WA Pacing Cup combination flex muscles

WA Pacing Cup winning trainer-driver combination Justin Prentice and Gary Hall Jnr have combined to take out both colts and geldings heats of the two-year-old Sales Classic at Gloucester Park last night.

The pair teamed up with Sportswriter colt Manning in the first heat, in what turned out to be an intriguing battle over the closing stages between Manning and Team Mascot.

The pair were the clear fancies in the market, with Manning narrowly holding favouritism at $1.75 with TABtouch.

Hall Jnr elected to hand up the lead to Team Mascot in the early stages, which allowed him to settle on the back of the second favourite.

Manning was then able to wear down Team Mascot in the home straight and score by 1.5m.

The colt ran home in 58.1 and rated 1.59.1.

Prentice and Hall Jnr then teamed up in the second colts and geldings heat with another short-price favourite Major Martini.

Unlike Manning, Hall Jnr was intent on finding the lead with Major Martini from barrier six and he did so with ease.

Major Martini was then able to go on and score a comfortable 9.6m victory to Secret Operation.

The Art Major colt kick-started a race-to-race treble for Hall Jnr and Prentice, who took out the Retravision three-year-old Pace (2130m) with Know When To Run and the Westral Pace (2130m) with Courage To Live.

The first of the filly’s heats of the Sales Classic saw an impressive showing by the Ross Olivieri-trained Double Expresso by boom sire Sweet Lou.

Reinsman Chris Lewis slowly worked his way to the front on the first lap and was able to go on and record a comfortable 11.4m win in what was, arguably, the performance of the night.

The second fillies heat was taken out by the Ryan Bell-trained and driven Moon Goddess.

Bell, who won a colts and geldings heat last year with Shockwave, was able to find the lead from barrier seven and then fought on strongly to score by 4.6m.

The finals for both the fillies and colts and geldings Sales Classic take place at Gloucester Park on March 8.

The three-year-old heats of the Sales Classic take place next Tuesday, before the finals on March 15.

Meanwhile, a field of six has been engaged for this Friday’s WA Derby Prelude (2130m).

The in-form Eloquent Mach has drawn barrier one, while multiple Group 1 winner Franco Edward gets his chance to bounce back to his best form from barrier two.

As well as having Eloquent Mach, trainer Gary Hall Snr also has Robbie Easton engaged in the Derby Prelude with Hall Jnr to take the drive.

Tim Walker