by Ken Casellas
Ravenswood horseman Nathan Turvey, fresh from a training double on Tuesday night with Anna Faye and Robert The Bruce, has six runners at Gloucester Park on Friday night and all have each-way prospects.
Looking for value, Turvey suggests Chevrons Champion as his stable’s best chance. He will drive the four-year-old mare from a wide barrier (eight) in the 2536m In Memory of Ray Sweetman Pace.
Chevrons Champion has a losing sequence of 14, but she looks a sound each-way prospect in a race in which not one of the 12 runners has been successful in their past seven starts.
Chevrons Champion is the youngest runner and only mare in the race. At her latest outing, at Gloucester Park last Friday night, she started at $79.50, raced five back on the pegs and finished 11th behind Donegal Rundlescreek. At her previous start, at Northam ten nights earlier, Chevrons Champion led from barrier two and finished a close second to Auctioneers Elsu over 2190m when a $2.40 favourite.
“She felt good last week, but didn’t get a run,” Turvey said. “Friday night’s field is pretty even and driven cold if things go her way, she can win.”
Turvey’s other runners on Friday night are last-start all-the-way winner Dana Duke, Hidden Bad (working well), the consistent Livura, trotter Springfield Hugh and three-year-old Blazing Saddles.
He gives Springfield Hugh (whose four starts after a spell have produced two wins and two thirds) a good chance, citing Lord Liam and Lightning Calder as the chief dangers.
Turvey has engaged star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr to drive Blazing Saddles, the pole marker in the final event, the In Memory of Jack Simmons Pace and many punters will be looking to finish the night on a successful note, hoping that Blazing Saddles can lead all the way over 2130m.
Hall has sound prospects of starting the program with a win. He will drive The Publisher, aiming for five wins in a row, from barrier seven in the 2536m In Memory of Les Poyser Pace.
“It looks tough from barrier seven,” Hall said. “The longer journey brings him into it. He’ll probably go round somewhere near favourite. But tread warily. I keep knocking The Publisher, but he keeps winning. So, I’m going to keep knocking him. However, he can win, for sure. The small field and the 2536m gives him a chance. If it was a race over 2130m I’d say he was millions.”
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