30 November 2020 | Ken Casellas
Can Balcatherine end 48-year Cup drought?
A mare has not won the WA Pacing Cup for 48 years, but champion trainer Gary Hall snr is looking forward to Balcatherine ending this drought by winning the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park next Friday night.
Hall was lavish in his praise of Balcatherine after the New Zealand-bred four-year-old had crushed her rivals in scoring a brilliant victory over Somebeachparty and Has No Fear in the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I’ll be entering her in the Pacing Cup,” said Hall, whose other Cup representative is superstar seven-year-old Chicago Bull, who retains firm favouritism for the 2936m Cup despite his narrow defeat at the hands of Perfect Major in the $50,000 RWWA Cup on Friday night.
No mare has won the WA Pacing Cup since Les Marriott drove Pyramus to victory over Chief Attain and Sir Alex on January 1, 1972 when unplaced runners included outstanding pacers Daintys Daughter, Red Vicar, Radiant Oro and Roscott. Only four mares have won the big race over the past 74 years, the others being Portree (1958), Color Glo (1967) and Daintys Daughter (1970).
Balcatherine, an easy winner at her two starts in New Zealand, arrived in Australia in February 2019, and since then has been lightly raced, because of her light frame and a slight suspensory problem.
But she has developed more muscle and greater strength under the diligent care of Hall, who wisely decided to give her plenty of time to mature after she had raced three times in Western Australia early in 2019 for a win and a second placing.
Balcatherine was out of action for 12 months before resuming in April this year. Her emphatic victory on Friday night took her career record to 17 starts for nine wins, four placings and stakes of $175,638.
She will be driven in the Pacing Cup by Stuart McDonald, with star reinsman Gary Hall jnr naturally opting to handle the brilliant Chicago Bull, whose victories include the 2017 Pacing Cup.
However, Hall jnr has a high opinion of Balcatherine, saying that very little separates her and Chicago Bull when they are opposed in track workouts. Hall snr echoed his son’s enthusiastic appraisal of Balcatherine when he said the mare had been most impressive in winning at three of her first four starts in her current campaign and would be a worthy Cup runner.
Balcatherine was a strongly-supported $1.90 favourite in Friday night’s group 1 classic, in which Hall jnr drove her with supreme confidence. She started from the outside of the back line and settled down in tenth position before Hall sent her forward with a sparkling three-wide sprint with 1350m to travel.
She quickly moved into the breeze outside the pacemaker Vivere Damore and raced without cover for a lap before forging to the front 400m from home and beating Somebeachparty by just under two lengths, rating 1.56.8 over the 2536m journey. Has No Fear trailed the pacemaker throughout and fought on solidly to be third, with Vivere Damore holding on to be fourth. The final quarters were run in 27.7sec. and 28.3sec.
The win gave the Hall jnr a record fourth driving success in the Mares Classic after winning the event with Im Elsa (2011), Majorly Foxy Styx (2014) and Ideal Alice (2017).
Perfect Major ends Chicago Bull’s dominance
Victorian-bred four-year-old Perfect Major warmed up for the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup next Friday night in splendid style when he caused an upset by beating superstar pacer Chicago Bull in the $50,000 RWWA Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Perfect Major, prepared by ace trainer Ross Olivieri and driven superbly by Chris Voak, was second fancy at $3.90 and Voak took full advantage of the prized No. 1 barrier to score a half-head victory over the $1.45 favourite who was aiming for his seventh win in a row and his 13TH win from 14 starts since Voak led with Vultan Tin, who held on and beat the champion, who had worked in the breeze.
Voak was able to get away with getting Perfect Major to relax and amble through the lead time in a slow 38.1sec. and a modest opening quarter in 30.1sec. He then increased the tempo with 400m sections of 28.9sec., 27.5sec. and 28.1sec.
Chicago Bull started from the back line and settled down in seventh position before Gary Hall jnr urged Chicago Bull forward with a three-wide burst 450m after the start which took him to the breeze 200m later. Chicago Bull finished with grim determination and just failed to overhaul the pacemaker who rated 1.55.3 over the 2130m.
To Fast To Serious, third fancy at $7, trailed the leader all the way and was held up until late before finishing with a flourish to be an excellent third.
“It is always good to win and beat a quality horse,” said Olivieri. “I take nothing away from Chicago Bull; he’s a superstar, but they all get beaten on half-mile tracks.”
OIivieri is more than happy to have Perfect Major in his stable and is looking forward to him matching strides again with Chicago Bull in the WA Pacing Cup — after Perfect Major finished second to Chicago Bull and Shockwave in the Cranley Memorial three starts ago and then finishing eighth behind Chicago Bull in the Fremantle Cup when he was hopelessly blocked for a run in the final circuit.
OIivieri said that he has yet to meet the Victorian owners of Perfect Major, brothers Bruce and Craig Cameron.
“They phoned me about 15 weeks ago and said: ‘we’ve got these two horses, Perfect Major and his older full-brother That’s Perfect, and we would like to send them over to you.’” Olivieri explained. “And now they’re delighted by the way Perfect Major has settled into racing here.
“Perfect Major is a quality horse. He qualified for the Victoria Derby early last year, but he went sore and had to be scratched. The owners then did the smart thing and put him out for six months. Then they had him worked up before sending him to me.
“The original idea was to race him in Perth and then sell him to America. But that may not happen now. Whoever jogged him up did a good job and he arrived in beautiful nick. The horse has been beautifully schooled and is a pleasure to have around.”
Perfect Major has won at five of his seven starts for Olivieri and now has a record of 33 starts for 13 wins, ten placings and $147,057 in stakes.
McDonald changes his tune
Young reinsman Stuart McDonald was far from impressed when he drove Whozideawasthis in a $5300 1609m event at Menangle in February 2017 when the New Zealand-bred gelding set the pace before stopping like a pricked balloon over the final 150m to finish a distant tenth.
But he has changed his tune and now Whozideawasthis is one of his favourite pacers.
The 26-year-old McDonald was in the sulky when he brought Whozideawasthis home with a powerful burst from the rear to score an effortless victory in the 2130m Westral Shadetrack Outdoor Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Whozideawasthis, trained by Gary Hall snr and fourth favourite at $7.40, started from the No. 6 barrier and raced in tenth position before McDonald sent him forward, three wide, approaching the bell, and the nine-year-old sustained a spirited burst to hit the front 90m from home before streaking away to beat Rosies Ideal ($26) by three lengths at a 1.55.4 rate.
McDonald spent two months in Sydney early in 2017 to gain experience with the powerful Kevin Pizzuto stable. He had the thrill of driving star millionaire pacer Tiger Tara in two group 1 $100,000 events at Menangle for a fourth behind Lennytheshark in the Canadian Club Sprint and a sixth behind Tact Tate in the Bohemia Crystal.
Soon after Whozideawasthis had finished his disappointing tenth he was sent to Western Australia to be prepared by Hall for the gelding’s owners Albert and Carmen Pizzuto, Kevin Pizzuto’s parents.
Whozideawasthis has been a handy acquisition for Hall, with his 49 West Australian starts producing 11 wins, 13 seconds and two thirds. McDonald has driven him at 20 of those starts for five wins and five placings. The gelding’s victories include Free-For-All wins over Handsandwheels and Vultan Tin and a memorable half-length victory over his champion stablemate Chicago Bull in the 1730m Members Sprint at Gloucester Park in May 2019.
“He went super tonight,” said McDonald. “It all worked out well for him when he got an ideal cart-up (following the three-wide run of One For Dave Andme); he needs that luck because he can’t make his own. Once he gets it, he’s certainly a hard horse to hold out.
“He is just not tough enough; he’s just a speed horse. If he can lead, he’s really good, but he is just as good if he gets a sit. He just can’t do the work, but the old horse has still got a bit left in those legs.
“He doesn’t do any hopple work. He jogs in the heavy sand every day, and he’s got bad legs and that’s the only way to look after him.” He has been a good moneyspinner for the Pizzuto family, with his 95 starts producing 24 wins, 18 placings and $264,027 in prizemoney.
Abercromby’s good deal
Swan Valley trainer Craig Abercromby continues to pinch himself at his good fortune in acquiring the Mach Three gelding Marquisard, who notched his 17TH win when Chris Voak drove him to an all-the-way victory in the 2536m Westral Timber And Venetian Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a phone call “out of the blue” about six years ago from the pacer’s breeder Pat Gilroy which led to Abercromby racing Marquisard in partnership with Gilroy.
“Pat Gilroy rang me and asked if I would train the horse when he was a yearling,” Abercromby said. “I didn’t know Pat, but he knew my father. I told him that I only trained my own horses, and that way I could only go crook at myself.
“However, I suggested a deal that I charged Pat only $100 a week to train the horse and we each collected half of any stakemoney. So, that way if he’s no good it won’t cost you too much, and if he’s any good we will both get a quid.”
Marquisard, who officially turns six on January 1, has exceeded expectations and he now has earned $147,611 from 17 wins and 14 placings from exactly 100 starts.
“And Pat and I have the same deal with Marquisard’s brother Dissertation,” said Abercromby. Dissertation is a last-start winner, having got up in the final stride to beat Magic Eye Mick at Bunbury last Saturday week. This improved Dissertation’s record to 23 starts for five wins and six placings for earnings of $32,738.
“Marquisard is not just a frontrunner,” said Abercromby. “I believe he goes better with a sit, but if he gets to the front, he holds his own pretty well. It’s hard to get a horse to race, let alone win 17 races. For Pat and me, it’s been a great ride, and there’s no reason why he can’t win more races.
“I’m now transferring all my horses to my son Rob’s place in Cardup. I’m moving to life in Madora Bay on Monday and am selling my place in Swan Valley.”
Classics the aim for Typhoon Banner
The rich classics for four-year-olds early next year are on the agenda for Typhoon Banner, an impressive winner of the 2130m Westral Roller And Roman Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The inexperienced New Zealand-bred gelding notched his fourth win from seven starts in Western Australia for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green when he was favourite at $1.75 and was untroubled to set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and beat the fast-finishing $101 chance Warriors Legacy and $21 chance Hotfoot It, who fought on well after racing without cover throughout.
Typhoon Banner, an all-the-way winner by seven lengths at his second and final start in New Zealand 12 months ago, gave a sample of his class when he sprinted over the final quarters in 27.4sec. and 28.3sec. on Friday night and rated 1.56.2.
“He is not purely a frontrunner,” said Egerton-Green. “He has a very fast sprint, and it was good to see how he went in front tonight. Regarding the four-year-old classics, he’s just got to keep ticking the boxes, and we’ll keep going.”
Egerton-Green said that Typhoon Banner knocked his knee in a paddock accident as an early three-year-old. “He ran third at Pinjarra at his first start in WA and then won at Bunbury,” he said. “But we weren’t happy with him and decided to tip him out for a spell. He has come back a lot better.”
Typhoon Banner, by Bettors Delight, is the fifth foal out of the unraced McArdle mare When You’re Hot. He is a full-brother to Zahven Banner (45 starts for 14 wins, 17 placings and $122,307) and Cyclone Banner (31 starts for 13 wins, eight placings and $106,759) and is closely related to Flaming Flutter (126 starts for 27 wins, 45 placings and $828,429).
Flaming Flutter had the distinction of being placed twice in Interdominion championship finals. He finished second to Beautide at Menangle in March 2015 and was third behind Lennytheshark and Lovers Delight at Gloucester Park in December 2015.
Shadow Roll bounces back
Trainer Ray Williams and reinsman Aldo Cortopassi were disappointed with Shadow Roll’s past two unplaced runs and were surprised when he bounced back to form with a gutsy victory in the 2536m Westral Meshlock Security Doors And Screens Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $20.50 chance from barrier four, and after racing three wide early, he worked hard in the breeze with Leap Of Faith setting a solid pace. After a 28.4sec. third quarter, Shadow Roll took the lead 300m from home and went on to win by just under a length from the $3.30 favourite The Kraken, who battled on gamely after trailing Shadow Roll all the way.
Cortopassi said he went to the breeze fully expecting Headline Act to surge forward early and race outside the leader. However, Headline Act raced in the one-out, two-back position before finishing strongly, out very wide on the track to be fifth.
“Shadow Roll had disappointed me at his couple of previous runs (finishing tenth and sixth),” Williams said. “The runs were not too bad, but I thought he was not making the A grade. I tried a few things different this week, and he was relaxed tonight and came home.
“He is a lovely horse to train and was a cheap buy from New Zealand. He has done a good job and he did not miss a place at his first 25 starts.”
Shadow Roll, a four-year-old by Shadow Play, has been remarkably consistent, with his 30 starts producing ten wins and 15 placings for stakes of $67,587.
Reed’s bold move pays dividends
A decision by Mark Reed to charge forward, out three wide, with Gran Chico in the early stages of the 2130m Westral Vertical Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night paid dividends when the four-year-old burst to the front after 500m and led his rivals a merry dance.
Gran Chico, prepared by Mike Reed and at attractive odds of $11.60, then was able to cover the first two quarters of the final mile in comfortable times of 31.6sec. and 30.2sec. before he gave the opposition little chance by speeding over the final 400m sections in 27.5sec. and 27.6sec.
He coasted to the line well clear of Mileys Desire and the odds-on favourite American Brave, rating 1.56.4.
“Once we got around American Brave early, I was a lot more confident than I was before the race,” Mark Reed said. “He was the only horse to beat.
“Gran Chico is a class horse, and this was his fourth run after a spell and, hopefully, he will keep improving. He had a few little problems when he arrived from New Zealand, and we’re slowly ironing them all out.”
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