Johnny Disco will take catching

Five-year-old Johnny Disco warmed up for the $22,000 Direct Trades Supply Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night in impressive style with a spirited harness racing performance at pacing headquarters on Tuesday evening.

The nippy Jeremes Jet gelding, trained at Pinjarra by Ross Ashby, has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier and looks set to jump straight to the front for Morgan Woodley. He relishes the pacemaking role and will take plenty of catching.

Johnny Disco began speedily from the outside barrier (No. 8) on Tuesday night and surged forward, out wide, in a bid for the early lead. However, Woodley quickly realised that neither the lead nor the breeze was an option and he restrained Johnny Disco back to last. Johnny Disco then caught the eye by finishing boldly to be a close-up fifth behind dead-heaters Tisadream and Walkinshaw. The final quarters (off the front) whizzed by in 28.1sec. and 27.5sec.

Johnny Disco, a winner at 14 of his 46 starts, is also a capable sit-sprinter. But he is sure to be seen in a frontrunning role on Friday night when he will be tested by strong, in-form pacers in El Hombre (outside of the front line) and Char Do Neigh, the solitary runner off the back line.

El Hombre is trained by Ross Olivieri, fresh from trebles at Gloucester Park last Friday night and Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. He will be driven by Mitch Miller, whose junior claim has enabled the M4-classified pacer to contest an event restricted to M1 to M3-class performers.

El Hombre drops in class after thirds behind Motu Premier and Mach Time and a victory over Soho Chelsea at his past three outings. There is a strong possibility that El Hombre will make a forward move in the early stages and move to the breeze in an attempt to put pressure on Johnny Disco.

Char Do Neigh will be driven by Ryan Warwick for leading trainer Skye Bond and the eight-year-old is poised to record another victory after excellent seconds to Fifth Edition and Our Zak Whitby at two of his past three starts.

Our Zak Whitby, trained by Ed Dewar, maintained his splendid form with an easy all-the-way victory over 2130m last Friday night. Reinsman Chris Lewis said that it would be a different story this week from the wide barrier at No. 8, but he expected the four-year-old to be running home strongly into the placings.

Ken Casellas