Trainer-driver Brad Stampalia is optimistic his Art Major four-year-old Harley Zest can return to the winner’s list when he contests the Kerri Bell Pace (2190m) at Northam tonight.
The New Zealand-bred gelding, who has finished second at his first two starts back from a spell, hasn’t saluted since recording back-to-back victories at Gloucester Park last March.
Speaking on TABradio’s One-Out, One-Back program on Tuesday morning, Stampalia had concerns over how well his prized pacer had recovered from a setback leading into his current race preparation but was hopeful he could return to the form which saw him claim three wins and nine top-four finishes from his first 12 starts.
“I haven’t been happy with him this time in,” Stampalia said.
“He probably hasn’t lived up to expectations as a four-year-old or late three-year-old.
“He had a virus just leading up to his racing campaign and I’m just not sure he’s bounced over it well enough.”
Asked if he still felt Harley Zest could prove hard to beat from barrier five tonight, Stampalia says the gelding is certainly capable of going one better than his last two performances.
“As long as there’s a bit of pressure in the race,” he said.
“Obviously the one horse should lead and he’ll get away with it a little bit so we might be sprinting hard a bit too early, but he is very fast.
“He is definitely better with a sit, he seems to get beaten every time he leads, so I think we’ll be sitting him up and seeing what happens.
“He’s probably my main hope tonight because he’s probably my stable star, really.
“If he can get back to his best form he should be right in that race and they’ll be looking where he is at the finish, that’s for sure.”
Stampalia will also take the reins behind stablemate Ideal Extra, who resumed from a spell with a distant ninth at Northam on December 22, when he jumps from barrier three in The Totes Tarts Pace (2190m).
He says the American Ideal gelding wasn’t suited by the way his first-up race was run and should show improvement following his first start in more than eight months.
“It was a bit hard to gauge because we got pushed from pillar-to-post from the bell,” Stampalia said.
“I didn’t want to get going but we sort of had to make a move due to the pressure on our inside.
“It’d been a long time since he’d raced so that was a good trial, I suppose, but it’s hard to get a gauge on how he went.
“I expect him to have a forward showing tonight.
“From the barrier, I’ll have a little bit of a look and will see if we can get up amongst them.”
Stampalia is somewhat bullish about the each-way prospects of outsider Tartary Hope in the Groundsman Staff Pace (2190m), where the 25-start maiden has drawn barrier one.
He says the Annalise Duschka-trained mare has the pace to hold the lead and give some cheek at big odds.
“I think she’s definitely an each-way chance,” he said.
“She’s got good gate speed so I expect her to hold up unless there’s some real high pressure early, but I think she should lead and run an honest race.
“She’s a very good each-way chance.”
Meanwhile, junior driver Hayden Hancock has faith Perlee Gates can overcome his handicap when he lines up in the Burger Bar Pace (2150m).
He says the Matthew Scott-prepared gelding, who placed third to Triroyale Brigade at Gloucester Park two starts ago, is capable of testing his better-drawn stablemate The Batmobile.
“I’m only being 20 meters behind the front-markers,” Hancock said.
“Definitely the short course makes it difficult, but he’s an honest horse.
“If we can get into the race he’ll be fighting out the finish.”
Hancock is also expecting Sono Abruzzese to perform better than his $41 quote suggests when he jumps from the inside of the back line earlier in the eight-event program.
“I think the rails are definitely his go,” he said.
“Obviously he’ll be following them through today, hopefully, three-back the fence I’d say.
“There’s a bit of pace in the race so I definitely can’t really see him missing the top five.”
