16 November 2020 | Ken Casellas
No trouble for Chicago Bull
Champion pacer Chicago Bull warmed up in style for Friday night’s $300,000 Fremantle Cup when he was not extended in winning the 2130m $25,000 Pat Cranley Memorial at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
“Stewie drove him perfectly,” said trainer Gary Hall snr after Stuart McDonald, substituting for the suspended Gary Hall jnr, drove Chicago Bull to an effortless victory over Shockwave and the up-and-coming Perfect Major.
The race was due to be run on Friday night, but that meeting was postponed after three events when the mobile barrier was unable to gain traction on the waterlogged track.
“Missing the race on Friday night wasn’t ideal,” said Hall snr. “So, I was a little bit relieved that Chicago Bull came out and cemented his position as favourite for the Fremantle Cup. It’s moving into the unknown when Junior is not driving him.
“But Stewie did everything right; he’s a very good horseman and he has all the attributes to progress to the top as a reinsman.”
The 26-year-old McDonald was driving Chicago Bull for only the second time — after he was in the sulky when the gelding finished third behind Bettors Fire and Soho Tribeca in the Village Kid Sprint 1052 days ago (on December December 29, 2017) and he admitted that he was somewhat apprehensive in the week before the race.
“The past week has been a little bit nerve wracking, but I think I handled it pretty well,” he said. “The delay from Friday to Sunday didn’t help and I had to go through the nerves again. I put more pressure on myself than what Senior has been putting on me. But I slept well last night, and nerves are not connected to the track. As soon as I’m behind the mobile I’m fine.
“Senior told me not to push him early (from barrier three), but I was able to cross to the front anyway, and everything worked out perfectly. Our plan was to sit in the breeze but Convert Denarion (barrier one) didn’t hold up, and as long as we stayed in front of Shockwave was all that mattered. That was our goal.
“Chicago Bull was bolting at the 400m mark when I pulled the plugs as soon as I saw Shockwave pull out. I was making sure Shockwave didn’t catch us and Chicago Bull was bolting in the straight — and I was struggling to pull him up. He did it easily and didn’t turn a hair. He certainly feels good and is the best horse I’ve sat behind.”
There was an early surprise in the race when $126 outsider Argyle Red began speedily and burst straight to the front. McDonald then urged Chicago Bull, favourite at $1.30, forward and he sped to the front after 250m. The lead time was an ambling 38sec. and after opening quarters of the final mile in 31sec. and 30.1sec.
Chicago Bull gave his rivals no hope by speeding over the final 400m sections in 27.5sec. and 26.4sec. to win at a 1.55.6 rate. He won by just under two lengths from the $4.60 second fancy Shockwave, with $26 chance Perfect Major fighting on grandly to be third after working in the breeze for much of the way.
The win, Chicago Bull’s 59TH from 88 starts, gave Hall snr his fourth success in the Cranley Memorial, after winning with El Padrino (2012), Soho Jackman (2014) and Run Oneover (2017).
Bond quinella in classic
Champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond will go into the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic on Friday week full of confidence after an impressive quinella result in the $50,000 group 2 Norms Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
Our Alfie Romeo, the $3.40 second favourite, set the pace for Ryan Warwick and dashed over the final 800m in 56.1sec. but was unable to hold off a spirited late challenge from stablemate and $7.40 chance Wainui Creek, who rated 1.56.4 over the 2130m journey.
Dylan Egerton-Green got Wainui Creek away fast from the No. 5 barrier and raced in the breeze for the first 500m before $14 chance Typhoon Tiff sustained a strong three-wide burst to move outside the pacemaking Our Alfie Romeo.
Wainui Creek then enjoyed the perfect passage, one-out and one-back, before surging to the front about 45m from the post. The $3 favourite Gotta Go Gabbana started from the No. 1 barrier and was beaten for early speed by Our Alfie Romeo. She trailed that mare all the way and was badly hampered for room for much of the home straight before getting clear late and finishing solidly to be third.
Queen Shenandoah ($23) maintained her excellent form and finished strongly, out wide, from sixth at the bell to be third. Balcatherine ($4.40) was eighth at the bell and battled on gamely into sixth place.
Gran Chico back on track
High-priced New Zealand import Gran Chico has recovered from a tendon injury and he looks set for a successful campaign after a fighting victory in the 2536m Trevor Itzstein Pace at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old, making his second appearance after a five-month absence, was a $7.60 chance from out wide at barrier seven, and reinsman Mark Reed enlivened proceedings when he dashed the gelding forward (from last) to take a narrow lead from Sokys Big Bullet after about 550m.
Sokys Big Bullet withstood the challenge and he had a much-needed breather with a comfortable opening quarter of the final mile in 31sec. before the tempo lifted and the speed was right on with the following 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 27.5sec.
Gran Chico eventually gained the upper hand and got to the front about 500m from home. He held on in a slow final quarter of 30.6sec. to beat Roman Aviator by a half-head.
Gran Chico, a winner at six of his 13 New Zealand starts, was having only his sixth Australian start for owners Jim and Wilma Giumelli and trainer Mike Reed.
He made his Australian debut with a Gloucester Park win on November 15, 2019 before finishing sixth in the Four-Year-Old Classic and tenth in the Golden Nugget Championship on December 13, 2019. His next run was on May 29 this year when he led and faded to fifth behind Destined To Rule. It was then discovered he was affected by a leg problem.
“Scans revealed tendon damage to his nearside foreleg,” said Mike Reed. “The problem wasn’t too serious, and a recent scan showed that the injury has healed well.
“He is a good horse, and I will nominate him for the Fremantle Cup, and hope he gets a start. The quicker they go, the better he likes it. Mark said before the race that we wouldn’t die wondering. The horse has a lot to prove, but I think he will.”
Dead-heat and a protest
There was plenty of action on and off the track when Tuas Delight and Where Ya Bin fought out a thrilling dead-heat in the 2130m Bob Carlier Pace at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
After the race Ryan Warwick, the driver of Where Ya Bin, lodged a protest, contending that Tuas Delight’s driver Callan Suvaljko had not complied with the new whip rule — and this had given Tuas Delight an advantage.
Suvaljko contended that he had not breached the new rule. After considering submissions from both drivers, the stewards deliberated at length and finally dismissed Warwick’s protest. They advised both drivers that each had failed to comply with the whip rule that drivers must wield the whip with only a flicking motion and they must not use the whip outside the confines of the sulky.
Tuas Delight, an $8.50 chance trained by Suvaljko, sustained a strong three-wide burst from seventh at the bell to hit the front about 90m from the post. Where Ya Bin ($11) was ninth at the bell and finished solidly.
Copy N Pace on the way up
Copy N Pace showed that he has the ability to develop into a contender for the rich four-year-old classics early next year when he scored a decisive victory in the Colin Cowden Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The American Ideal gelding, favourite at $2.70, prepared by Gary Hall snr and driven by Stuart McDonald, raced wide early and then in the breeze before gaining the one-out and one-back trail on his way to bursting to the front on the home turn and winning by just over a length from the fast-finishing Riverina Flash.
Tiffany Rose, the only filly in the 2130m event, was a $23 chance who surprised by beginning brilliantly from the outside barrier (No. 9) and charging to the front after 80 metres. She fought on gamely at her second outing after a spell to finish fourth.
The New Zealand-bred Copy N Pace gave part-owner Tina Chapman an enjoyable birthday present. She races the three-year-old in partnership with her husband Steve and their children Danielle and Ben.
Copy N Pace, who was making his second appearance after a spell, has earned $41,576 from six wins and four seconds from 16 starts. He is a full-brother to two other talented pacers owned by the Chapman family — My Hard Copy and My Carbon Copy.
My Hard Copy retired after racing 89 times for 27 wins, 23 placings and stakes of $1,271,592. His major victories were the WA Pacing Cup in 2015 and 2016, the 2018 Fremantle Cup and 2018 Pinjarra Cup.
Four-year-old My Carbon Copy has had 33 starts for ten wins, 14 placings and $116,468 in prizemoney.
Euphoric Moment ends a lean run
Euphoric Moment, a hardy four-year-old who thrives on racing, ended a losing sequence of 17 when he finished with a spirited burst to defeat the pacemaker and $1.38 favourite The Kraken in the 2536m Enrique Aldana Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Starting at the handsome odds of $13.40 after finishing second four times from his previous six starts, Euphoric Moment made the most of an unusual lucky break.
Deni Roberts had Euphoric Moment travelling well in sixth position in the one-out, two-back position when Western Arterra suffered an atrial fibrillation about 1250m from home, forcing Dylan Egerton-Green to ease the gelding out of the race. This enabled Roberts to assume the favourable one-out, one-back position while The Kraken was bowling along in front.
Euphoric Moment swept to the front 90m from the post and won by just under a length from The Kraken, with Blue Blazer ($7.50) flying home between horses after being badly blocked for a clear passage to finish an eye-catching third.
Euphoric Moment is trained in Collie by Errol Ashcroft, who said that the gelding relished a strenuous racing program. “I’ve always been a past master at looking after my horses and keeping them going,” he said.
Euphoric Moment has had 81 starts for 12 wins, 26 placings and $103,929. The well-named gelding is by American stallion and former star pacer Mr Feelgood and is out of the Kinney Hanover mare Barleys Hope, who had 59 starts for six wins, 15 placings and $50,126.
“I gave Barleys Hope to Scott and Cathy Glover, who live in New South Wales, and they bred Euphoric Moment at Mike Hackett’s property,” Ashcroft said. “I’m also training Euphoric Moment’s two-year-old half-sister Sats Maloo, who is showing promise.”
Chloe’s birthday present
Chloe Brown received a surprise 29TH birthday present on Friday night when her partner Dylan Egerton-Green drove a brilliant race to land $51 outsider Tyler Brett the winner of the 2130m Chris Carr Pace at Gloucester Park.
Brown, who races Tyler Brett on lease from Collie breeder John Bell, was at work as a receptionist at St John of God Murdoch Hospital while Egerton-Green was saturated and covered in mud as he guided Tyler Brett to his upset win.
It was a daring drive by Egerton-Green which paid dividends. Tyler Brett began brilliantly from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, but he was unable to wrest the early lead from the polemarker and $1.38 favourite Chiaroscuro.
The lead time was a fast 36.3sec. and Egerton-Green was able to angle Tyler Brett across to the pegs and take the trail behind Chiaroscuro, relegating the $5.50 second fancy As Happy As Larry to three back on the pegs.
When the breeze horse Jimmy Mack began to wilt approaching the home turn, Egerton-Green was able to get Tyler Brett into the clear and the six-year-old finished strongly to get to the front with about 65m to travel. Tyler Brett won comfortably from the fast-finishing As Happy As Larry and Chiaroscuro.
Egerton-Green said that he had no preconceived plan to get Tyler Brett away so fast and to make a bid for the lead. “I just wanted to see how the horse felt, and he wanted to go,” he said. “So, I persuaded him to go a bit quicker, and we managed to find a spot behind the leader; it was a race-winning move.
“If we had been forced to race without cover, we would have found it harder to win. But I’m sure he still would have run a good race. He has been racing really well.”
Tyler Brett has been a good moneyspinner, with his 51 starts producing 16 wins, 15 placings and $144,721. He is by the Fake Left stallion Robin Hood, who amassed $796,567 from 24 wins and 18 placings from 77 starts. His wins included the 2005 Kilmore Cup, the 2005 Cranbourne Cup, the 2006 Ballarat Cup, the 2007 Victoria Cup and the 2008 Treuer Memorial at Bankstown. Robin Hood also finished third to Be Good Johnny and Slipnslide in a three-way photo in the 2005 Miracle Mile.
Tyler Brett is the only one of four foals out of Jossies Belle to race. Jossies Belle, by Orleans, won only three times from 51 starts.
Sugar Street beats the fillies
The adage that a good colt will always beat a good filly was proved to be correct when Sugar Street, the only colt in the field, proved the master of his five rivals, all fillies, in the Coco Hseq Pace at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
Sugar Street, second fancy at $2.70 for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, was driven confidently by Chris Voak and the Bettors Delight colt chalked up his second win from ten starts when he defeated the $1.65 favourite American Arma, who had won impressively against her own sex at her first two starts.
Joelene, third fancy at $9, galloped badly when attempting to lead 120m after the start, and Bettor Beach Belle ($17) set the pace in an Indian file affair until Colin Brown eased American Arma off the pegs in fifth position after a lap had been covered.
Voak then followed Arma, who raced in the breeze before taking the lead 220m from home. Sugar Street enjoyed the benefit of a comfortable passage throughout, sprinted home strongly to get to the front on the home turn and then win by a length and a half from American Arma.
Babyface Adda enjoys leading
Boyanup horseman Cody Wallrodt took full advantage of Babyface Adda’s ability as a frontrunner when he drove the four-year-old to a smart all-the-way victory in the 2130m Graham Compson 80TH Birthday Pace at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
Babyface Adda, the $1.22 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, had to withstand a spirited bid for the early lead from The Black Cardinal ($16) before covering the first two quarters in 30.7sec. and 30.5sec. and then sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.4sec. on his way to winning by 2m from $23 chance Henwood Bay, who fought on determinedly after working in the breeze.
Wallrodt races the Rich And Spoilt gelding on lease and has prepared him for his past six starts for Sunday’s victory and two placings. Babyface Adda, who ended a losing sequence of ten, is a noted frontrunner who has set the pace in seven of his 11 wins in a 50-start career.
It’s Therugo at last
Speedy seven-year-old Thereugo, beaten on the 13 previous occasions when he set the pace, broke through for an overdue win and ended a losing sequence of 23 when he enjoyed the benefit of a slow lead time of 38.9sec. and a leisurely opening quarter of 31.8sec. to win the 2130m It’s Your Birthday Casey Greenfield Pace at Gloucester Park on Sunday afternoon.
Favourite at $2, the Lindsay Harper owned, trained and driven Thereugo revealed his normal sparkling gate speed from barrier six to burst straight to the front and he was not seriously challenged before he sped over the final quarters in 27.8sec. and 28.2sec. to win by just under a length from $6 chance Sergeant Oats, rating 1.58.
Nineteen of Thereugo’s 21 victories have been achieved when he has set the pace and Sunday’s win boosted his earnings to $192,180.
By American stallion McArdle, Thereugo is out of the Live Or Die mare Janice Franco, who earned $76,782 from eight wins and 19 placings from 110 starts.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
