ARGENT TREASURE READY TO BOUNCE BACK TO HIS BEST

Dual group 1 winner Argent Treasure showed a welcome return to form last Friday week when third behind star pacers Precious Dylan and Has The Answers and he has bright prospects of ending a losing sequence of seven when he contests the $17,500 RSM Bird Cameron Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

With Precious Dylan and Has The Answers ineligible to compete in the M3 to M5 Bird Cameron Pace and being set for the $30,000 Pinjarra Cup on Monday, Argent Treasure will appreciate meeting somewhat inferior company.

Argent Treasure, whose preparation earlier this year was disrupted by an attack of colic, appears close to regaining his best form after he had chalked up six unplaced runs before his last-start third when he enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before sprinting strongly 250m from home to get on terms with the pacemaking Has The Answers 100m from the post.

He then wilted slightly to finish a sound third in the 2536m event, in which the final 800m was covered in a slick 57sec.

This week’s race is also over 2536m and Chris Lewis is expected to position the grey in the one-wide line, with cover, before asking him for a powerful finishing effort.

Argent Treasure, owned by Jeanine Diederich, Denise Trobe, Adrian Staltari and Anthony Jones, is trained at Oakford by Ross Olivieri, who produced the gelding in great shape for his victories in the $100,000 Pearl Classic for two-year-olds in June 2007 and the $200,000 WA Derby in April 2008.

Argent Treasure, now a five-year-old, has been sparingly raced, with his 34 starts producing eight wins, eight seconds and two thirds for earnings of $309,506.

He will clash with several capable pacers, including the three Ps --- Pablito, Palomine and Parasite --- each of whom has sound prospects, as well as speedy four-year-old Money Twitch, Hy Royale and Dilinger Whitby.

Money Twitch, who will start from the outside barrier, maintained his splendid form last Friday night when he worked hard without cover for more than two laps when a fighting second to Me Ole Mate Lombo in a 2503m stand.

Hy Royale, an M6-class pacer trained at Banjup by Katja Schreyvogel, will be driven by Chris Brew from barrier two. Brew’s novice driver claim made the six-year-old eligible to run. The gelding, a winner of 17 races and $208,865, resumed after a spell in late April and his five starts in this campaign have been in stands from back marks.

He is sure to appreciate a return to mobile racing and a good draw on the front line. He is capable of causing an upset. He possesses good gate speed, but Dilinger Whitby (barrier three) and Pablito (four) also begin speedily and are good frontrunners.

 TREASURE IN LINE FOR A DREAM BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Noted smart sit-sprinter Dreams Daughter has bright prospects of notching her sixth victory at her 20th start when she runs in the Cash Convertors Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A win would be a wonderful present for reinsman Tony Treasure, who celebrates his 41st birthday on Friday.

Treasure has been in the sulky for all of the mare’s 19 starts for five wins and eight placings for earnings of $66,778 for his father Alex, who bred and trains Dreams Daughter.

By Crouch from Perene Dream, the four-year-old Dreams Daughter races at her best when she is restrained early and is held up for a late burst.

Dreams Daughter will start from barrier seven and one of her main rivals is likely to be Its Karma, a speedy frontrunner who is ideally drawn at the No. 3 barrier for trainer-driver Aiden Warwick.

Dreams Daughter was an unlucky second to Parsonemby over 2130m at Gloucester Park at her most recent appearance, three Mondays ago, when she was restrained at the start and raced in sixth place in the one-wide line. She was hampered for room in the final circuit before she finished fast on the inside.

That followed her excellent first-up performance a fortnight earlier when she was held up for a late burst and charged home to snatch a last-stride victory over Flossie.

The only other four-year-olds in Friday night’s event are the New Zealand-bred pair of Carim Courage and Just In A Heartbeat.

The Justin Prentice-trained Carim Courage met much stiffer opposition in the WASBA Breeders Stakes last Friday night when she trailed the pacemaker Copper Beach Girl and was blocked for a clear passage in the final stages when an excellent fifth behind classy mares Little Big Sister, Nowuseeme, Amongst Royalty and Slick Lavra.

Just In A Heartbeat, trained by Mark Reed, will be having her first start for just over four months. She is the only runner off the back line and should obtain an ideal passage.

 MILLWOOD MEG LOOKS SET FOR ANOTHER WIN

Sensational New Zealand-bred filly Millwood Meg should continue on her winning ways when she starts from the outside barrier in the Phoenix Beer Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Fresh from her world record breaking performance at Pinjarra last Monday week when she raced without cover and rated 1.54.8 over 1670m in beating the pacemaker Parsonemby by two lengths, Millwood Meg should carry too many guns for her ten rivals.

Millwood Meg is a versatile filly and reinsman Colin Brown will have quite a few options against some talented rivals, including the Gary Hall sen.-trained pair of Ella Sue and Kamwood Girl, Esprit Bromac, Pole Dancer and Hear No Secret.

Ella Sue, a winner at eight of her 14 starts, was a brave fourth behind Millwood Meg in the WA Oaks over 2536m three Fridays ago when she worked hard in the breeze for the final two laps. She finished powerfully to narrowly beat Millwood Meg at her previous start.

Kamwood Girl resumed after a spell at Pinjarra on Monday when she charged home from the rear to win from Miss Kerr over 1670m.

Esprit Bromac, trained in Bunbury by John Graham, was an 87/1 outsider in the WA Oaks when she put in a tremendous performance, running home boldly from eighth at the bell to finish third. Pole Dancer won for the sixth time from 21 starts when she raced three wide before getting to the front in the middle stages and dashing over the final 800m in 57.8sec. to beat Tara Village over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday night.

 MOTU TREASURE FANCIED AT AUSTRALIAN DEBUT

Motu Treasure, the latest in a long line of talented pacers from New Zealand who have entered Greg Bond’s Forrestdale stables, looks set to make a successful Australian debut when he contests the Nexus Freight Pathway Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The In The Pocket four-year-old warmed up for this race in fine style with an impressive victory in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday when he set the pace, sprinted the final 400m in 28.8sec. and beat Nat Serling by 4m at a 1.59.6 rate.

Motu Treasure last appeared when fifth over 2600m at Addington on April 9. A week earlier he rated 1.57.2 when second to Russley Rascal over 1950m at Addington. He was a winner over 2200m at Forbury three starts before that.

A winner of six of his 19 starts for earnings of $41,908, Motu Treasure will start from barrier seven on Friday night when his chief rival appears to be the ultra-consistent six-year-old mare Parsonemby.

Parsonemby, trained by Amanda Suvaljko, has resumed after a spell in fine style. She was an all-the-way winner over Dreams Daughter at Gloucester Park three Mondays ago before she led and finished second to crack three-year-old filly Millwood Meg over 1670m at Pinjarra last Monday week.