Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Former South Australian pacer Jawsoflincoln possesses dazzling gate speed, and his clash with wonderful frontrunners Stamford and Rumour Has It should provide plenty of fireworks in the Channel 7 Nights Of Thunder heat one over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jawsoflincoln is trained at Boyanup by Justin Prentice and will be driven by Gary Hall jnr. He is somewhat of a mystery horse at his West Australian debut, not having been produced at trials in this State.
He has not raced since setting a slow early pace (after starting from barrier four) and then sprinting home over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 27.2sec. when he won by 10m from Royal Speech, rating 1.59.4 over 2230m at Globe Derby Park on June 20 last year.
At his previous outing 17 days earlier, he was the fastest to begin from barrier five and he strolled to victory, beating 11-year-old Assassinator by seven lengths, rating 1.55.2 over 2230m, with quarters of 29.8sec., 27.9sec., 28sec. and 28.7sec.
Jawsoflincoln, who has won at 16 of his 36 starts, is not favourably drawn at barrier No. 7. Whether he has the speed to cross to the early lead is problematic, but his task could be made easier if Stamford (barrier one) and Rumour Has It (two) get involved in a fierce battle for the early ascendancy.
Stamford, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, has won at 12 of his 42 starts, with six of those victories coming after leading all the way. He started from the inside of the back line and raced three back on the pegs when a well-beaten third behind Taking The Miki and Lamandier over 2130m last Friday week.
Rumour Has It, trained by Debra Lewis and to be driven by her husband Chris, is in outstanding form and sure to prove extremely hard to beat. She is the only mare in the field after her past five starts have been in events restricted to mares and producing three wins, a second and a fourth placing.
Her half-length second to Three Rumours over 2130m last Friday night was exceptional. She began from barrier five, was sent forward after 450m and then had a tough run in the breeze outside Queeninthecorner before taking the lead with 650m to travel.
A week earlier Rumour Has It started from the No. 1 barrier when she set a slow early pace before final 400m sections of 28.5sec. and 27sec. enabled her to win by a half-head from Three Rumours.