by Ken Casellas
Hard-working farrier Tommy Sheehy broke an 18-month drought when he brought 8/1 chance Vital Energy home with a well-timed burst to beat the pacemaker Oaksana Boy in a 1730m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
This was the 48-year-old Sheehy’s first success since he scored with Bhagwan in a C3-class event over 1730m at Gloucester Park on October 6, 2015.
Tuesday night’s victory was a family affair, with the eight-year-old Vital Energy trained by Sheehy’s 74-year-old father Tom.
“I haven’t done a great deal of driving in recent years,” Tommy Sheehy said. “This was to give my daughter Kristy more opportunities to drive in races. She has now got a job and is going to be married, so you could say that I’m on the comeback trail and ready and willing to take more drives,”
Vital Energy’s win ended a losing sequence of 36. His previous success was by a head over Baza Magoo in a C2-class 2242m event at Narrogin on July 9, 2013.
Vital Energy is very well bred, being by Classic Garry out of Sand Pebbles, a WA-bred mare who earned $313,102 from 26 wins and ten placings from 81 starts. She won the $100,000 Ladyship Mile at Harold Park in November 2004 and then finished second to Sokyola in the Miracle Mile. She also won the 2004 Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park, beating Party Date.
Tommy Sheehy, who drove Turquia when the ten-year-old finished a close third to Kaydee Stratton at Gloucester Park on April 4, is training An Aussie Ingot and Gold Signs. His father also has nine-year-old Hez The Artisan racing soundly, with the veteran pacer winning at Gloucester Park in February and at Pinjarra in March.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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