Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star driver Deni Roberts has driven brilliant pacer Christopher Dance at his four starts in WA for three wins, including an easy victory in the WA Derby last November, and she has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to handle Justcallmemiki, a newcomer to the powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable, in preference to Christopher Dance and Thenu Came Along in the Torque Australia Chandon Four-Year-Old Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“We hold a good hand in this race, and I had the choice of the three horses,” said Roberts. “Justcallmemiki gives me a good feel at home, while Christopher Dance is pretty classy, and Thenu Came Along has a perfect draw at barrier two.”
Stuart McDonald has been engaged to drive Christopher Dance, who will start from the outside barrier in the classy field of five runners. Dylan Egerton-Green will drive Thenu Came Along.
Justcallmemiki will start from the No. 1 barrier at his first Australian appearance and his first outing for 17 weeks — since he finished an inconspicuous eighth in a field of eleven in a 1980m event at Addington on October 25. He raced at the rear and was twelfth and last with 650m to travel before just battling on in the home straight.
His previous appearance was a fortnight earlier, in the group 1 Flying Stakes over 1980m when he was restrained at the start from barrier six before dashing forward three wide to move to the breeze after 600m and then gaining an ideal sit in the one-out, one-back position. But he failed to flatter, wilting to finish last in the field of 13.
Justcallmemiki was a winner four starts ago when he began from the outside of the back line in a field of twelve over 1980m at Addington last September. He settled down in sixth spot before going forward to take up the running after 400m, and then 100m later taking the sit behind stablemate Wish Me Luck. He gained an inside run in the home straight and took the lead 120m from the post before winning by a neck from Wish Me Luck.
It was an encouraging performance as a three-year-old against four-year-old Wish Me Luck, who has a record of 17 starts for six wins, five seconds, two thirds and $101,735 in prizemoney.
Justcallmemiki has raced twelve times for four wins, two thirds and $36,806. Christopher Dance’s record is eleven starts for five wins, four placings and $207,505, while the WA-bred Thenu came Along has had 35 starts for eight wins, 13 placings and $118,668.
The three Bond runners and the Kevin Charles-trained Manhattan Moon will clash with Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell’s talented pacer Waverider, whose four starts this season at Gloucester Park have produced two wins and two seconds. Waverider will be handled by stable driver Kyle Symington.
“If it was a full field, I would say Waverider would go really good,” said Bell. “But it looks much harder in a five-horse race.”
Bell is looking for solid performances from his three-year-old fillies Wicked Lover and Bettagetonpip in the 2130mm Hoist Torque Australia Pace, with the fillies on trial for the $100,000 APG Sales Classic the following Friday night. Wicked Lover will be driven by Kyle Symington from barrier five, and Bettagetonpip will start from the outside in the field of eight with Trent Wheeler in the sulky.
“Wicked Lover is going really well, and she needs to be on pace which means she probably will be in the breeze,” said Bell. “Bettagetonpip (a winner at five of her ten starts) will be having her first start since early September. She will go back at the start, and I hope she will get to the line hard.”
Its Maa Time, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, will begin from barrier four and should take plenty of beating. A winner at three of her five starts, she had no luck at her latest outing when seventh behind Jaxs Ideal last Friday night.
“She copped a lot of pressure and then copped interference in the last lap,” said De Campo. “I wasn’t going to start her this week, but she pulled up a lot better than I thought she would, and she worked very well this morning (Tuesday). Hopefully, she will find the front and not cop so much pressure this week.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand in the race with Twilight Tango (barrier two) and Delulu (barrier seven) engaged. Deni Roberts will handle Delulu, who looks a strong chance after three wins and two third placings from her five starts. Twilight Tango, who will be driven by Tom Nally, has raced seven times for one win when she beat stablemate Belly Up at Gloucester Park last July.