Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented colt Skylord has recovered from an illness and will make his first appearance for eleven weeks when he contests the 2130m Follow @Gloucester Park On Twitter Pace for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He showed that he was set for a bright career in the final two weeks of September when he was placed behind outstanding gelding Never Ending in group 1 feature events.
He raced three wide for much of the first lap and then raced in the breeze when third to Never Ending in the Westbred Classic for colts and geldings, and then he finished strongly from eighth at the bell to be second in the Golden Slipper.
Part-owner and trainer-driver Jocelyn Young is looking forward to Skylord’s return to racing after the colt was laid low by a sickness.
“The week before the Golden Slipper he escaped from his yard in the middle of the night,” Young explained. “When I got home that Friday night I discovered that he was out in a paddock with the mares. It was a wintry night, and he was all wet and sweaty.
“He managed to run in the Golden Slipper and then I had to give him time to recover from his illness. Obviously Hez All The Rage will be hard to beat. He has the advantage of race fitness, and he has drawn inside of Skylord.
“I’m not going to gut Skylord first-up, but he is talented enough to have a show. He has been working with Valentines Brook, and he went good at Pinjarra on Monday (when at his first appearance for seven months he ran on from last to finish a half-head second to Wait For The Bell).”
Skylord, who has won twice from six starts, will begin from the No. 6 barrier, with Hez All The Rage at barrier five.
Hez All The Rage, who will be driven by Chris Lewis for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, had a tough run in the breeze when a last-start third behind Bronzed over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Saturday week. He revealed excellent gate speed to lead and win over 2185m and 1684m (rating 1.55.1) at Pinjarra at his two previous outings.
“The breeze probably was a bit hard for him, but he is a nice horse on the way up,” said a confident Lewis.
Benger owner-trainer David Pyburne will be looking for a strong showing from Skippin Class when the Bling It On gelding makes his first city appearance. He will start from barrier three and will be driven by Trent Wheeler, who was in the sulky when he won at his past two starts — over 2100m at Bunbury and 2185m at Pinjarra.
Bronzed (barrier four) has won at two of his past four starts, and fillies Torrevean Pinky (barrier seven) and Cabsav (eight) are racing keenly and will have admirers.
Deni Roberts has opted to drive Bronzed in preference to the Sam Torre-trained Torrevean Pinky, who flew home from the rear to snatch victory over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week. Chris Voak has been engaged to drive Torrevean Pinky.
The Mike Reed-trained Cabsav has been a consistent performer and she caught the eye last Friday night when she was last in the field of seven at the bell to burst to the front 500m from home before finishing second to the promising filly Fly To Fame.