Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star driver Deni Roberts had no hesitation in choosing to handle veteran pacer Mighty Conqueror ahead of in-form stablemates Jett Star and Street Hawk in the $31,000 Westside Auto Fixed Price Servicing Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And she firmly believes that the nine-year-old Mighty Conqueror, owned and trained by Greg and Skye Bond, can overcome the outside barrier in the field of eight and the task of winning at his first appearance for twelve months.
“I’m looking forward to driving Mighty Conqueror very much so,” she said. “I chose to drive him because he’s a Cup winner, and though he’s first-up he is forward enough, without needing the run.
“He is on the comeback trail after recovering from a leg injury. It’s not the strongest Free-For-All, and it’s a winnable race, provided he gets the right run. His recent work at home has been good. We gave Mighty Conqueror a soft trial in a stand at Pinjarra a few weeks ago (over 2116m on June 12).
Mighty Conqueror raced in last position in the field of seven in the trial which was run in Indian file for most of the way. Mighty Conqueror ran home solidly to finish second, six lengths behind Codename Marcus, with the final 400m being run in 27.8sec.
Jett Star, a Gloucester Park winner for Roberts at three of his past five starts, will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green from barrier six. Stuart McDonald will handle Street Hawk, who will begin from the No. 6 barrier. Street Hawk has won at three of his past five starts when driven by Roberts.
Mighty Conqueror will be having his first start since he began from the No. 1 barrier and led all the way to beat stablemate Patronus Star at a 1.54.5 rate over 1730m at Gloucester Park on June 30 last year. That followed seconds to Magnificent Storm and Shockwave over 2536m at his two previous outings.
The New Zealand-bred Mighty Conqueror has earned $691,653 from 22 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts. He showed his class when he won the Four-Year-Old Championship in November 2018 and then finished a nose second to stablemate Ana Malak in the Golden Nugget the following month. And he went on to win the 2019 Easter Cup and the WA Pacing Cup in January 2020 before finishing third to Vultan Tin and Chicago Bull in the WA Pacing Cup in December 2020.
Jett Star and Street Hawk are both capable of stout-hearted efforts on Friday night. Jett Star had a tough run in the breeze before taking a narrow lead 550m from home and fighting on to finish a close-up fourth behind The Code Breaker over 2536m last Friday night. He finished strongly a week earlier to win from Rolling Fire and Magnus Victor.
Street Hawk began from 20m and was last in the middle stages before sustaining a spirited burst to get up and snatch victory from Lucapelo over 2503m last Friday night.
Five-year-old The Miki Taker, a winner at 14 of his 42 starts, is in splendid form and he advances in class in this week’s event, in which he will start from barrier five.
“He goes up to Free-For-All company but should go good,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo. The Miki Taker was an impressive all-the-way winner over Lusaka and Rolling Fire two starts ago and then raced three wide for much of the way when a close second to Lil Happy Fella over 2130m last Friday week.
Trainer Ryan Bell is looking for a strong effort from Hillview Bondi, who will begin from the coveted No. 1 barrier and will be driven by Trent Wheeler.
“We will be doing our best to hold up and lead,” said Bell. “The Code Breaker won a Free-For-All (last Friday), so I can’t see why Hillview Bondi can’t.
Chris Lewis is also expected to make a bold bid to dash straight to the front from the No. 2 barrier with Hampton Banner, who was first out from barrier two and set a brisk pace before wilting to finish fifth behind Wildwest over 2130m last Friday week.
“His off-side sulky tyre was punctured 250m from home, and that contributed to his failure,” said Lewis.