Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr had the option of driving talented five-year-olds The Iron Duke and Hes Never Been Beta and the up-and-coming four-year-old Nathan Street in the $50,000 Trotsynd Christmas Gift over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and he has chosen to handle Nathan Street, despite that gelding drawing the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
The New South Wales-bred Nathan Street is the least experienced runner in the field, but Hall believes he has the class to overcome this considerable disadvantage and give his father Gary Hall snr a record eighth victory in the Christmas Gift.
Hall jnr made the right choice when his father had three runners in the 2021 Christmas Gift. He picked Jumpingjackmac, who set the pace and held on to beat the fast-finishing Ideal Touch by a head, with Finvarra in third place to give the trainer a trifecta result.
“Nathan Street looks my best drive but is no certainty from the outside barrier,” said Hall jnr. “It is hard to say where he will be in the run, but he is dangerous from anywhere. He used his speed to come from last to him a qualifying heat (last Friday week).”
Not only did Nathan Street come from last at the bell, he was in fifth position after rounding the home bend out four wide before flashing home to get to the front at the 25m mark and win by 2m from Blaze Away.
That was Nathan Street’s first win at his fourth appearance in WA after winning twice in Victoria and four times in New South Wales. It also ended a losing sequence of ten.
Hall also has a high opinion of the Victorian-bred The Iron Duke, who is prepared by crack Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice. He has driven the Always B Miki gelding at six of his seven WA starts for three wins and two placings.
“The Iron Duke has improved a lot,” said Hall, who brought the gelding home with a powerful late burst from the one-out, one-back position to win a qualifying heat by a neck from the pacemaker Arma Believer last Friday week. Prentice has engaged Deni Roberts to drive The Iron Duke, who will begin from the No. 6 barrier.
Hall snr prepares the New Zealand-bred Hes Never Been Beta, whose 39 starts have all been in WA, with Hall jnr having driven him for nine of his ten victories. Stuart McDonald will drive him on Friday night when he will begin from the No. 3 barrier.
Hes Never Been Beta trailed the pacemaker Sweet Lucifer in a qualifying heat last Friday night when he was blocked for a clear run until the late changes. He fought on gamely to finish second to Sweet Lucifer.
Sweet Lucifer, who excels as a frontrunner for trainer Leann Lee and reinsman Donald Harper, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line on Friday night. He will follow out Blaze Away, who runs his best races when he leads. He is trained by Michael Young and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko.
“If Blaze Away leads, he will take a stack of beating,” predicted Young.
Blazing Reactor, trained by Bob Mellsop and to be driven by Abbey Viodovich, possesses sparkling gate speed and his bright prospects of charging straight to the front from barrier five and setting a solid pace.
Trainer Colin Brown has Arma Believer in top form, and the four-year-old to be driven by Maddison Brown from the inside of the back line, cannot be underestimated.
Talented trainer Aiden de Campo will drive Menemsha (barrier eight), with that four-year-old’s stablemate and brilliant all-the-way heat winner Rockandrollartist (outside of the back line) to be handled by Trent Wheeler
De Campo drove Rockandrollartist last Friday night when the six-year-old began brilliantly from the outside barrier on the front line to burst straight to the front before winning easily from Captain Confetti and Sweet Ivy.
“He is not just a smart frontrunner, but he is just as good when he is driven with a sit,” said Wheeler.
Four-year-old Menemsha has raced 43 times for eight wins and 18 placings and is capable of a bold showing. “He is going better than his form might suggest,” said de Campo.
