It will be a busy Wednesday night for Bathurst trainer Peter Bullock, with two starters in race four – the Shannon Springs Pace (1730 metres).
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Haka Shannon will start from barrier number four at the Bathurst Harness Racing Club and Bullock is hopeful the six-year-old black gelding can continue his form.
“He looks fairly well placed and he’s been finishing mostly in the top four,” Bullock said.
“He’s been going good and a win would be nice, but consistent performances are the focus.”
Haka Shannon will be driven by Mat Rue and Bullock was full of praise for him.
“I try and get Mat when I can,” Bullock said.
“He’s always well sorted and I rate him well.
“He’s one the best going around and probably one of the best in the state.”
Training has been a mix of ups and downs the past 12 months for Haka Shannon, but Bullock is hopeful of a change.
“He’s been going alright in training and the last year haven’t been the best for him, but I'm hoping he’s turning a corner,” Bullock said.
Haka Shannon has a decent career summary and with 16 wins, nine seconds and 10 thirds, the gelding has made placings in over half of his starts.
Bullock will also have another horse in Wednesday night’s race four, the inform six-year-old bay rig – Kapow Shannon.
The rig has not raced since October 5, but will start from barrier six.
Bullock said Kapow Shannon is in with a chance, but his form at Bathurst has not been great.
“He’s only one once at the new track and never won at the old track,” Bullock said.
“But he’s in with a chance if he can get to the fence early.
“If he get’s caught on the outside, he won’t have a good chance.”
All but one of Kapow Shannon’s wins have come away from Bathurst, with Bullock saying the horse “loves” racing in Young and Parkes.
“We might look to take him elsewhere, but I prefer him to race at Bathurst,” Bullock said.
“Being a rig, he acts like stallion and he’s quite a handful.
“I can only carry one other horse in the float with him, so that means I have less horses when I travel.”
Kapow Shannon will be driven by junior Jessica Prior, who also drove the rig to his sole win in Bathurst in September last year.
Prior mainly works Kapow Shannon and Bullock is confident that she knows how to handle the horse, come race-day.
Bullock is confident of getting a result on the night, having entered seven horses across five races.