Former New Zealand pacer Naughty Maravu has been a revelation since arriving in Western Australia and entering the Pinjarra harness racing stables of Michael Brennan.

He has had five starts in this State for four wins and he looks one of the main chances in an evenly-matched field in the $50,000 Del Basso Smallgoods Binshaw final at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Badlands Hanover five-year-old, who will start from barrier five on the front line in the 2130m event, is extremely versatile and reinsman Chris Voak will have the option of revving the gelding up early and making a bid for the lead or restraining for a position and relying on the pacer’s strong finishing burst.

Naughty Maravu impressed at Bunbury on Tuesday of last week when he started from the back line and settled in tenth position before Voak set him alight with a three-wide burst approaching the bell. He sustained the effort and forged to the front 100m from the post and held on to beat the fast-finishing stablemates Our Major Mark and Ima Tragedy.

Our Major Mark (barrier seven) and Ima Tragedy (No. 2 on the back line) will be joined in the final by another pacer from the Forrestdale stables of Greg and Skye Bond in Assassinator, who disappointed at odds-on when he set the pace before fading to third behind Major Catastrophe at Gloucester Park on Friday night of last week.

Major Catastrophe will have many admirers after his last-start stout-hearted effort when he raced wide early and then worked hard in the breeze before winning from Znana on Friday of last week. Chris Alford again will handle the powerful seven-year-old for owner-trainer David Young.

Znana is one of three runners from the Baldivis stables of Nathan Turvey. The gelding will start from the No. 1 barrier with Gavin Lang in the sulky.  Turvey has engaged Gary Hall jun. to drive Machin Out from the No. 2 barrier and he will drive Sonic Classic from the outside of the back line.

Ken Casellas