Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Last-start winner Penny Black is a warm favourite for the $50,000 Lombardo Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but the brilliant six-year-old Wonderful To Fly gets a good chance to notch her 32ND win when she begins out wide at barrier seven in the field of eight.
This group 3 event is over 2536m, and Wonderful To Fly has the ability to break through after having finished second at her past four appearances over this distance, behind Simply Shaz in the Empress Stakes in March 2023, behind Simply Shaz in the Mares Classic in November 2023, behind Tricky Miki in the Golden Nugget in December 2023, and beaten a neck by Aardiebytheseaside in the Mares Classic last November.
Trainer-reinsman Shane Young has freshened up Wonderful To Fly after her latest outing, when she raced three back on the pegs and finished fourth behind Steno, Peaceful and Water Lou in a 1730m group 3 feature for mares four weeks ago.
Penny Black, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Michael Young, will begin from the No. 5 barrier, with Hall saying: “I think she is the best mare in the race, but the best horse doesn’t always win.
“However, she has a good chance from an awkward draw, and the 2536m should suit her. She led and won over that journey two weeks ago.”
That win, when she beat Rockandrollartist and Montana Glory, came after a two-month break from racing. This was the New Zealand-bred Penny Black’s eighth win from 14 starts in WA.
Young and Hall are hoping for a change of luck after smart mare Nevermindthechaos had finished third behind The Amber Hare in the 2023 Lombardo Pace, and third behind Nullarbor Navajo and Cyclone Charlotte in last year’s event.
Hall set the pace when the Justin Prentice-trained Platinum Sparkle was successful in the 2022 Lombardo Pace.
Jocelyn Young, who trained and drove The Amber Hare for her all-the-way win two years ago, has two runners in this week’s event, Peaceful from barrier three and Castella Dellacqua from barrier two. She will handle Peaceful, and Maddison Brown will drive Castella Dellacqua.
Peaceful is in sound form and has finished second twice from her past four starts. She raced in the breeze when second to Montana Glory, and she trailed the pacemaker Steno when second to her brilliant stablemate.
Eight-year-old Nullarbor Navajo, the oldest runner in Friday night’s event, will be driven by her trainer Corey Peterson. She is a consistent performer whose most recent success was when Stuart McDonald drove her for Peterson when she led from the No. 1 barrier and won the Lombardo Pace by three lengths 12 months ago.
Lightly-raced six-year-old Alta Allure, driven by Chris Lewis, has struck a purple patch for owner-trainer Annie Belton, racing with a sit before finishing strongly to win at her past two runs at Gloucester Park. From the prized No. 1 barrier Alta Allure should enjoy a favourable trip.