TABtouch WA Pacing Cup A Terrific Contest

17 January 2018 | Chris Barsby
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A week is a long time in racing.

Leading into last week’s Gr.1 $300,000 Fremantle Cup, all the focus was on Mark Purdon and his pair of superstar pacers Lazarus and Ultimate Machete.

And rightly so, because both equine freaks have been sublime during their raid on Perth features over the summer carnival which have netted the $1.1 million Inter Dominion plus the $125,000 Yes Loans 4yo Classic and the $200,000 Golden Nugget.

But their plundering hit a giant snag last Friday night.

Both were beaten in the Fremantle Cup, both coming up short with local ace My Hard Copy storming to victory.

The efforts of Lazarus running an unbelievable second have been well documented, three-wide all the way in the 2536m feature before going down by a head margin while Ultimate Machete was a close-up fourth.

The Fremantle/WA Pacing Cups seemed to be at the mercy of Lazarus.

Or so it seemed.

As great as the effort was from Lazarus, it came at a cost.

The $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park this Friday night will be run without both stars from the all-conquering Purdon stable after both didn’t come through last week’s effort as well as hoped.

So, the Pacing Cup takes on a whole new dimension, the Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit event is without the biggest name in the world of harness racing with Lazarus now enjoying some easy time as he prepares for both the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile in the coming weeks.

A field of 12 pacers will chase the big riches on offer in the 2936m mobile start feature and while stars are missing, the galaxy is expansive and a high quality line-up is assured.

Purdon is still represented, albeit with the enigmatic and North American bound Have Faith In Me, the former Miracle Mile winner has battled for consistency since his record breaking performance in Australasia’s premier sprint race back in 2016.

Purdon is winless in the WA Pacing Cup, one of very few features he hasn’t conquered throughout the southern hemisphere and the reason is simple, this is the first time he has started a runner in the state’s biggest event.

The last time a winner came outside of the state’s border was Washakie back in 2010, prepared by then Queensland based John McCarthy.

Have Faith In Me will start from gate 4.

With factory like precision and star after star rolling out of the showroom season after season, it’s little wonder that Purdon is the most dominant stable in Australasia, however, the deeds of Gary Hall Snr shouldn’t be overlooked.

The local horseman has made the WA Pacing Cup his own since the turn of the millennium.

Since 2002, the Hall stable have won the staying feature 11 times.

The master conditioner has triumphed with The Falcon Strike (x3), Tealsby Karita, Im Themightyquinn (x3), Hokonui Ben, My Hard Copy (x2) and last season with Chicago Bull.

And Chicago Bull, the pint-sized wonder pony, is the stable’s main chance again this year and will be handled by leading reinsman, Gary Hall Jnr.

Hall Jnr equaled the legendary Phil Coulson last season with a haul of 7 Cup victories and will become the most successful driver in the race’s history if victorious on Friday night.

To date, Hall Jnr has driven 51 Gr.1 winners.

The father/son combination lead the way in Grand Circuit success, Snr has trained 26 winners while Jnr has driven 22 winners at the highest level of competition.

The stable has claimed the past 7 editions of the WA Pacing Cup.

On Friday night, the Hall stable prepares a quartet of chances plus also having both emergencies.

Representatives include Chicago Bull (gate 9), My Hard Copy (gate 10), American Boy (gate 5) and Ohoka Punter (gate 12).

My Hard Copy, a dual Pacing Cup winner and last start winner of the Fremantle Cup will again be handled by Clint Hall as he aims for his fourth winner of the race from the past five seasons.

The state’s leading trainer Skye Bond is chasing her maiden success in the Pacing Cup with Galactic Star representing the stable, the Bettors Delight gelding will start from gate 3.

The revered combination of Ross Olivieri and Chris Lewis combine with Motu Premier, the talented pacer will run from gate 2.

The pair combined to win the 1999 version with Saab while Lewis has also won with Village Kid (x 3) and Hilarion Star.

Kim Prentice is aiming for his third victory in the Pacing Cup and will partner the Bryan Cousins trained Soho Tribeca who must overcome gate 8.

Prentice is a dual winner after Baltic Eagle (2003) and Im Themightyquinn (2011) both proved triumphant.

The speedy Bettors Fire has drawn awkwardly in gate 11 for talented young horseman Kyle Harper, his father Lindsay won the Pacing Cup back in 2001 with Havago.

Olympic gold medalist Michael Brennan is chasing his biggest victory in the sport and shoots for glory with The Bucket List who has drawn ideally in gate 1, the noted stayer will be handled by young Michael Grantham.

Home grown star Vultan Tin will provide Phil Costello and Chris Voak with their biggest victory if successful; the popular pacer will start from gate 7.

And Devendra will provide Tasmania with their maiden success in the Pacing Cup if victorious, the Todd Rattray trained and Nathan Turvey driven pacer has drawn gate 6.

The Bettors Delight gelding was a runner-up in 2016 behind My Hard Copy.

No mares are contesting this year’s Pacing Cup.

With the omission of Lazarus, the WA Pacing Cup looks an open affair and the barrier draw has only added to the intrigue.

The TABtouch WA Pacing Cup is scheduled as race 5 and listed to start at 7.43pm local time.

 

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