This Friday night Gloucester Park is set to get into the festive spirit with a cracker race line-up that includes the $35 000 Retravision Christmas Gift Final (2130m).
It will be a tense and exciting affair as an elite field of pacing champions are set to start including the Pat Keating-trained Lombo Crusader and The Cavalier. These two popular runners will both have a lot of work to do to secure the title, however, after drawing poorly with barriers nine and eight respectively. Despite the wide draw, Lombo Crusader is still expected to start as the odds-on favourite after his impressive heat win.
Top trainer Gary Hall is looking for victory with one of three entered horses after failing to place last year with four runners. But Hall has a stellar record in the Christmas Gift having won with Nixons Creed (1993), Satineeze (1997), Alioop (2204) and McRaes Mate (2007). If he take it out again on Friday night he will become the most successful trainer in the Christmas Gift’s 47-year history.
This year Hall will be represented by Hussy Hoffa (br.4), Mattnamaras Band (br.6) and Tai Tara (br.12). Of the three, five-year-old Hussy Hoffa to be driven by Kim Prentice looks his strongest chance after pulling up best in the barrier draw.
Another runner to watch is the in-form and super consistent Our Gent who has also drawn well with barrier two.
The Retravision Christmas Gift Final is scheduled as race seven on the night’s bumper 10 race programme and will start at 8:47pm (WA time).
2009 Christmas Gift Pace Final Field & Barrier Draw:
# |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
Other Eng. |
| 1 | 21021 |
ISLAND REEF (NZ) |
R M Jose | Morgan Woodley | C6 M1 | - |
| 2 | 12122 |
OR GENT |
I K Davie | Kyle Condipodero | C5 M1 | - |
| 3 | 64s94 |
ZERO FIVE |
S M McLennan | Justin Prentice | C5 M1 | - |
| 4 | 61331 |
HUSSY HOFFA (NZ) |
G E Hall Snr. | Kim Prentice | C8 M2 | - |
| 5 | 93553 |
CONTE CENTOVALLI (NZ) |
R J Mellsop | Bob Mellsop | C10 M2 | - |
| 6 | 30442 |
MATTNAMARAS BAND (NZ) |
G E Hall Snr. | Shayne Cramp | C6 M2 | - |
| 7 | 12734 |
HURRICANE ANVIL (NZ) |
M G Reed | Callan Suvaljko | C7 M1 | - |
| 8 | s1224 |
THE CAVALIER (NZ) |
R J Huston | Shannon Suvaljko | C8 M3 | - |
| 9 | 63011 |
LOMBO CRUSADER |
P M Keating | Brad Stampalia | C7 M2 | - |
| Second Row: | ||||||
| 10 | 41212 |
SCHINZIG BULLEr |
R P Bell | Ryan Bell | C8 M2 | - |
| 11 | 98363 |
FRANCO TINMAN (NZ) |
D M Padberg | Chris Lewis | C8 M1 | - |
| 12 | 01113 |
TAI TARA (NZ) |
G E Hall Snr. | Gary Hall Jnr. | C8 M2 | - |
| 13 | 48525 |
VILLAGE STEEL (EM.1) |
C W Joss | Vance Stampalia | C9 M3 | Gloucester Park 18/12/09 |
| 14 | 45435 |
SMOOTH SHIFT (EM.1) |
G E Hall Snr. | - | C8 M3 | Gloucester Park 18/12/09 |