Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
An excellent trial at Byford last Saturday was a strong pointer that Chasing Hill would make a successful return to racing after a spell by winning the opening event, the $21,000 HTA Taking You To New Heights Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Six-year-old Chasing Hill is trained by Michael Young and will be driven by Emily Suvaljko, who is looking after Young’s team of pacers while he is away in Brisbane as a member of the Gloucester Gurus slot group which will be represented by star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr at the Ultimate Driver Championship at Albion Park on Friday and Saturday nights this week.
Chasing Hill, who has not raced since early last September, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six, with Young saying: “He’s tough, so he will go forward. His strength is his asset. I think he is back to the form two preps ago when he ran second in the Albany Cup.”
Chasing Hill was driven by Hall in Saturday’s 2150m trial when he took the lead after 100m and set the pace. Stablemate Montana D J was driven by Suvaljko and he trailed Chasing Hill until he took the lead with 250m to travel and won by 4m from Chasing Hill. Neither pacer was extended in the home straight. The final quarters were run in 28.7sec. and 27.4sec.
Suvaljko will also drive Ideal Tomado (race two), Montana D J (race three) and Penny Black (race four) for Young. Ideal Tomado, who is working in good style, faces a stern test from the outside barrier in the field of nine in the 2130m HTA Reaching For The Top Pace, but Montana D J and Penny Black are expected to prove hard to beat.
Montana D J has not raced since last July, but he has the ability to overcome starting from the outside of the back line in the Happy Birthday Matthew Needham Pace over 2130m.
“Montana D J won the trial with the plugs in,” said Young. “We will be following out the gate speed, I reckon, so we will get through nicely and be hard to beat. He is coming back from injury. He is a nice horse, and I don’t think he has lost any of his ability.”
Young said that the plan for Penny Black, who is favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier in the 2536m Hoist Solutions Pace at her first appearance since finishing second to Steno in the group 3 Christmas Belles on December 20, would be to set the pace.
“If the plan to lead doesn’t unfold, then it will be breeze and win,” said Young.
My Ultimate Chevron, a winner at Northam for Young three starts ago, has been sold and will be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell in this event in which he will start from barrier five.
“If he brings his Michael Young form for us in a week, he can run top three,” said Bell.
Rockandrollartist, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, and is capable of a strong showing. “He is flying and barrier eleven is not bad for him,” said De Campo. “He just needs a little bit of luck.”