.1 over the 2130m and was untroubled to win by just under two lengths from Commander Chapel, who fought on gamely after racing without cover.
Warwick said that with fast beginners, particularly Kimba Bay, on his inside that Bettor Offer was unlikely to be able to lead this week. But he commended Bettor Offer for his wonderful turn of foot and predicted that the gelding would be able to unwind a powerful burst and prove hard to beat.
Bungalow Bill, who challenged unsuccessfully for the early lead in a 2130m event last Friday night, will start from barrier seven and will be driven by Ryan Bell, who drove Our Regal Ideal when he set the pace and held on to win by a head from Twoandahalf Tigers in another 2130m event last week.
Our Regal Ideal will be driven by Mitch Miller from the prized No. 1 barrier and Bell said he was impressed with the five-year-old’s win last week.
“He was pretty tenacious,” Bell said. “He was taken on in a fast lead time and he is definitely a top three chance this week. The draw has made it a good race in which Bettor Offer is probably the class horse.
“I was quite happy with the way Our Regal Ideal kicked on last week. At the 200m I thought I was gonzo, but he actually kept coming the more they came at him. I think he should be able to hold up this week. He held up easily last week when I just gave him a flick at the start and he held up quite comfortably.”