Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Prince Of Pleasure ahead of stablemate Finvarra in the 2130m Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall drove Finvarra last Friday night when the five-year-old started from the No. 2 barrier, took the lead after 450m and went on to win easily from Himself at a 1.55.9 rate over 2130m, with Prince Of Pleasure finishing fourth four lengths from the winner after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
This week Prince Of Pleasure will begin from the prized No. 1 barrier, with Finvarra starting from barrier four in the field of five.
Hall, who has driven six-year-old Prince Of Pleasure at eight of his nine WA wins, said: “I’ll drive him because I think he will lead, and Finvarra looks the only danger.” Finvarra will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell holds a powerful hand in the $30,000 Follow @Gloucesterpark On Twitter Pace over 2536m with brilliant pacers Shockwave and Swingband. He has engaged Hall to drive four-year-old Swingband, with Aiden De Campo to handle seven-year-old star Shockwave.
Shockwave will start from barrier No. 3, and Swingband will start from the outside in the field of four. Shockwave has resumed after an injury-enforced absence of 22 months in superb style with two dashing victories over 2130m last month. De Campo drove Swingband when the Alta Christiano gelding set the pace and won by two lengths from The Mustang last Friday week.
“I was really impressed with Swingband’s latest run,” said De Campo. “But Shockwave is definitely the better horse at this stage of their careers.”
Deni Roberts will drive the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Mighty Conqueror, who will start from barrier two. There is strong possibility that she might make use of the veteran pacer’s excellent gate speed in a bid to set the pace.
Mighty Conqueror, a winner of 21 races and $668,853 in prizemoney, reappeared after a spell last Friday week when he trailed the pacemaker Magnificent Storm and finished a well-beaten second to him over 2536m last Friday week when the final quarters were covered in 28.8sec. and 26.6sec.