Forrmer Victorian pacer Magnificent Art, who revealed dazzling gate speed to burst straight to the front from barrier six before setting a brisk pace and winning easily from stablemate Scuba Steve at his West Australian debut last Friday nights harness racing meeting at GloucesterPark, will contest a standing-start event for the first time when he starts from barrier three off the front in the Lakes Electrical Distributors Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The five-year-old rated a slick 1.56.2 over 1730m last week and will step up to a 2503m event this week.
But the change from a sprint to middle-distance event and from a mobile to a stand is not a concern for leading trainer Gary Hall sen., who is confident the gelding will maintain his winning form.
Magnificent Art has raced 55 times — all in mobiles — for 12 wins, 11 seconds and two thirds.
"He qualified for a stand at the Byford trials two Sundays ago," Hall said.
"He jumped to the front, led and won by more than a length from Our Jimmy Johnstone, coming home in 28.2sec. and 27.6sec."
Magnificent Art's most serious rival appears to be rejuvenated eight-year-old False Promise, who will start from the 10m mark.
False Promise followed three successive fast-finishing wins over 2503m with a close-up fourth behind Lovers Delight in the Easter Cup, a 2907m stand last Friday night.
The Hall stable has 11 starters on Friday night and the champion trainer said that his best winning prospects were Magnificent Art and John of Arc in the 2130m Gannon's Pacing Colours Pace.
John of Arc will start from barrier four on the front line in a race in which he will clash with four stablemates, Mohegan Sun, The Court Jester, Say It Now and Vapour.
John of Arc started from barrier three, dashed to the front after 250m and was not extended in winning from Mohegan Sun, Notabadexcuse and Vapour in a 2130m event last Friday night to give Hall the first four in the race.
The stable again has bright prospects of landing the quartet.
The number ones are the way to go
Punters hoping to make a good start to the ten-event program at Gloucester Park on Friday night should stick to the polemarker in the first three events, with Relaxed, Black Mr Mach and Ballas Arockstar all having excellent winning prospects.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Relaxed is a noted frontrunner who is capable of matching the early speed of the Neil Lloyd-trained Bhagwan, a speedster who is sure to go forward from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m gloucesterpark.com.au Pace.
Relaxed notched the 11th win of his 86-start career when he took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier to lead all the way and win by two lengths from Hillview Aussie over 2185m at a 1.57.3 rate on Monday afternoon.
Four starts before that Relaxed started from the pole when he led and won by five lengths from Awesome Desire over 2130m at Gloucester Park.
Bhagwan led from barrier two and fought on doggedly when a sound third to Fully Zapped and Raza Sharp Lombo over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
Black Mr Mach makes strong appeal in the 2130m TABtouch Pace in which Colin Brown will be anxious to send the four-year-old to the front from the pole position.
Black Mr Mach, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, led from the No. 1 barrier and won by a length from Racy Lacy over 2130m two starts ago before he began speedily from barrier three and raced in the breeze when a splendid third to Meet George Jetson and John of Arc over 2130m last Friday week.
Black Mr Mach's stablemate Lunar Tide will reappear after an 11-week absence when he starts from the inside of the back line and should enjoy a perfect trip on the pegs.
Lunar Tide, who has won at ten of his 35 starts, impressed with a strong win in a 2150m Byford trial last Sunday week when he led from barrier five and beat Cenosilocophobia by two lengths at a 1.56.6 rate.
Ballas Arockstar, a seasoned veteran of 168 starts has a losing sequence of 15 and has won only once from his past 28 starts, but he is sure to be strongly fancied from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Premier Suzuki Pace.
There is a possibility that Ballas Arockstar could be crossed at the start.
But he would then enjoy an ideal passage behind the pacemaker and he possesses a strong finishing burst.
Kyle Harper will again drive Ballas Arockstar for part-owner and trainer Reg Musgrave.
Smith maintains her great record
Serpentine trainer Stephanie Smith maintained her remarkable record of first-up victories when New Zealand-bred two-year-old Press Release made an auspicious debut with a stylish all-the-way victory in the 1730m Alltools Pace at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
Heavily supported from $3 to favouritism at $1.70, Press Release rated 1.59.5 in defeating Sportsnight by one and a half lengths.
Press Release is a full-brother to the brilliant My Hard Copy, who has amassed $448,522 from 18 wins and 15 placings from 53 starts, with the highlight of his career his dazzling victory over David Hercules in the 2936m WA Pacing Cup in January this year.
Smith now has prepared seven pacers who have won at their first start for her, the others being Bolschevic, Gate Bender, Big Town Drive, Dundee Three, Hugh Victor and The Phantom.
Tuesday night's meeting (in heavy rain) ended with the shock defeat of Swagga in the 2130m Alltools Westbred Pace.
The four-year-old, winner of the Pearl Classic by 11 lengths in June 2013, was having his first start for trainer Kristie Morrone for 16 months and was favourite at 10/1 on.
Swagga burst to the front after 700m and looked a certain winner when he led by just over two lengths with about 90m to travel.
But, despite the urgings of Chris Lewis, he pulled up abruptly in the final stages and was overhauled by 79/1 outsider Constant Whispers, driven by Nathan Turvey for owner-trainer Janice Milentis.
Swagga was beaten by just over a length and he held on to take second place by a head from Over Loaded.
The race was run at a dawdling pace in very heavy conditions, with a very slow lead time of 40.1sec. followed by opening quarters of 34.2sec. and 33.1sec.
The final sections were covered in 30.3sec. and 30.2sec. and the winner rated a slow 2.6.8
Constant Whispers settled in tenth position and sustained a three-wide burst (with cover) for much of the final circuit before being switched four wide on the home turn.
His shock win ended a losing sequence of 26, with his only previous victory being at Kellerberrin 12 months ago.
by Ken Casellas
