Inter Dominion

[Donny]

Falcon primed to strike gold

By Adam Hamilton - Fox


THREE months of pressure is set to be released and rewarded for young driver Gary Hall Jr with a win aboard The Falcon Strike in tonight's $500,000 Inter Dominion final (2544m) at Gloucester Park.

Hall Jr, 21, and his father, Gary Sr, have been under the pump as driver and trainer of The Falcon Strike, the hometown hero who has headed Inter Dominion markets since they opened in December.

The Falcon Strike juggernaut gained further momentum, which many believed impossible, when he sat outside and gunned down emerging Kiwi star Napoleon to win his first heat.

Then the unthinkable happened. The Falcon Strike was beaten by the front-running Jofess on night two and again by another pacemaker, Sokyola, in his final qualifying heat.

If anything, those defeats have taken some heat off the Halls, but deep down they know it's unlikely they will get another chance this good to win an Inter Dominion, let alone one in their own back yard.

Hall Jr seems remarkably calm considering the challenge.

"That's because I've got an enormous amount of faith in this horse," he said. "You haven't seen the best of him in this series yet, but now we've got to the final and it's time to take the gloves off."

Hall Jr is stunned by the growing band of doubters questioning The Falcon Strike's form in the heats.

"Hang on a moment. What's he done wrong?" he asked. "He was the star of the first night, did all the work when beaten in track-record time on the second, then had Sokyola run a 55.8sec last 800m, the third fastest ever at the track, to beat him last Friday.

"If that's disappointing, then I've got no idea."

That said, Hall Jr insisted no horse would benefit more from the seven-day break between the last round of heats and the final.

"That's because no horse did it harder through the heats than our guy," he said. "I'm the first to admit he was a bit tired on night two, but he felt good on the third night and I'm here to tell you he's felt magic at home since."

Hall Jr is an aggressive and confident driver by nature and The Falcon Strike thrives on both attributes.

There's no doubt where horse and driver will be headed when the mobile gate lets the field go.

"Straight to the lead if possible," Hall Jr said.

"Well, it mightn't be quite that easy, but I'll be hunting him out of the gate and I reckon there's a huge chance I'll find the front for the first time in the series.

"People have said gate six is bad, but I couldn't imagine anything much better for this horse. He runs the gate a lot better from wide draws and he'll surprise a lot of people with how fast he begins.

"I'd love to think Buck The Odds or All Hart will be first to the lead because their drivers have seen enough of The Falcon Strike to know their best chance is to take a sit on him."

So who is the main danger?

"I'd say Mister DG on his form through the heats, but I've got a lot of respect for Sokyola," Hall said. "But why am I talking about dangers? If the right Falcon Strike turns up and happens to find the front, then I'm not worried about dangers."

[Donny]

The big race is on at 10.40 pm. Result in here shortly after.

[Donny]

07 R.NORTH INTER
DOMINION PACE FNL
2544 Metres
12:05am
1ST LEG DAILY DOUBLE


WIN/PLACE
1 7.80 2.80
6...............2.10
11...............2.40

QUINELLA (1-6) 19.70
EXACTA (1-6) 53.30
TRIFECTA
(1-6-11) 209.60
SPINNER (Mixed) 2.20
FIRST 4
(1-6-11-3) 784.60

(1) JOFESS (DARREN HANCOCK)
(6) THE FALCON STRIKE (G.HALL JNR)
(11) SOKYOLA (LANCE JUSTICE)

[peter_pies4ever]

That was a top race, Jofess led most of the way a mighty effort