Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Talented young reinsman Kyle Symington is planning positive tactics for Atlantic Gem in a bid to win the opening event, the $21,000 North Coast Fibreglass Neerabup Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She was good at her latest start when she sat in the breeze and finished second to Goodtime Louis at Bunbury last Saturday night, and at her previous start she was held up and didn’t get a crack at them when tenth at Gloucester Park,” said Symington.
“So, this week she will be driven positively by going forward (from barrier three) at the start.”
Atlantic Gem, trained by Ryan Bell, has won at only three of her 13 starts, but she has a touch of class as she revealed when she surged home from the rear to finish second to Madam Publisher in the group 1 WA Oaks early in October.
One of Atlantic Gem’s toughest rivals is likely to be Xceptional Arma, who has been a star for Colin Brown’s Banjup stable, amassing $329,198 in prizemoney from 13 wins and 14 placings from 39 starts.
Xceptional Arma will be driven by Maddison Brown and will start from the outside barrier in the field of nine but has the class to overcome this disadvantage. Xceptional Arma also began from barrier nine when she was last in the field of twelve in the middle stages before finishing powerfully to be third behind the pacemaker Nase Vira over 2130m last Friday week.
Colin Brown holds a strong hand in Friday night’s event in which he will also be represented with Coopers Ideal and Relatively Arma.
Coopers Ideal, to be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 2 barrier, impressed when she raced without cover before fishing strongly to win by three and a half lengths from Amaretto Angel over 2130m on Tuesday of last week.
Relatively Arma, to be driven by Trent Wheeler from the No. 4 barrier, has proved her worth with five wins and nine placings from 35 starts.
Nase Vira, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will have admirers when she starts from barrier five. Nase Vira gave a bold frontrunning display last Friday week when she won by almost six lengths from Heartofahlia to improve her record to 18 starts for five wins and four placings.
Symington is also looking for a strong performance from the Bell-trained Whataretheodds, who will start from barrier six in the Vale Peter Gannon Pace over 2130m.
“If there’s speed on, Whataretheodds will be storming home,” said Symington. Whataretheodds sustained a spirited three-wide burst from sixth in the middle stages to finish a sound fourth behind Golden Lode last Friday night.
Whataretheodds is likely to receive the stiffest opposition from Lamandier, Ragazzo Mach and Star Casino.
Lamandier, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr, is racing keenly and is sure to enjoy starting from the No. 1 barrier, with his trainer Michael Young saying: “We are hoping to lead and are a good chance.”
The New Zealand-bred Ragazzo Mach made an excellent return to racing after a 22-month absence when he trailed the pacemaker Jawsoflincoln and finished solidly to be second to that pacer over 2130m last Friday week.
“I think that first-up run will do him the world of good,” said Ragazzo Mach’s trainer Mike Reed. “He will definitely improve on that run.
Ragazzo Mach is the solitary runner on the back line, with Reed saying: “I’ll leave the tactics up to Shannon (Suvaljko), but I’d say he will come off (the pegs) just to be safe. He’s a good chance.”
Reed also has sound prospects with Montana Glory, who will be driven by Suvaljko from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Lori Ki Pace. “Hopefully she will find the front,” said Reed. “Her work has been good, and she will come out blazing.”
Peaceful is sure to prove hard to beat, despite starting from the outside in the field of nine. The Jocelyn Young trained mare had a very tough run when she worked in the breeze before wilting to finish eighth behind Aardiebytheseaside in the group 1 Mares Classic over 2536m last Friday night.