JUMBO OPERATOR SPOT ON TO MEET HIS BIGGEST TEST

Rising star Jumbo Operator is cherry ripe to meet his most serious challenge in a brief, but remarkable career when he contests the $50,000 Gannons Navy Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

That’s the verdict of trainer Ron Huston, who said that the brilliant five-year-old had been working a treat since his narrow, but impressive victory over Im Tim Kelly at Northam on Tuesday of last week.

After driving Jumbo Operator in a rousing track workout at Byford on Tuesday morning the 32-year-old Huston declared that the gelding was ready to perform at his top in his first serious test against far better-performed pacers.

Jumbo Operator, a winner at 18 of his 22 starts, is an M1-class pacer who is the lowest-assessed horse in the Cup field in which he will clash with all his rivals on worse terms than he would if the field was handicapped automatically.

Huston admitted that he was disappointed that Jumbo Operator had been handicapped off the 10m mark under the discretionary handicapping conditions of the race. Others who will start off 10m are M4-class pacer Tsunami Lombo, M3-class horses My Sound of Thunder, Conte Centovalli, Christopher Three and Jumbo Operator’s stablemate Jay Cee Ess, who is on an M2 mark.

The only horse handicapped off the front is Puhinui Rainbow, the second emergency. Jay Cee Ess was the first emergency and he gained a start when Im Rocket Star was scratched soon after acceptances.

“Both Jumbo Operator and Jay Cee Ess have trained on in good style since they raced at Northam last week,” Huston said.

Jumbo Operator started from 30m in the 2560m event at Northam and moved to eighth at the bell before charging forward to race outside the pacemaker Im Tim Kelly at the 1350m mark. He then got his head in front 550m from home and the two horses were locked together before Jumbo Operator prevailed by a head, sprinting the final 800m in 56.3sec. and the last 400m in 27.8sec.

Jay Cee Ess, who galloped off the 20m mark, dashed forward in the middle stages to race without cover for a while before obtaining a perfect trail, one-out and one-back. He battled home solidly to finish fourth.

“I thought Jay Cee Ess put in a very good run,” Huston said. “I thought he went as good as Jumbo Operator.”

Huston drove Jumbo Operator in Tuesday morning’s track workout and his younger brother Jason handled Jay Cee Ess, who set the pace. “The two horses went to the line together,” Ron Huston said. “They worked super; they worked sensationally. We ran home in just under 57sec.

“I lean towards Jumbo Operator in the Cup, but Jay Cee Ess at odds will be massive. You can’t discount him.”

Shannon Suvaljko will again drive Jumbo Operator and Huston has engaged Justin Prentice to handle Jay Cee Ess. “Justin is a good little driver who looks after a horse in a race and doesn’t knock him around,” Huston said. Prentice drove Global Force to a last-to-first victory in the 2007 Navy Cup.

Before Jumbo Operator and Jay Cee Ess raced at Northam last week, they clashed in the 2518m Kalgoorlie Cup in which Jay Cee Ess caused an upset by leading and holding on to win by a nose from Jumbo Operator.

Champion reinsman Chris Lewis, who has won the Navy Cup three times, with Western Gentleman (1994), Mark Craig (1995) and Super Strike (1996), has decided to drive the Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers, the backmarker off 50m, in preference to Tsunami Lombo.

Tsunami Lombo is trained by Ross Olivieri, who combined with Lewis to win earlier Navy Cups with Mark Craig and Super Strike. Greg Kersley will handle Tsunami Lombo, who has won at 12 of his 38 starts and impressed at Gloucester Park last Saturday night at his first appearance for four months.

Tsunami Lombo started from the outside barrier in a 2130m mobile event and raced at the rear before he locked wheels with Money Twitch 950m from home and then was forced four wide at the winning post with a lap to travel. He ran home solidly to finish third behind In The Force and Little Sonny Bill.

“He went well and will go well again in the Cup,” said Olivieri.

Has The Answers cannot be underestimated, even from 50m. He maintained his wonderful form last Friday night when he was seventh at the bell and sprinted home powerfully, out wide, to finish second to Real Life in the 1730m Mount Eden Sprint.

Has The Answers started off 20m and was favourite at 5/2 when a most unlucky second to Real Life in the 2009 Navy Cup. He galloped and lost 60m at the start and was still a distant 12th with 1200m to travel before charging home, out five wide from the 400m mark. Svilicich trained Digger of Fortune when Lindsay Harper drove him to victory in the 2003 Navy Cup.

Kim Prentice, who won the 2002 Navy Cup with Lloyd Boy, has high hopes of a repeat success when he drives the highly-promising My Sound of Thunder this week.

Gary Hall sen., trainer of Cup runners Talk To Me Courage and Albert Jaccka, has won Navy Cup with Abit Rich (1997) and Real Life (last year), while trainer Greg Bond and reinsman Colin Brown will be looking to win the Cup for a second time after they combined to win the 2006 Cup with Richard Henry. Brown will handle Bond’s smart five-year-old Our Mercurio, who finished fast to win a 2130m event from Has The Answers two starts ago.

 HALL LOOKS TO GRINJARO FOR A SUCCESSFUL RETURN

Top-flight reinsman Gary Hall jun. has given punters a significant lead by choosing to drive Grinjaro in preference to Why Live Dangerously in the $20, 5000 XXX Gold Golden Nugget Prelude at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Hall, who will be back in action after serving a six-week term of suspension, is anxious to make a successful return by winning the 2130m event for octogenarian trainer Ken White, who owns and trains Grinjaro.

The New Zealand-bred Why Live Dangerously is trained by Hall’s father Gary, who produced the gelding in fine shape for his return to racing after a spell at Gloucester Park last Saturday night.

Why Live Dangerously, with Chris Butt in the sulky, made a fast move from the rear after a lap and then worked hard outside the pacemaker Jimmy Dancer before he forged clear on the home turn and won by a length from Heaintheavy.

Why Live Dangerously is well drawn at barrier three on Friday night and will be handled by Kim Prentice.

Grinjaro, a winner at 11 of his 30 starts, will start from the No. 6 barrier and will be popular with punters. He raced without cover before getting to the front 500m from home and wilting late when second to Smart Cullen over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week.

 He gave a brilliant frontrunning performance to win easily at a 1.56 rate over 2130m at his previous appearance when he scorched over the final 800m in 56.8sec.

Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri expects both his runners, Dasher VC and Crombie to be hard to beat. “They’re different types of horses, but their form is terrific,” he said. “They have the form on the board and just look at the times they’re running and they way they’re doing it.

“Dasher VC has an excellent draw at No. 2, but Crombie has a difficult draw at No. 10. But Crombie also started from barrier ten when he won the WA Derby last April. I’m finding it hard to separate them as Golden Nugget chances.”

David Hercules, a head second to Crombie in the Derby, has drawn well at No. 4 for his return to racing and will have many admirers. So, too, will Cromac Johnny, who is in wonderful form for Grant Williams and has won easily at each of his past four starts.

An interesting runner will be Wrongly Accused, who arrived in WA from Victoria last week and is now being prepared by Tony Svilicich.

Wrongly Accused, who has had 29 starts for six wins and ten placings, will be driven by Colin Brown. The Armbro Operative gelding has won easily at his past two starts. He led and sped over the final 800m in 56.7sec. when successful over 2150m at Bendigo on October 13 before he worked hard in the breeze all the way before winning over 2180m at Kilmore last Sunday week.

 MACHINE GUN BONNIE TURNS THE CORNER

Less than three weeks ago six-year-old mare Machine Gun Bonnie had a losing sequence of 27 before striking a purple patch for trainer Hayden Reeves and reinsman Morgan Woodley.

She should give punters a flying start to Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park by winning the opening event, the 1730m Gannons Pacing Colours Pace.

Machine Gun Bonnie is now realising her full potential and has scored impressively at each of her past three starts in the space of ten days. She rated 1.58.9 in ending her long losing run at Gloucester Park on October 16 before she dashed to the lead in the first lap and sprinted the final 400m in 28sec. in winning easily from Little Angel over 2100m at Bunbury five nights later.

Then, at Pinjarra four days later, she gave a dazzling display to cruise to victory over Tuahiwi Wild Girl over 2670m. She was ninth with 800m to travel and went four wide at the 300m mark and five wide on the home turn before bursting to the front in the final 100m.

Machine Gun Bonnie will start out wide at barrier eight, but she is racing with such zest that she should be able to overcome this disadvantage. Her chief rivals appear to be the consistent Miss Peggie Sue and Western Jade.

 ELENA S IS MAKING A BIG IMPRESSION

Highly-promising New Zealand-bred mare Elena S has made a big impression at her first seven Australian starts and she should prove to be one of the best bets on the ten-event program at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

She possesses sparkling early speed and her trainer Grant Williams should be able to get her to front moments after the mobile barrier sends the nine runners on their way in the 1730m Royal Doulton Signature Pace.

Elena S began speedily from the back line and sped to the lead after 300m in a 2130m event last Friday night. Williams then surrendered the lead 200m later to the outstanding mare Millwood Meg.

Millwood Meg relaxed in front before sprinting over the final 400m in 27.9sec. Elena S was badly hampered for room and she went to the line full of running in second place.

Elena S gave a sample of her class at her previous outing when she set the pace and rated 1.57.4 in winning from Am I Tough over 2100m at Bunbury. This Friday night she should improve her WA record to six wins, a second and a fourth from eight starts.