Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
While eight-year-old Prince Of Pleasure’s past four victories have been two over 2536m and two over 2130m, the veteran is an outstanding sprinter who looks set to fight out the finish of the $31,000 Team Bond Build A Hanger Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will begin from out wide at barrier seven, with another brilliant sprinter Jawsoflincoln at barrier eight.
The New Zealand-bred Prince Of Pleasure, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Gary Hall Snr, has raced over 1730m at Gloucester Park five times for four wins (with rates of 1.53.5, 1.54.7, 1.53.1 and 1.54.2), as well as a sixth placing. He has also won twice over 1684m at Pinjarra, rating 1.53.3 and 1.52.9.
Jawsoflincoln, to be driven by Trent Wheeler for trainer Justin Prentice, has raced over 1800m at Globe Derby Park eleven times for seven wins and two placings. His four runs over 1730m at Gloucester Park have resulted in a sixth and three wins, including fast-finishing efforts to beat Chal Patch at a 1.53.1 rate in the Nights Of Thunder in January 2024 and his notable triumph at a 1.52.9 rate to beat Captain Ravishing and Jumpingjackmac in the Member Sprint last November.
Prince Of Pleasure began out wide at barrier No. 8 when he surged home, out three wide, from seventh at the bell to finish second to Sugar Apple over 2130m last Friday night. He set the pace from the No. 1 barrier when he won the 2536m Parliamentarians Cup two starts before that.
Jawsoflincoln impressed at his first appearance for 54 days when he started from the outside barrier in a field of eight and was last at the bell before running home fast to finish a close third behind Montana D J and Vegas Strip over 2536m last Friday week.
“He likes the mile, and it looks tough from barrier nine,” said Wheeler. “But if he gets home as good as he did last start, he will be there again this week.”
An important runner in Friday night’s race will be eight-year-old Longreach Bay, who will start from the No. 6 barrier. He possesses dazzling gate speed and is a smart frontrunner who has won at seven of his past twelve starts over distances between 2130m and 2536m.
Longreach Bay, to be driven by Joey Suvaljko for trainer Peter King, set the pace before fading to finish a well-beaten sixth behind Gee Heza Sport in the 2662m Narrogin Cup last Saturday night. It is also worth noting that he has contested ten 1730m events at Gloucester Park without finishing in the top four in any of those races.
In significant driving engagements on Friday night Shannon Suvaljko has chosen to drive the Mike Reed-trained Bettors Pride ahead of stablemates Lion Queen (Chris Lewis) and Dark Eyes (Kyle Symington) in the Remembering Josh Dunn Pace over 2130m; and Trent Wheeler has opted to handle the Peter Anderson-trained Pushbutton Rock (barrier six) ahead of the Hayden Reeves-trained Recover Lover (inside of the back line) in the Gee Heza Sport Team Bond Pace over 2130m.
“Lion Queen is flying, but Bettors Pride has the advantage of drawing inside of her,” said Suvaljko. “Bettors Pride has good gate speed, and you can drive him a few different ways. He will be hard to beat.”
Deni Roberts had no hesitation in declaring Gee Heza Sport as her best winning chance on the night. He will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the $27,000 Smartee Spoilt The Party Pace over 2536m.
“He’s my little favourite who has a tough gate,” she said. “But it’s a long trip and he’s pretty versatile. He was a class above them when he raced in the breeze and won the Narrogin Cup last Saturday.”