Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive Orlando Blue in preference to stablemate Cooper in the Retravision Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Orlando Blue, a four-year-old trained by Michael Young, will begin from the 10m mark at his first appearance in a stand.
Young is hoping that Orlando Blue will begin safely — and not perform in similar fashion to the gelding’s dam Harriet Elisabeth, who galloped at the start, raced at the rear and finished tenth behind The Parade in the Race For Roses in May 2015 at her only start in a stand.
Hall has driven Cooper to three wins in stands this season, but the Mach Three gelding disappointed last Friday night when he set the pace and faded to sixth behind Himself.
“Cooper can run the times, but he doesn’t like mental pressure,” said Hall. “It is an interesting race and I think that one of the 10m runners will win.”
Among the 10m runners is Firerockfireroll, who will be driven by Kyle Symington, who drove the five-year-old for the first time last Friday night when he was ninth at the 600m before surging home to finish second to Himself.
Orlando Blue contested a 2536m mobile event last Friday night when having his second start after a spell. He made an unsuccessful bid for the early lead and then enjoyed a good passage in the one-out, one-back position before running home strongly to win by a short half-head from the pacemaker The Kraken.
Young will have two runners in the opening event, the 2130m Retravision.com.au Pace, Beat City (barrier two) and Moonlite Drive (the only runner on the back line). Hall has been the regular driver of Beat City, but he has chosen to handle the polemarker Master Publisher, with Maddison Brown being engaged for Beat City and Kyle Symington for Moonlite Drive.
“This wasn’t an easy decision,” said Hall. “But last time Master Publisher led (from barrier one) he won pretty comfortably (beating Withoutthetuh by two and a half lengths). So, I’ll be keen to lead again this week.”
Hall will team with Young when he handles brilliant mare Eighteen Carat in the RAC Members Save Every Day at Retravision Pace. Eighteen Carat, who has won at eight of her past 14 starts, has been narrowly beaten into second place at her past two appearances. But she drops in class this week and should prove to be a star bet on the 11-event program.
Eighteen Carat has the class to overcome her wide draw at barrier No. 8. “If she doesn’t get to the lead, she will be in the breeze where I should be able to rate her to suit,” said Hall.
Hall is also confident that Prince Of Pleasure, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will win the 2536m Retravision For All the Electrical Stuff You Love Free-For-All. Prince Of Pleasure, a winner at eight of his 17 starts, is favourably drawn at barrier two.
“He went super last start (when sixth behind Magnificent Storm last Friday night) and we will be trying to lead, and I’d like to think he can win,” he said.
Hall trains Armed Reactor and he is hoping for an improved performance from the enigmatic seven-year-old who will start from the back line in the 2130m Retravision Online Pace.
Armed Reactor has raced only 21 times for five wins. He raced wide early and then in the breeze before fading to eighth behind Sugar Street last Friday week.
“He just pulled too hard,” said Hall. “The more work you put in, the harder he pulls in his races. So, I’ve reduced his workload, and I’ll know this week whether that has worked or not. He will either go better or worse. I think he can play his part.”