07 September 2020 | Ken Casellas
Galactic Star on the way up
“He’ll play a part in the two big Cups, for sure,” declared champion reinsman Ryan Warwick after driving seven-year-old Galactic Star to a stylish victory in the $30,000 TABtouch York Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He is definitely not over the hill, in terms of age. He was pretty good tonight, but he’s still not fully fit. He was really strong around the corner, but in the straight he bottomed out a bit. So, there’s improvement in him. Before tonight, he had two easy runs after a four-month break.”
Galactic Star, second favourite at $3.80 from the outside of the back line, settled down in seventh position while the $1.55 favourite Wildwest led for the first 200 metres before Son Of A Tiger ($23) persisted with a spirited challenge and took the lead, with a fast lead time of 35.8sec.
Gary Hall jnr immediately eased Wildwest off the pegs to race in the breeze and after 400m Wildwest got a length in front of Son Of A Tiger but was unable to cross to the front. Warwick, seeing what was happening at the front of the field, urged Galactic Star forward with a fast move 700m after the start to quickly move alongside the pacemaker Son Of A Tiger, thus giving Wildwest an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Bettor Party dashed forward, three wide, at the bell to put Wildwest in a pocket. Wildwest was hampered for room throughout the final circuit and he was still blocked for clear running as he fought on grandly to finish second, with Bettor Party a close third behind Galactic Star, who had surged to the front 250m from home.
The final 800m was covered in 56.8sec. and Galactic Star rated 1.56 over the 2130m. The win gave Warwick and outstanding leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond the second of four winners on the night.
The Bonds had seven runners in the WA Pacing Cup last January, with Galactic Star finishing fifth, and stablemates Mighty Conqueror, Vampiro and Our Jimmy Johnstone filling the first three placings.
Once again, the Bond stable will have a strong representation in the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in the coming summer, with Warwick expecting Galactic Star to be at the forefront. The Bettors Delight gelding is sound and enjoys racing — and is sure to improve on his splendid record of 28 wins, 26 placings and stakes of $561,262 from 80 starts.
Justasec sparkles, first-up
Inexperienced New Zealand-bred four-year-old Justasec appears destined for big things in harness racing after a brilliant first-up victory in the 2130m GPHR Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
After a win and a second from two New Zealand starts, the son of American stallion Big Jim has impressed with nine wins and three placings from 13 starts in Western Australia.
Prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond and driven by star reinsman Ryan Warwick, Justasec was a warm $1.80 favourite from the No. 1 barrier at his first appearance after an absence of just over five months.
He won the start easily and relished his pacemaking role as he sped over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 27.7sec. to win by almost two lengths from the $3.90 second fancy My Carbon Copy, who enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before finishing determinedly.
“We expected a run like that after he had beaten our fast-class horses on the track,” said Warwick. “I don’t really know where he is going to get to, but his improvement is quite good. His ability is not an issue. He’s always had good ability, and his tractability is now getting a lot better.
“He might go to the next level; we’ll see.”
Our Alfie Romeo concentrates better
A change of gear helped brilliant mare Our Alfie Romeo to regain her best form at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she scored a runaway victory in the 2130m Thank You Members Of York Racing Pace.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond decided to fit hood type blinkers on the five-year-old — and they certainly boosted her confidence as she stormed to victory to end a losing sequence of nine.
Our Alfie Romeo, the well-supported $1.90 favourite from the outside barrier in a field of eight, was not extended in winning by three and a half lengths from Burning Rubber and rating 1.56.8.
Leading reinsman Ryan Warwick did not bustle Our Alfie Romeo early and she settled down in seventh position while Thereugo ($21) was setting the pace after denying the polemarker and $2.50 chance Space Junk the opportunity to lead.
Warwick urged Our Alfie Romeo forward, three wide, approaching the bell and the mare dashed to the front 390m from home and coasted to the line.
“I didn’t think she was genuine at her previous two or three runs, so we put the hood on her and she was very good tonight,” Warwick explained. “She travelled like she normally would. It was just a concentration thing.
“She’s never worn anything; she’s always been so genuine. But now that she’s getting older that was the run she needed, just to smarten her up. Tonight, she was sharp and travelled very well. Lately, she had been a little bit sloppy, but has been able to get the job done.”
Our Alfie Romeo, by Washington V C, won at two of her eight starts in New Zealand and now boasts a fine record of 48 starts for 20 wins, 11 placings and stakes of $299,789.
She will be set for the $125,000 Mares Classic at the summer carnival and is likely to contest the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup. She finished sixth behind Mighty Conqueror in the WA Pacing Cup last January.
Leap Of Faith causes an upset
Young Gnangara trainer-reinsman Luke Edwards predicted a bright future for inexperienced New Zealand-bred mare Leap Of Faith after driving her to a fast-finishing upset victory over Blissfullabbey in the 2130m Better Your Bet With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A $21.90 chance at her second appearance after a spell, Leap Of Faith raced four back on the pegs in seventh position before charging home, three wide, from sixth on the home turn.
It wasn’t all plain sailing as Leap Of Faith was still badly hampered for room 250m from home after Edwards had eased her off the pegs.
“I thought I was going to win at the 350m,” said Edwards. “I was just trying to get out from behind Deni Roberts (Tiffany Twirl). I got off the pegs and then had to get back behind Deni’s wheel to get into the clear. I had a lap full, but I thought I had left it too late. But over the last 50m she gobbled up the opposition.
“Last preparation really was the prep from hell. It was in the middle of winter and everything went wrong; we had trouble with her feet and then with her knee. We couldn’t quite get her right, so we bit the bullet and gave her a month off.
“Her first-up run at Northam (when second to Ohoka Damo) wasn’t quite right, but tonight she was a lot better and I think she’s on the improve. I think that is her go, driving her sit-sprint.”
Purchased from New Zealand for $40,000 (landed in WA), Leap Of Faith is the first pacer owned by Melvin King, who races the four-year-old in partnership with Dave Simmonds jnr. Leap Of Faith recorded two seconds from her four starts in New Zealand and now has raced 11 times for Edwards in WA for six wins.
There was a happy omen before Friday night’s event. Edwards had to borrow the helmet of his brother Isaac after leaving his gear at the Pinjarra course the previous Monday. The previous time he had to use his brother’s helmet was at Northam on June 13, 2015 when he was successful behind Myouri.
Edwards has high hopes of success with his New Zealand-bred three-year-old colt Henrik Larsson, who made an impressive debut when he scored a seven-length victory at Northam last Saturday week when he dashed over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 27.8sec.
Henrik Larsson will have his second start when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in a race at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening. “He is still very green, and I keep telling the owners that he’s a Lamborghini with trainer wheels,” Edwards said.
Howard Hughes set for classics
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Howard Hughes remains unbeaten at his four starts after a spell and is developing into a leading candidate for the rich classics for four-year-olds next January.
The son of Bettors Delight, Howard Hughes, a winner at one of his two New Zealand starts, notched his ninth victory from 11 starts in Western Australia when he scored a dashing victory in the 1730m Thank You From The York Racing Committee Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Favourite at $1.70 from out wide at barrier No. 7, the Greg and Sky Bond-trained pacer began speedily, and reinsman Ryan Warwick was content to race in the breeze with Diamond Life setting a fast pace.
Howard Hughes burst to the front 400m from home and won in fine style at a 1.53 rate over the 1730m, beating Undercover Mac by two metres. Undercover Mac also performed strongly, running home powerfully from ninth at the bell.
“That was a pretty good run,” said Warwick. “He’s aiming for the four-year-old races in the New Year. We always knew that he had speed and stamina.”
Brown lauds Arma Einstein
Ace trainer-reinsman Colin Brown heaped praise on Arma Einstein after driving the smart two-year-old him to victory in the 2130m Off The Track Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Arma Einstein, the $3.60 second favourite, was not bustled early from the outside barrier in the field of seven before he sustained a strong burst from sixth at the bell to hit the front at the 50m mark and win by 2m from the $1.40 favourite Newsy, who had been unbeaten at her first three starts.
Newsy enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail with Captains Beachbabe setting a solid pace. Warwick switched Newsy three wide with 620m to travel, and Brown followed her run with Arma Einstein. Newsy took the lead 350m from home but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Arma Einstein, who rated 1.58.4.
“He is the sort of little horse who will keep improving,” said Brown. “When they’ve got the mentality he’s got and the high speed he has, he’s going to develop. He’s also got a bit of toughness, and his heart rate suggests to me that we’ve got a little way to go in that regard. He’s almost the complete package.
“Arma Einstein will now have a spell for a fortnight and then he’ll come back and we will just keep picking off some two-year-old races, hopefully.
“Getting the sit behind Newsy worked out super for us and I wasn’t concerned that we were behind her because we had won in 1.57 and she had won in 1.59. So, two seconds is a pretty big margin.”
Ferguson’s delight
There is an unusual mixture of pacers and square gaiters in the breeding of Wonnerup horseman Terry Ferguson’s seven-year-old Lifes Delight, who is proving a successful and profitable trotter.
Lifes Delight boosted his earnings to $70,617 from seven wins and 19 placings from 53 starts when Chris Voak drove him to an all-the-way victory in the Community TAB Trot, a stand over 2019m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A $14.60 chance, Lifes Delight held on doggedly to beat $34 outsider One Bid Buys, who was seventh at the bell before finishing strongly with an inside run.
Lifes Delight is by champion pacing stallion Bettors Delight out of Life On The Line, a mare by American stallion Life Sign, who has produced about 1600 foals, including only about four trotters. One of those trotters is the Ferguson-owned Life On The Line, who raced 19 times for three wins and three placings, and then her first foal was Paint The Wind, who has raced as a pacer 109 times for 12 wins, 23 placings and $70,505.
Life On The Line is out of the American-bred mare Walkin The Line, who produced two excellent pacers for Ferguson in Backina Falcon (73 starts for 19 wins, 15 placings and $149,385, with his most notable performance being his second to Baltic Eagle in the 2003 WA Pacing Cup) and Backin A Jiffy (50 starts for ten wins, 17 placings and $107,333).
“I had no idea I was going to breed trotters from Life On The Line,” said Ferguson. “Lifes Delight is that mare’s second foal, and her fourth foal is also a good trotter, Line The Starzzz, who has won at five of her first 15 starts. She is eligible for the Vicbred Four-Year-Old classic for mares on December 31, and, all things going well, she will travel to Victoria for the race.”
Double for de Campo
Capel horseman Aiden de Campo maintained his outstanding form in the sulky when he landed a double with Delightfulreaction and Baylan Jett at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He trains Delightfulreaction, who was a $17.30 chance from out wide at barrier No. 8 in the 2536m Treasury Wine Estate Pace. After the $1.95 favourite Mister Bushido galloped at the start and lost ten lengths, de Campo was able to angle Delightfulreaction into sixth position, one-out and two-back, with Bracken Sky setting the pace.
Delightfulreaction finished strongly to win by almost a length from Mister Bushido, who did a grand job to run home from the rear. Delighfulreaction is a hardy four-year-old mare who has raced 65 times for 11 wins, 23 placings and stakes of $158,283.
“She is a horse who loves racing,” said de Campo. “Every time she goes to the paddock, she drops away a little bit. She does well when she’s in work, and every time she goes a little bit off, I give her a two-week freshen-up. She is an opportunist kind of horse.
“She will keep racing nearly every week. She is not going to measure up to the better mares in the big races towards the end of the year. But she might get a start in them, and you never know.”
Baylan Jett, prepared by David Young, was favourite at $1.70 in The West Australian Pace over 2536m and he gave de Campo an armchair drive as he set the pace and dashed over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 28.1sec. to win from McArdles Gem and Art Tutor.
This was Baylan Jett’s one hundredth start and he took his record to 15 wins and 32 placings for earnings of $155,756. “He’s a class horse and he won easily,” de Campo said. “I didn’t even pull the plugs.”
Extreme Prince makes a flying start
Eight-year-old gelding Extreme Prince is a noted frontrunner — and when champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr got him away with a brilliant burst from out wide at barrier seven in the 2536m Better Your Industry With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night the die was cast.
Extreme Prince ($4.90) charged straight to the front and the Gary Hall senior-trained pacer relished his pacemaking role and won by a half-length from stablemate Tuas Delight ($5).
This ended a losing sequence of ten for Extreme Prince, who had led and won four times in New South Wales and five times at Gloucester Park.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
