Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell has promising five-year-old Whataretheodds ready to produce a strong first-up effort when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in race one, the $21,000 Barbagallo Leaders In Motoring Excellence Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Whataretheodds, a winner at eight of his 27 starts, warmed up for his first appearance for three months with a smart trial win over 2150m in a field of four at Byford on Sunday morning when he was driven by Lachlan Kennedy and defeated Ragazzo Mach by a metre, rating 1.58.7, with final quarters of 28.6sec., 29.8sec. and 28.4sec.
Whataretheodds raced in the breeze early before sitting three back on the pegs and then going to the front about 400m from home and fighting on to beat Ragazzo Mach.
“I watched the trial, and he went pretty good,” said Symington, who will be in the sulky in Friday night’s race. “This is only a mile (1730m) so, hopefully, he will hold up and lead.”
Also resuming after a spell, and having his first start for trainer Gary Hall Jnr, is the New Zealand-bred Ventura, who has shown considerable promise with nine wins and seven placings from 27 starts.
“I have been training Ventura for five weeks, and he has been working well,” said Hall. Star driver Deni Roberts looks set for a successful night when her best winning prospects look to be Gee Heza Sport in the 2536m Barbagallo Ferrari Pace and Christopher Dance in the 2536m Barbagallo Rolls-Royce Pace.
The New Zealand-bred Gee Heza Sport was most impressive for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond at his second Australian start when he began from 20m and broke a 26-month drought and a losing sequence of 30 in a 2631m stand at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.
He set a track record when he rated 1.55.6 after dashing over the final four quarters in 29.2sec., 28.1sec., 28.3sec. and 27.7sec. and beating Caliente by almost seven lengths.
“I have a lot of time for him, and his win at Pinjarra was sensational,” said Roberts. “The quicker they go, the better it is for him. I think we will try to set a good speed.”