Fonzarelli should make it happy days for trainer Donna Riordan with an overdue win in the third race for maiden gallopers at Northam this Thursday.
It’s time for punters to say, “Hey, hey it’s the Fonz,” because the galloper has been placed in six of his 10 starts without saluting the judge as the winner. Four of those have been as runner-up.
Jarrad Noske takes the ride again on the Bletchley Park 4yo and he was the pilot in April when the gelding finished second at his last two runs of that preparation.
Fonzarelli was held by three lengths by Anshan (Hayley Diener), in a 1000m maiden at Pinjarra on April 25, but 10 days earlier, over the same distance and track, had run Palmdale (William Pike) to a neck.
Riordan also saddles up Easi Cummins (Noske) in the last race while her other listed runner, Two White Feet, has been scratched from the same race.
Two White Feet broke her maiden status at her last run at Northam with a 1.3 length victory over Dark Az, on June 21, after being 10th on the turn whereas stable mate Easi Cummins finished in that position behind Gavin’s Road at Belmont on June 27.
However, the winner may come from the stable of another female trainer with Jayne Busslinger’s grey gelding, Ghost Trader, being hard to beat.
The Trade Fair 4yo was a first start winner on March 28, at Bunbury, and since resuming has finished fourth to Grey Jabiru before a 10th last start behind Just A Noble after racing fiercely in the early and middle stages.
Belhus Syndicate galloper, Wind in the Pillows, with two last start seconds in March looks the main danger, in his resumption race, with Derby winning jockey Glenn Smith taking the ride for trainer Lindsey Smith.