SUPERSTARS TO RESUME HOSTILITIES IN BIO-JOHN CUP

Star pacers Im Themightyquinn and Has The Answers will resume hostilities when they clash in the $20,500 Bio-John Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with Hazelmere trainer Gary Hall sen. confident that Im Themightyquinn will resume after a spell on a winning note.

Hall was delighted with Im Themightyquinn’s effortless victory in a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday when the six-year-old was not extended in beating top-flight four-year-old mare Millwood Meg by two lengths.

Kim Prentice made a special trip from Boyanup to handle Im Themightyquinn in the trial and he is looking forward keenly to driving the brilliant New Zealand-bred gelding for the first time in a race.

Millwood Meg led early in Sunday’s trial before Prentice sent Im Themightyquinn forward to take up the running. He had Im Themightyquinn under restraint until he let him stride out over the final 400m which he covered in a blistering 26.3sec.

Im Themightyquinn has been off the scene for nine weeks. At his most recent appearance he finished powerfully from fourth at the bell to beat the pacemaker Has The Answers by just under a length in the 2536m August Cup.

Im Themightyquinn also proved the master of Has The Answers when each pacer started off the 80m mark in the 3309m Marathon Handicap two weeks before the August Cup.

The stars clashed seven times at Gloucester Park last season, with Im Themightyquinn finishing ahead of Has The Answers four times. Has The Answers beat Im Themightyquinn into second place twice, in the 2130m Australian Pacing Championship in January and in the 2536m Winter Cup in July.

Has The Answers will start from barrier seven and Im Themightyquinn from No. 8 on Friday night and Chris Lewis is certain to make use of Has The Answers’ dazzling early speed to burst to the front and set the pace.

Has The Answers is at his best over 2130m, the distance of Friday night’s Cup, and Im Themightyquinn will need to produce an outstanding performance to topple the wonderful eight-year-old.

 OSCAR RILEY IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Six-year-old Oscar Riley has managed just four wins, at far-flung outer country tracks, from 83 starts, but he has turned the corner and is racing with renewed zest for York trainer Jeff Bull and will pay to follow in the city.
He will start from barrier five in the 2130m Hygain Sprintlane Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and is sure to prove hard to beat, with outstanding young reinsman Morgan Woodley in the sulky.

Oscar Riley has won three times at Kalgoorlie and once at Kellerberrin and he has failed to break through at 19 appearances at Gloucester Park.

Oscar Riley started from barrier seven last Friday night and raced three wide in the first circuit before working hard without cover. He battled on doggedly to finish second to the pacemaker Jack Cantell, with the final 400m being covered in a slick 28.2sec.

He started from barrier nine and covered a lot of extra ground when a fighting fifth behind Grinjaro over 21230m the previous week and he had a similar tough run before fighting on grimly to be a nose second to the pacemaker Open Class over 1730m a week earlier.

Full Package, Hayton Major, Alby Albert and The Cessanator are also racing keenly and will have many admirers.

Five-year-old Full Package, trained at Serpentine by Alan Norman, warmed up for the race in fine style with a dashing win over 2170m at Pinjarra on Monday. He was seventh at the bell and Shane Young brought him home with a powerful burst to win from Sevens and Joshuas Reign. He sprinted the final 800m in 57.4sec.

Alby Albert has not enjoyed much luck when third at each of his past three starts and cannot be overlooked, while Hayton Major looks set to run a bold race at his fourth appearance after an absence of 14 months.

The Cessanator also is poised to run a strong race. He trailed the pacemaker Indomitable Saab before finishing strongly to be a most encouraging second to that smart pacer over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday night.

 BARRIETTAS JOY MAKES GOOD APPEAL

New South Wales-bred mare Barriettas Joy, who arrived in WA last month with only one placing from her previous 16 starts in Victoria, has impressed at her first two starts in this State and looks one of the main chances in the 2130m Bio-John Medisportz Tape Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The six-year-old is trained at Banjup by Katja Schreyvogel and will be driven by in-form reinsman Chris Brew, who was in the sulky when she finished third to Gday Mate at Bunbury and second to Aussie Terror at Gloucester Park at her first two starts in WA.

Barriettas Joy had a tough run in the breeze before battling on doggedly to finish second to Aussie Terror when the final 400m of the 2130m event was covered in 28.6sec.

She will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line behind good beginner Courtybabe, who is capable of leading in this company. Barriettas Joy has led at two of her seven Victorian wins and has impressed with her solid finishing efforts at her other five victories.

Brew also has excellent prospects in the Pegasus Sweetmax Pace, in which he will drive the speedy Scruncher from barrier eight.

Loudspeaker is a fast beginner and looks likely to set the pace from barrier two. But Brew is unlikely to give Loudspeaker much peace and he looks certain to send Scruncher forward in the first lap in a bid to take the lead in the 1730m sprint event.

Even if Loudspeaker holds out Scruncher, Brew will be happy to remain in the breeze. Scruncher should then be able to burst to the front in the final circuit and is sure to prove hard to beat.

 CONSISTENT MR CLANCY DUE FOR A CHANGE OF FORTUNE

New Zealand-bred six-year-old Mr Clancy has bright prospects of ending a frustrating sequence of minor placings by proving too strong for his rivals in the 2130m Proplan Australian Made Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mr Clancy, trained at Waroona by Bob Mellsop, is in sparkling form and his six starts this season have produced three seconds and three thirds.

The Village Jasper gelding worked hard without cover for almost two laps before getting to the front 430m from home. But he was powerless to prevail against the strong-finishing In The Force and had to be content with second place.

A week earlier, Mr Clancy produced a spirited finishing burst when an excellent third behind smart pacers Motu Treasure and Grinjaro.

Again, he will meet several smart pacers, including Hillview Storm, Hirli Birli Lombo, Denzel Washington and Jack Cantell. But he is a versatile pacer, and from barrier five, Mellsop should have him in a commanding position throughout.

Punters should disregard Hillview Storm’s last placing behind Lukcon Lad last Friday week. He was prominent early before meeting with severe interference after 500m. He dropped back to the rear and did well to move into sixth place (three wide) at the bell before fading. He made most of the running when narrowly beaten by Aussie Reactor a week earlier.

 HAWKINS DRIVES HIS FIRST WINNER

Former successful jockey Kristian Hawkins landed his first winner in the sport of harness racing when he drove Wouldn’t It Be Nice to an all-the-way victory in the Paceway Photos Pace at Northam on Tuesday night.

Hawkins celebrated his success with a flourish of the whip as Wouldn’t It Be Nice crossed the line a narrow winner over Van Cullen.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, a six-year-old mare by Jennas Beach Boy, was a 6/1 chance at her second start in WA. Hot favourite Mighty Toddy began fast from barrier seven and went a length clear of Wouldn’t It Be Nice, the polemarker. Hawkins drove the mare hard and she mustered speed to prevent Mighty Toddy from getting to the front.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice is trained by Kate Hawkins, wife of Kristian, who had driven five placegetters in the previous ten days. He was placed with Boogiewithmebaby at Northam, Yerazig and Cuzin Judd at Gloucester Park and Black With Bling and Spunky Monkey at Pinjarra.