New Addition For Oliveri
Top harness trainer Ross Olivieri only has one runner engaged at this evening’s Gloucester Park meeting, however, he’s bullish about his chances in the Direct Trades Supply Pace (2130m).
It’s of no real surprise that the multiple Group 1-winning horseman’s new stable addition Just Wing It, a five-year-old gelding imported from New Zealand, gets him excited as he is the half-relation to Olivieri’s former good pacer, Our Blackbird.
Whilst Olivieri didn’t get hold of Our Blackbird until the twilight of his career, the Bettors Delight gelding qualified for the 2015 Inter Dominion in his care and finished fifth to champion Lennytheshark in the iconic $1.3 million Group 1 feature.
Speaking to TABradio’s One-Out One-Back program on Tuesday, Olivieri says Just Wing It looks nothing like his older half-brother but shares some of his natural ability.
“He’s a completely different type of horse,” he said.
“Our Black Bird was a Bettors Delight and a little horse, this horse is an Art Major and quite a big lump of a horse.
“He’s got a really big engine though and whatever he does tonight he should improve on.
“I think he should go reasonably close.”
Just Wing It caught the attention of punters when winning a Pinjarra trial stylishly by nine metres on July 5 and, when asked what the gelding has shown him behind the scenes, Olivieri says he hasn’t got to the bottom of him yet.
“We haven’t run massive stopwatch times, it’s more like he’s put together a body of work that’s within his capabilities,” Olivieri said.
“Every time we ask him to go a bit faster, he works exactly the same as he did the time before.
“He’s got such a good ticker, our heart rate monitor is buster and we’re trying to find his manually.
“All this work never gets him to turn a hair so he should go pretty good.”
Meanwhile, recent Group 1-winning reinswoman Maddison Brown also appears to have winning claims at Gloucester Park tonight.
Brown and trainer Peter King both tasted Group 1 glory for the first time when combining with Longreach Bay to take out the Allwood Stud Farm 3YO Colts & Geldings Westbred Classic (2130m) at Gloucester Park on June 19.
The daughter of trainer-driver stalwart Colin Brown says she’s expecting a forward showing from her first drive of the night, Be On Guard, in the Retravision Pace (2130m).
“He’s racing better than his form suggests and they’ve been quite happy with him,” Brown told TABradio.
“He can be a tricky horse sometimes but Ryan’s done a really good job with him this prep.
“I think plan A will definitely be to lead and I definitely think he’s a decent each-way chance.
“He grows a leg in front and we’ve finally got a draw with him.
“He’s been drawing not great and he’s gone back to the stands so, back to the mobile tonight, he can run a cheeky race in front.”
Brown will also partner The Lightning Strike and Millwood Gucci in the Direct Trades Supply Pace (2130m) and Choicies Flooring Fillies & Mares Pace (2130m) respectively and labels the latter as her best chance of the night.
“Lightning Strike should get a good run from the draw and if we can be leader’s back or something like that he’s definitely a place chance,” she said.
“Millwood Gucci went super on Saturday and she actually behaved considering the slow first quarter.
“I was able to get some cover and she finished the race off really strongly so, even though we’ve drawn out wide tonight, I think we’ll have no option but to roll forward with.
“Hopefully we’ll find the top and I think she’ll be hard to beat, but she has her ways.
“As long as she gets underneath me a bit, she should be strong enough to hold them off with the way she’s been going.”
The Christian Cullen five-year-old is renowned as a highly-spirited mare with a tendency to over-race, however, Brown says she’s improving with each run.
“Barry’s gone back to a really soft bit on her and I think she appreciates that a bit,” Brown said.
“She probably just got into bad habits being able to roll forward and do whatever she likes.
“I think on Saturday when I was able to get cover and just sit tight for a little while, she gave up and relaxed a little bit.
“I’m hoping that if I don’t have to bustle her out too hard, she will come back to me, but it didn’t seem to worry her too much when she over-raced last start.
“She was in front all but on the line so I think she’s still a good chance, even if she does over-race a little bit.”
MICHAEL HEATON