Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New Zealand-bred colt Lusaka will take his first steps in a campaign aimed at the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3 when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $21,000 Bookings@Allwoodstud.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Sweet Lou colt, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will be driven by Deni Roberts, who is certain to use his sparkling gate speed in a bid for an all-the-way success.
Lusaka, a winner at his only New Zealand appearance, has won at seven of his ten West Australian starts. He has set the pace in all of his WA victories.
He is the youngest and least experienced runner in Friday night’s race in which his major dangers appear to be four-year-olds Lucca and High Price. Lucca, trained and driven by Bill Hayes, has wonderful potential and is sure to improve considerably on his record of 12 starts for five wins and six placings.
Lucca had a tough run without cover when a splendid neck second to Acharne Girl over 2130m last Friday night. He again looks likely to have a hard run, having drawn the outside barrier (No. 9) in the field of ten. High Price led before wilting to finish second to his three-year-old stablemate Im The Black Flash over 2130m last Friday night.
Acharne Girl has bright prospects of notching another win when she begins from barrier five in the 2130m Allwood Stud For All Your Breeding Requirements Pace. She resumed after a two-month absence in fine style last Friday night when she raced in fifth place, three back on the pegs, before getting clear 300m from home and finishing strongly to beat Lucca by a neck.
The Ryan Bell-trained The Code Breaker drops significantly in class when he runs in the 2130m Fly Like An Eagle Pace. He has been racing against pacers of the class of Tenzing Bromac, Mighty Ronaldo, Prince Of Pleasure, Patronus Star, Steel The Show and Finvarra, and should appreciate competing against weaker opposition.
“This is a winnable race,” said Bell. “The Code Breaker drops massively in grade. He has had a freshen up and we’re stoked with the way he is working, probably as good as he has ever worked for us. It’s a tricky draw (barrier five) with a bit of speed underneath him.”
The Code Breaker’s most serious opposition is expected to come from smart frontrunning five-year-old Rascal (barrier two) and Musztang (barrier eight), who did a good job to finish second to Kimble last Friday week after working hard without cover. He was a strong-finishing winner over Lamandier and Major Freeway a week earlier.