The 2008 Nagmart Saddley WA Rising Stars Series winner Justin Prentice will take on 2007 New South Wales Rising Stars winner Stacey Towers and 2003 Australasian Young Drivers Champion Gareth Rattray in the $25,000 RWWA Rising Stars Invitation Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prentice clinched the title when he brought Ningaloo with a swamping run to finish 2nd in the North Eastern Derby at Northam last Tuesday night beating Rising Stars leader Morgan Woodley who drove the third placegetter Goldanover.
Prentice finished on 51 points – four clear of Woodley on 47 with Kody Charles in third place with 19 points.
The ten leading local drivers in the Nagmart Saddlery Rising Stars Series will take part in Friday’s race.
Based in Kemps Creek, 23yo Stacey Towers won the 2007 NSW Rising Stars Series.
After piloting favourite Tooth Under Fire to victory in the opening heats at Bathurst, Stacey ran a series of placings including a couple on the 70/1 chances Canonlybeone (Harold Park) and Carver (Newcastle) and then held on to take the title with 57 points despite drawing another 60/1 shot in the final heat of the series.
In taking out the NSW Rising Stars Stacey beat the likes of Cameron Fitzpatrick, Amanda Turnbull and Rickie Alchin who drove in the RWWA Rising Stars Invitation Stakes in Perth last year.
The 22yo Rattray drove in Perth in 2004 as the defending Australasian Champion and he has won the Tasmanian Drivers Premiership in both 2006 and 2007 and holds a 23 winners lead in the 2008 Tasmanian title at the half-way point of the current season.
Gareth has driven more than 270 winners and has won the Tasmanian Leading Junior Driver Award in five of the past six seasons.
Prentice is set to replicate the achievement of Stephen Reed who won the 2007 Nagmart Rising Stars Series and the RWWA Rising Stars Invitation Stakes as he will drive last Friday’s runner-up Redfox Whitby for Bunbury trainer Bryce McIntosh.
Rattray will drive J Cs Starbuck which finished third to Hillview Storm and Same Old Macray yesterday at Pinjarra while Towers will be behind the Neil Lloyd trained Sky City Blue Jean which was runner-up to Flying Nemo at Gloucester Park last Friday.
For more information contact:
Alan Parker
Assistant Manager Harness Racing
Racing and Wagering Western Australia
Ph: 9445 5207
Email: alan.parker@rwwa.com.au
