IM THEMIGHTYQUINN IS READY TO BOUNCE BACK

Im Themightyquinn will strip a fitter horse and should prove hard to beat in the $50,000 Find Thirty Every Day Mount Eden Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to leading trainer Gary Hall senior’s stable foreman Michael Brennan.

“Obviously he’ll have to go really well to be certain of an invitation to run in the Miracle Mile,” Brennan said.

Im Themightyquinn will be on trial for the $500,000 Miracle Mile to be run at Tabcorp Park Menangle on November 27 when he starts from barrier five in the 1730m Mount Eden Sprint in which he will again be driven by Kim Prentice, substituting for the suspended Gary Hall jun.

The brilliant six-year-old let down his legion of supporters when he resumed after a spell and started favourite at 10/9 on when well beaten into third place behind Our Mercurio and Has The Answers in the 2130m Bio-John Cup last Friday night.

He started out wide at barrier eight and raced four wide early before settling down in the breeze after 520m.

“No. 5 is one of those tricky barrier draws, and Kim will have to make up his mind what he’s going to do pretty early,” Brennan said. “I guess the pleasing thing is that Has The Answers has drawn badly.

“We were a bit disappointed with Im Themightyquinn’s effort last week. But in saying that, he was probably a run short. Even though he ran home in 26.3sec. in winning a Byford trial leading into last week’s race, he rated only 2.3.

“And in the past he has come unstuck first-up after being used up off the gate. For some reason he doesn’t like being used up out of the gate when racing first-up. And he’s not really a breeze horse.

“Im Themightyquinn jogged on Monday and Tuesday and will have a nice hoppled run on Wednesday. Hopefully, he’ll be fine tuned for Friday night’s race.”

Has The Answers, who led and was beaten in the final stride by Our Mercurio last Friday night, fared badly in the random barrier draw and will start from the inside off the back line.

“That’s the worst possible draw,” said reinsman Chris Lewis. “But that’s life and I’m not giving up, absolutely not. This is only a draw, and things change rapidly after the start. It’s a race and you don’t give up until they cross the line.”

By starting on the inside of the back line, with two horses on his outside, Has The Answers will not be able to use his explosive speed from behind the mobile barrier and will not be able to burst to an early lead. However, Lewis is certain to do all in his power to angle Has The Answers off the pegs soon after the start to give the gelding the opportunity to charge forward towards the lead.

Lewis said he was not particularly disappointed with the effort of Has The Answers when beaten by Our Mercurio last week.

“I think he ran okay,” he said. “I’d say he’d normally run a bit quicker for the last quarter than he did. But he was only grabbed right on the line. So you really couldn’t say that much about his run being a bad run. I still think he’s not far off his better form.

“On the surface, Im Themightyquinn looked a bit disappointing. However, the sectional times were good and from a good draw he’s sure to prove hard to beat.”

Lewis drove the 7/4 on favourite Sneakyn Down Under when the gelding raced three wide for the first 500m and then in the breeze before fading to fourth behind the pacemaker Aliveandwell in the Mount Eden Sprint 12 months ago.

He drove Sneakyn Down Under to an all-the-way victory at 5/2 on over Scruffy Murphy in the 2008 Mount Eden Sprint. That was his fourth success in the big race after winning with Village Kid (1987), Whitby Timer (1990) and Flashing Star (1997).

 REPRIEVED MICHAEL GEORGE TO DRIVE MOTU TREASURE

Outstanding young reinsman Michael George has been granted a stay of proceedings to enable him to take several drives at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

And the 22-year-old is looking forward keenly to driving the highly-promising Motu Treasure in the Find Thirty Reduce Stress Pace in which his clash with top-flight four-year-old Indomitable Saab promises to be a highlight of the ten-event program.

George, stable foreman for Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond, was suspended for 19 days for causing interference in a race last Friday night.

And with Bond planning to start several runners this Friday night, and with the stable’s No. 1 driver Colin Brown away on a ten-day ocean cruise, George applied to the RWWA stewards for a stay of proceedings.

He telephoned chairman of stewards Bill Delaney on Monday and was given a stay until after the meeting at Gloucester Park next Saturday night.

The five-year-old New Zealand-bred Motu Treasure will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) in Friday night’s event over 2130m, with the Barry Morrison-trained Indomitable Saab at No. 8.
Wayne Reid invariably drives Indomitable Saab aggressively and he looks set to dash the horse forward soon after the start in a bid to get to the front or to race on the outside of the pacemaker.

Indomitable Saab notched his 13th win from 32 starts, and his sixth from his past eight starts, when he led and scored in fine style from The Cessanator over 2130m last Friday week, dashing over the final 800m in 57.5sec. Later in the program, Motu Treasure began fast from barrier eight, set the pace and sprinted the final 800m in 57.1sec. in scoring an easy victory over 1730m.

“Indomitable Saab is the one to beat, but I think he can do it,” said George. “Motu Treasure is a really nice horse and he’s a good up-and-comer.

“With Indomitable Saab drawn inside of us, he’ll obviously settle in front of us. I’m not sure yet what I’ll do from the outside barrier. We might decide to bale out of an early speed battle and wait to see how the race develops.”

George also has sound prospects with Artorius, who will start from barrier nine in the Find Thirty For Energy Pace. “He is a really good sit-and-kick horse and he can run a really good half (800m),” George said. “He has been working super well and he should be able to get a good cart into the race.”

George will replace Brown behind Artorius, who has impressed at his eight WA starts with three wins and three placings.

George is also looking forward to driving Legislate in his comeback to racing at Gloucester Park on Saturday night. Legislate, who has been working in promising style for Skye Bond, has not appeared since being unplaced in a prelude of the Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park in November 2008.

Legislate, a six-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer by Washington VC, was unplaced at his only outing in New Zealand before winning at seven of his 14 WA starts. “He’s had bad legs, but Skye has been doing a good job with him.”

 LEWIS ENGAGED FOR BRILLIANT MARE MILLWOOD MEG

Star reinsman Chris Lewis will be the new driver for brilliant New Zealand pacer Millwood Meg when she resumes after a spell in the Find Thirty For Better Health Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Lewis replaces Colin Brown, who is away on a well-deserved holiday. Millwood Meg, the winner of the WA Oaks last May, the Gold Coast Oaks in June and Queensland Oaks in July, should make a triumphant return to racing for trainer Greg Bond.

Millwood Meg, who will start from barrier five, should carry too many guns for her rivals. She warmed up for her return to racing with an excellent third in a three-way photo behind David Hercules and Pablito in as 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday when the final 400m was covered in 28.1sec.

At Byford the previous Sunday Millwood Meg finished a good two-length second to star pacer Im Themightyquinn in a 2150m trial. Millwood Meg, who has earned $241,479 from her 13 wins and six placings from 26 starts, should win from the promising Elena S, who will start from the outside of the back line.

The New Zealand-bred Elena S won twice in her home country and has been most impressive in winning at five of her six starts in WA. She rated 1.57.4 when a stylish winner over 2100m at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park last Saturday night.

 CROMBIE WILL BE AT A LONG ODDS-ON QUOTE

Former Victorian pacer Crombie, winner of the WA Derby last April, will be at unbackable odds when he starts from the No. 1 barrier in the Find Thirty Ways To Be Active Young Drivers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Ross Olivieri-trained four-year-old simply looks classes above his nine rivals and should give Morgan Woodley an armchair drive.

Crombie, a winner of 11 races and $196,773 in stakes, has been successful at nine of his 11 WA starts and is one of the early fancies for the Golden Nugget Classic. He has won at each of his past four starts, with Woodley in the sulky.

Another Golden Nugget contender Cromac Johnny maintained his superb form when he scored an effortless victory over Flyin Vee and Captain Bromac over 2190m at Northam on Tuesday night.

Driven by his trainer Grant Williams, Cromac Johnny dashed forward to race without cover after 750m and swept to the front 400m from home to score by three lengths at a 1.57.3 rate.

The highlight of the night was the brilliant victory by Jumbo Operator by a short half-head over Im Tim Kelly in a 2560m stand.

Jumbo Operator, trained by Ron Huston and driven by Shannon Suvaljko, started from the back mark of 30m and was eighth with two laps to travel. The five-year-old then dashed forward to race outside the pacemaker Im Tim Kelly with 1350m to travel.

Jumbo Operator got his head in front 550m from home and he and Im Tim Kelly fought out a terrific duel down the home straight. The final 800m was covered in 56.3sec. and the last 400m in 28.4sec. Jumbo Operator now has won at 18 of his 22 starts.