Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Astute trainer Mike Reed was full of admiration for Our Shelley Beach’s performance to finish seventh behind Rascal last Friday night, and he is supremely confident that the four-year-old will prove hard to beat in the opening event, the 1730m Bill And Norma Horn Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred Our Shelley Beach will start from barrier two, and star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko will be hellbent on setting a fast pace over the sprint trip.
“I give him a big chance,” said Reed. “I reckon he can lead, and we won’t be handing up.”
Our Shelley Beach, an all-the-way winner over 2185m at Pinjarra four starts ago, was most unlucky last Friday night when he enjoyed a perfect sit, one-out and one-back, before being shuffled back to the rear when the breeze horse Onesmartfella tired badly 700m from home.
“He made up a lot of ground and would have given the leader (Rascal) 60 metres start turning into the back,” said Reed. “He got home very well and finished only a few lengths behind the winner.”
Our Shelley Beach was most impressive at his previous start when he was eighth at the bell before surging home with a spirited burst to finish second to Markham Eyre over 2130m.
With Our Shelley Beach being given the task of setting a fast pace it will test the ability of the lightly-raced four-year-old Tenzing Bromac, who has shone for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond by winning at all of his seven starts in WA, after racing twice in New Zealand for a debut win and a fifth placing.
Tenzing Bromac, to be driven by Ryan Warwick from barrier five, gave a sample of his class in a 2100m event at Bunbury on Wednesday of last week when he set the pace and beat three-year-old Tricky Miki, the winner of the Golden Slipper in June of last year. He sped over the final 400m sections in 27.3sec. and 27.6sec. and rated 1.56.6.
Reed is also optimistic that Cabsav will return to her best form when she contests the Bill Horn James Brennan Award Winner Pace, a 1730m event for two-year-old fillies, in which she will be driven by Suvaljko from the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Cabsav will be having her fifth start in her current preparation, and Reed predicts a strong effort from the filly who won the Group 1 Sales Classic in February.
“It’s a winnable race, and I think she will run a good race as long as there is a bit of speed on,” said Reed. “Her’s was a good run last start and she’s definitely coming back.”
Cabsav was sixth at the bell and she ran home strongly, out four wide, to finish second to Our Lady Jen over 1730m on Tuesday of last week.
One of her toughest rivals is expected to be the Aiden de Campo-trained American Monarch, who is favourably drawn at barrier two. American Monarch notched her fourth placing from six starts when she finished solidly from eighth at the bell to be third behind Zephyra in the Group 1 Diamond Classic over 2130m last Friday week.