Master trainer Gary Hall snr has an enviable record of producing pacers first-up in excellent condition, and he will be hoping for a powerful performance from Raklou in the $23,000 7Mate Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Raklou, a four-year-old New Zealand-bred mare by boom sire Sweet Lou, will be making her Australian debut when she begins from the favourable No. 2 barrier, with Gary Hall jnr in the sulky.

Raklou has not raced since winning most impressively at the Central Southland Raceway in New Zealand on October 31 last year, and she has not been produced in recent trials.

However, she gave a sample of her class when she contested a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on May 7 this year when she won by 46 metres, rating 1.57.9 after final 400m sections of 28.7sec., 28sec. and 29.3sec.

Her 16 New Zealand starts have resulted in four wins and five placings, and she was not extended in winning easily at her latest outing when she scored a three-length win over 2400m eleven months ago.

She began from barrier six and raced three wide for the first 450m before slotting into the one-out, one-back position and then racing in the breeze in the final circuit and taking the lead on the home turn.

Raklou showed considerable ability as a two-year-old when she won three times, including a group 3 classic over 1700m at Ashburton in June 2023.

She is expected to dominate betting on Friday night's event which is restricted to mares, and her main rivals are likely to be Soho Vesper Lind (barrier six), Nase Vira (outside of the back line), Sweet Vivienne (nine) and Sugar Delight (five).