Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Outstanding Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler dominated the heats of the Pearl Classic for three-year-olds on Tuesday of last week, and he has chosen to drive Elite Fleet ahead of Paint The Palette and Im Massimo in the $50,000 Team Bond Group 3 final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The three geldings are prepared by astute Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, who has won the Group 3 classic with Gardys Legacy in 2020 and Never Ending in 2023.
Wheeler was successful in the qualifying heats with Paint The Palette and Im Massimo, and finished second to Belly Up with Elite Fleet, who worked hard in the breeze and fought on gamely when the final 400m sections were run in 28.5sec. and 27.4sec.
“All three of Justin’s horses went well in the heats, and he told me yesterday (Monday) that all were going well at home,” said Wheeler, whose decision to handle Elite Fleet was swayed by the fact that the Downbytheseaside gelding had fared best in the random draw and will begin from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Paint The Palette will be driven by Kyle Symington from barrier seven, and Gary Hall Jnr will drive Im Massimo from out wide at barrier eight. The Pearl for three-year-olds has been run only seven times, with Hall winning with Gardys Legacy and Never Ending.
Im Massimo (1.56.4) was the fastest of the three heat winners when he led from the No. 1 barrier and beat Captain Stirling by a half-length after final quarters of 27.9sec. and 28.5sec.
Belly Up, driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was the second fastest of the heat winners when he set the pace and rated 1.56.6, with final sections of 28.5sec. and 27.4sec.
Paint The Palette impressed when he charged home from seventh at the bell and went three wide at the 600m and four wide at the 300m to take the lead at the 100m and win by a neck from the pacemaker Seaside Magic. The final quarters were covered in 28.7sec. and 29.1sec.
Seaside Magic is one of Hopeland trainer Aiden De Campo’s three runners in the final, the others being The Bettor Side and Major Disco. De Campo will handle Seaside Magic from the No. 1 barrier, with Joey Suvaljko engaged for The Bettor Side (barrier four) and Ryan Warwick for Major Disco (barrier five).
“Probably Seaside Magic has the best chance from barrier one,” said De Campo. “I thought he probably should have won his heat (when a neck second to Paint The Palette). He got star gazing in front when that was the first time he had been there for a long time. Hopefully, he will be a bit sharper on Friday night.”
Belly Up has the best record of the twelve finalists, having raced 16 times for six wins, five seconds and one third placing. “Barrier three is an okay draw for him, and he should be forward enough from there,” said Roberts.
The Bond stable has a solid second-string runner in Friday night’s 2130m event in When In Vegas, who will begin from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line, with Stuart McDonald in the sulky. He has raced seven times for three wins and two seconds.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has two runners, Captain Stirling and Captain Paprika, with both pacers starting from the back line. Egerton-Green will drive Captain Stirling, and Maddison Brown has been engaged for Captain Paprika.
Captain Stirling has sound prospects. He has had 16 starts for three wins, seven seconds and two thirds. He began from the No. 9 barrier in a heat when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before fighting on grandly to finish a half-length second to Im Massimo.