Shockwave ready for showdown

The long-awaited first clash between rising star Shockwave and millionaire superstar Chicago Bull will be the highlight of the ten-event program at Gloucester Park on Friday night when they lock horns in the $20,000 Perth Plasterboard Centre Memorial Day Stakes.

Four-year-old Shockwave, the youngest runner in the field of 12, will start from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line and is ready to meet the challenge full on after superb victories at each of his past four starts.

However, the Ryan Bell-trained stallion will need to be at his best to topple Chicago Bull, who is awkwardly drawn out wide at barrier seven on the front line.

Chicago Bull was produced in splendid condition for his first-up appearance after a ten-month absence when he won at a 1.54 rate over 2130m last Friday night. He settled down 40m behind the pacemaker Talktomeurmattjesty, was eased off the pegs at the 1050m mark and got to the front on the home turn before fighting on determinedly to beat the fast-finishing El Jacko by a head.

Seven-year-old Chicago Bull, the winner at 44 of his 67 starts, is sure to have derived great benefit from that effort and he has bright prospects of notching another victory in this 2536m event against some solid opposition, including Shockwave, Our Jimmy Johnstone, Im Full of Excuses, As Happy As Larry, Golden State and other smart performers.

Our Jimmy Johnstone’s prospects cannot be overlooked from the coveted No. 1 barrier. His recent form over 2536m has been excellent. The 11-year-old to be driven by Bailey McDonough for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, started from the outside barrier and sustained a strong burst from sixth at the bell to win by a neck from stablemate Mighty Santana and Golden State over 2536m last Friday night.

A week earlier, over 1730m, he raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, before finishing strongly, out four wide, to be a head second to Shockwave. He finished powerfully when second to Vampiro over 2536m two starts before that.

Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr is looking for Chicago Bull to give him and his reinsman son Gary a third success in the Memorial Day Stakes, after victories with John of Arc in 2015 and Whozideawasthis in 2018. Hall snr also prepared Memorial Day Stakes placegetters Zakara, Bengeeman, Dartmoor, Talk To Me Courage and Sanjaya.

Morgan Woodley (Argyle Red) and Aldo Cortopassi (Mighty Flying Deal) will be driving outsiders after each having won the event multiple times — with Woodley scoring with Mysta Magical Mach in 2009 and Tsunami Lombo, an 8/1 chance who beat Has The Answers and 10/1 on favourite Ima Spicey Lombo in 2011, and Cortopassi winning with 11/1 chance Just Jasper, who got up in the final stride to defeat 3/1 on favourite Scruffy Murphy in 2008, and scoring with Hokonui Ben in 2014 and Heez On Fire in 2017.

Chris Voak will be driving Im Full of Excuses, a recent Bunbury winner and city placegetter behind Handsandwheels and Vampiro for trainer Ross Olivieri, who prepared Memorial Day Stakes winners Captain Lee in 1995 and Tsunami Lombo in 2011.

 

Ken Casellas