Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts was searching for superlatives to describe Jett Star’s performance when charging home with an electrifying burst to finish a close third to Lil Happy Fella and The Miki Taker last Friday night.
“His run was sensational, coming from back in the field and going 1.54,” she enthused when predicting the Greg and Skye Bond-trained New Zealand-bred six-year-old would run a great race in the 2130m Catalanotrucks.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jett Star will start from barrier six and should prove mighty hard to beat when he clashes with star four-year-old Rolling Fire.
Jett Star began from the outside barrier (No. 9) last Friday night and was restrained by Roberts back to last in the field of twelve. He was tenth with 250m to travel before going six wide on the home turn and flying home after dashing over the final quarters in 28.6sec. and 28.26sec.
This outstanding effort followed wins at his two previous outings, when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning from Lil Happy Fella at a 1.55.8 rate over 2130m and then when he set the pace and rated 1.56.4 in beating Magnus Victor over 1730m.
Emily Suvaljko is looking forward to a strong performance from the Justin Prentice-trained Rolling Fire, who will start from out wide at barrier seven.
“I was really happy with him when he went very well and won from Acharne Girl and Lusaka two starts ago, and he went just as good and lost no admiration from me last Friday week when he came home, out wide, in a fast final quarter (27.5sec.) to finish a very close third behind The Miki Taker and Lusaka,” she said.
“Rolling Fire is versatile, and I can drive him just how I want to, and he is good, sat up, and can do a bit of work as well.”
Suvaljko is also looking forward to driving the John Graham-trained Iseeubaby from the No.1 barrier in the final event, the 2130m Join Trotsynd Pace for two-year-old fillies.
“I drove Iseeubaby for his all-the-way win on debut when he ran 1.58.3 (over 1609m at Bunbury) in February,” said Suvaljko. “He was just jogging and ran home in 27.8sec.”
Isseubaby then had one more start, finishing second to Reinette over 1609m at Bunbury early in March before going for a spell. She will clash with trainer Ryan Bell’s outstanding filly Bettagetonpip, trainer Justin Prentice’s highly promising pair of Ruby Lovera and Winter Wonder and trainer Mike Reed’s smart filly Ruby Lou.
Bettagetonpip notched her third win from five starts when Ryan Warwick drove her to an all-the-way victory over Jaxs Ideal over 1730m last Friday night. Warwick is out of town and will be replaced in the sulky by Aiden De Campo.
Bell is confident that Bettagetonpip will complete a hat-trick on Friday night despite the filly starting from the outside barrier in the field of six runners. “She nods off a bit in front, and the wide barrier should not be a major problem,” he said.
Ruby Lovera will be making her debut and will start from barrier three with Gary Hall Jnr in the sulky, while Winter Wonder will be driven by Maddison Brown from the No. 4 barrier at her first appearance for 16 weeks. Winter Wonder has had two starts for an excellent third behind Ruby Lou and Bettagetonpip on debut followed by a strong-finishing fifth behind Copper Head Lady in the $125,000 Sales Classic.
Apart from Jett Star, Roberts has excellent winning prospects with Tualou (race one), Blaze On (race two), Lusaka (race three) and Rattlin Lilly (race nine).
Tualou, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, was a winner as a two-year-old at Alexandra Park in August last year, and he has impressed with two wins and a second at his first three runs in WA. He gave a bold frontrunning display to score an effortless five-length victory over Visiting Hours over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when he was not extended in dashing over the final 400m in 27.9sec.
Blaze On, trained by Bob Mellsop, has won at seven of his 17 starts and will be hard to beat from barrier three in the 1730m 7Plus Pace. “He has good gate speed, and this looks a good race for him,” said Roberts. “Hopefully, he will find the front.”
Blaze On’s chief rivals appear to be the Michael Young-trained Montana D J and trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo’s smart four-year-old Sorridere, a winner at eight of his 26 starts.
The Bond-trained Rattlin Lilly is in sound form and looks a major chance from barrier three in the 2130m Bridge Bar Pace. “Her last start run (fifth behind October Reign last Friday night) was very good,” said Roberts. “This is not a strong race this week, so I aim to be more positive and put her into it to give her a winning chance.”