3 minute read

Lightly raced galloper Black Pirate can return to winning form in today's Alan O'Connell Memorial Handicap (race 6) at Bathurst.

The gelding, prepared by Doreen Slinkard at Hawkesbury, is second up in this feature Benchmark 73 over 1400m and should prove to hold out from an ideal gate.

Black Pirate, a three-year-old son of Clang, took a few runs to hit his straps last time in before breaking through for his maiden success in a 1500m Kembla Grange maiden, leading throughout and scoring by over a length.

He then returned there and won a Benchmark 60, again leading throughout and lifting strongly to score.

Next start was in town over 1550k at Canterbury, where he sat second but must have went amiss as he started to fade before the turn and came in near the tail, finishing a 19 length 10th behind Havana Rey in what turned out a very strong race.

After a good break the gelding resumed over 1300m here in a Class 3 and carrying 60.5kg ran on strongly on the straight to finish a half length third behind Too Hot To Touch.

He rises in class for today's race but drops 5.5 kg in the weights.

He is fitter, is suited by the longer trip and has drawn ideally in barrier two.

While some of his rivals have a host more wins on him, Black Pirate rates strongly here and is drawn for the right run.

He should be close to the lead and hard to beat from there.

The Garry White trained Color Purple, another galloper trained at Hawkesbury, comes into this with two placings at his last two starts and looks ready to win.

After a close up 12th when beaten only 2.7 lengths in a much tougher race at Scone, he tackjled Saturday grade at Warwick Farm and battled home to finish third.

He was beaten almost eight lengths in the soft conditions but still managed to hold a placing in the city class.

Lats start was here in a Benchmark 70 where he carried 60kg.

Settling midfield but covering a bit of ground, he wound up strongly in the straight and finished runner up behind the lightly weighted Toranaga.

Color Purple drops 1.5kg on that run and meets Toranaga 5kg better so can certainly turn the tables.

He has drawn out for Sam Clipperton but will be hard to stop again.

Toranaga does rise in the weights but he is going very well and should prove hard to beat again.

The Mudgee trained gelding was a Parkes winner over 1400m three back when running on from midfield then was fourth in open class at Dubbo.

Last start he had just 51kg after the claim and raced on the speed before kicking away and scoring a soft win.

He meets Color Purple much worse at the weights but did win well and still has only half a kilo above the minimum here.

With a good record at the course and distance he should be hard to beat again.

Mr Latar, yet another visitor from Hawkesbury, actually performs his bets here at Bathurst and can run a race fresh.

The gelding, a winner to 2400m, is at his best over a little further but at Bathurst has raced seven times for five wins and a second.

He did win his only try here at the journey and should be winding up strongly in the straight here.