28 March 2022 | Ken Casellas
Lord Titanium causes an upset
Lord Titanium, a lazy colt who was struggling to keep up in last place at the bell when his driver Michael Grantham was busily urging him to keep his mind on the job, caused a major upset when he surged home under heavy punishment from last in the field of seven at the 300m mark to score a convincing victory in the $50,000 DTS Farm Fence Champagne Classic for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lord Titanium, a $51.20 outsider, gave his part-owner and trainer Steve de Campo his first city success for exactly five years — since he prepared Machrihanish for his three-length win over Shirlz Sensation at Gloucester Park on March 24, 2017.
The unexpected win gave the 63-year-old de Campo his 150TH training success and his first win in a group 2 feature event. It was the 26-year-old Grantham’s 540TH driving victory and his eighth in a group 2 event.
De Campo selected Lord Titanium at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale and purchased him for $22,000. He now races the colt in partnership with a group of stable clients. The colt now has earned $34,740 from one win, a second and a third placing from four starts.
“I bought him because I liked his breeding,” said de Campo. “He was out of Betshes Precious, quite a nice mare by Bettors Delight. The colt was a bit small when I bought him, but he has developed into nice horse.
“He will now go into the paddock for four days and then he will come back to get ready for the heats of the APG Gold Bullion on April 5 and 12.” After the $50,000 Gold Bullion final on April 22 de Campo will be looking ahead for the $100,000 on August 26 and the $125,000 Golden Slipper on September 30.
Betshes Precious, who was trained by Justin Prentice, won at her first two starts as a two-year-old at Gloucester Park in April 2016, and later Grantham drove her ten times for four third placings as a four-year-old. Betshes Precious was retired after racing 73 times for nine wins, 16 placings and stakes of $66,366.
Lord Titanium, the first foal out of Betshes Precious, is by the American stallion Control The Moment (by Well Said) who raced 18 times as a juvenile in the United States for 12 wins, three placings and $1,227,832 in prizemoney. Lord Titanium was bred by KTC Bloodstock.
“I was hoping that Lord Titanium would run in the first four,” said de Campo, who is the groundsman at Donaldson Park, the home of the Bunbury Trotting Club. “He is a lazy horse, and you need to keep at him all the time. The more you yell at him, the more he goes. They went hard early which suited him.”
Major Overs, an easy winner at his first two starts, but a $26 chance from the outside barrier in Friday night’s classic, began brilliantly for Chris Lewis and burst straight past the polemarker Rolling Fire, and the lead time was covered in a fast 35sec.
Valedictorian, the $1.30 favourite after his impressive wins at his two starts, challenged unsuccessfully for the lead after 400m before taking the sit behind the freewheeling Major Overs. Sorridere ($5) then was left in the breeze, with Major Overs covering the first three quarters of the final mile in 30.3sec., 30.5sec. and 30.2sec.
Valedictorian was badly blocked for a run in the final circuit, and he was travelling strongly approaching the home turn when he contacted a sulky wheel of Sorridere and broke into a gallop. He dropped back and finished last.
Lord Titanium forged to the front 70m from the post and won by a length from Major Overs, who fought on doggedly, while $71 outsider Lethal Edition sustained a solid three-wide burst over the final 600m to be third, a nose behind Major Overs. Sorridere wilted finish sixth.
Hengheng collects the money
Hengheng means Collect The Money in Chinese, and the West Australian-bred five-year-old Hengheng did just that at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he excelled as a pacemaker for trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper and won the $30,000 group 3 DTS Security Fence Specialists The Warwick Pace over 2130m.
The Rich And Spoilt gelding was favourite at $1.80, and he gave a typical strong frontrunning performance to win from Palatino ($10) and American Bullitt ($61), rating 1.56.8.
“It was just what the doctor ordered,” said Harper. “Hengheng got a nice comfortable time in front. Aiden (de Campo) kept us honest out of the gate with Pradason, and in the middle when we ran a couple of 29.9sec. quarters. He then went 28.5sec. up the back pretty easily and then I held him back to the field because the horse on my back (American Bullitt) felt like he was travelling well.
“Hengheng (at his third appearance after a spell) needed the run and he pulled up blowing and sweating. He will get better and will win multiple races in town and will eventually get to fast class.”
Hengheng is proving an excellent buy for Harper and a group of part-owners. His 42 starts have produced eight wins and eight placings for earnings of $74,556.
Harper, encouraged by his son Donald to buy the horse at the 2018 APG Perth yearling sale, was delighted to be able to purchase him for $8500.
Donald Harper and his wife Tara had done all the pre-sale work on preparing eight yearlings for the sale, and Donald told his father that this son of Rich And Spoilt was the pick of the bunch. Hengheng is out of Cool Adda, who won the $60,000 Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2010 and went on to race 80 times for 15 wins and 12 placings for earnings of $160,839.
Awaitinginstructions set for Easter Cup
Diminutive pacer Awaitinginstructions enhanced his reputation as a standing-start specialist when he won the $20,250 Direct Trade Supply Maddington Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and his trainer Matt Scott said that he would be setting the Victorian-bred five-year-old for the $50,000 Easter Cup, a stand over 2902m on April 15.
“His main aim is the Easter Cup, and the distance won’t worry him,” said Scott after Awaitinginstructions had rated a smart 1.57.2 to set a track record for a stand over 2096m. This lowered the record rate of 1.57.4 set by Lawrence when he beat Medieval Man by a half-head on April 23, 2021.
Awaitinginstructions has had 23 starts in Western Australia for 13 wins and six placings. Seventeen of those starts were in stands, and they produced 11 wins, two seconds, three thirds and an eighth placing. His first three starts were in New Zealand, resulting in one placings, a well-beaten second in a 2200m mobile event at Cambridge in October 19.
Awaitingstructions was an $8.70 chance on Friday night when he began speedily from the 10m mark and settled down in third place on the pegs — behind Major Artist ($5.50) and the Scott-trained Gee Smith ($3.40). The $2.05 favourite Ima Fivestar General galloped from the 10m and lost almost ten lengths before he quickly made up ground and settled in seventh position in the field of eight.
Major Artist set a fast pace and the first three quarters of the final mile were run in 29.4sec., 28.4sec. and 28.7sec.
Mitch Miller eased Awaitinginstructions off the pegs in the back straight in the final lap and then was forced three wide when Chris Lewis took Gee Smith off the pegs in a bid to overhaul the pacemaker Major Artist.
Gee Smith took a narrow lead with about 100m to travel, but he was unable to hold out Awaitinginstructions, who sustained a strong burst to win by a neck, with a final 400m in 29.4sec.
Miller has formed a splendid association with Awaitinginstructions. He has driven the Courage Under Fire gelding six times for five wins and a third placing.
Scott indicated that it had not been all plain sailing with Awaitinginstructions, saying: “He’s had a million feet troubles, and Ascot farrier Steve Routledge has done a wonderful job to get him back racing.
“Awaitinginstructions had a seedy toe in the off front hoof and he had it cut out in January last year. And he had it cut out early this year and had to be scratched from the Northam Cup. He now has about only three quarters of his off front foot, and you can’t put any nails in the hoof unless you use Equilox (liquid nails) and a foot cast. He also wears special pads on both front feet to prevent jarring.”
Awaitinginstructions won the 2680m Busselton Cup in January and then had further hoof problems which prevented him out of action for six weeks and two days before he resumed racing and won the Williams Cup, a 2666m mobile event, on March 6.
“He is a good beginner and the way the race was run worked out perfectly,” said Miller. “I went (forward) before Gee Smith, and then he came out, and coming out of the back straight I was wide for longer than I wanted to be. But at the top of the straight I pulled the plugs and Awaitinginstructions had a good little kick left.”
Awaitinginstructions is the eleventh foal out of Indigenous, who earned $112,245 from 14 wins (12 in Victoria, one in New South Wales and one in Tasmania) and three placings from 21 starts. Indigenous’s best performance was her second to Oaxaca Lass in the group 1 Australian Oaks at Moonee Valley in August 2002. The best of her progeny has been her second foal, Life Inthefastlane, who raced 74 times for 18 wins, 20 placings and $264,566 in prizemoney. Her most important victory was in the Queen Of The Pacific Classic at Melton in May 2011.
Sheez Our Hope defies the pressure
Lightly-raced mare Sheez Our Hope, a brilliant sit-sprinter, revealed her versatility when she gave a spirited frontrunning display to score a stylish victory in the $26,000 DTS All Your Civil And Construction Supply Needs Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And what was the most impressive feature of her neck win over Vivere Damore was that she survived two serious challenges — the first from Angel In White in the first circuit of the 2130m event, and the second from Vivere Damore, who enjoyed a comfortable passage in the one-out, two-back position before sprinting strongly over the final 450m and took a narrow lead approaching the home turn.
Sheez Our Hope, the $2.20 favourite, responded to the late challenge and went to the line strongly to beat Vivere Damore, the $2.40 second fancy, by a neck, rating 1.55.3 after the final three quarters were run in 27.8sec., 28.6sec. and 28.4sec.
Booraa ($7) enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail and fought on gamely to finish third, with Angel In White running fourth after racing without cover.
Reinsman Kyle Harper said that he had a few moments of concern before the race, saying: “Funnily enough she warmed up a bit scratchy. During the first 600 to 700 metres of the warm-up she skipped and hopped, which is unlike her. She didn’t feel sore and eventually settled down.
“It was nice to get a 38sec. lead time, and then the rest of the race was war, so we were lucky to have had that lead time. She is a lovely animal who travels effortlessly. When she ran a 27.8sec. quarter into the bell, it felt like she was running 31sec.
“She copped all the pressure in the world, and to her credit she kept boxing on. It’s always a worry when a horse (Angel In White) puts the pressure on. Sheez Our Hope is a very good sit-kick horse, and I wasn’t sure how she would go out in front, and under pressure.
“She has led and won before, but in much weaker company. This was a really good test for her, and she came through with flying colours. I know that Sheez Our Hope always rallies in the front straight. She dug deep and it is a credit to her.”
Owner-trainer Mike Cornwall said that Sheez Our Hope has been in work for almost nine months and that he was going to give her a well-deserved spell. “She hasn’t shown any signs of needing a break, but I do think it will do her, particularly considering that a lot of her racing has been in hot weather.”
Friday night’s victory improved Sheez Our Hope’s record to 23 starts for ten wins and five placings for stakes of $111,238. She is by former star pacer Alta Christiano and is out of the New Zealand-bred mare Easton Swift, who raced 52 times for 13 wins, 12 placings and $123,391.
A winning combination
West Australian-bred pacer Rich American notched his second win in the space of four days when Emily Suvaljko drove the four-year-old to an easy all-the-way victory in the 2130m DTS 55,000 Stock Lines Under One Roof Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This followed her strong frontrunning display to win over 2130m at a 1.56.2 rate at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.
The American Ideal gelding, part-owned and trained by Karen Thompson, has been handled by the 21-year-old Suvaljko 19 times for all of his five victories in his 32-start career for earnings of $44,380. He was purchased for $14,000 at the 2019 APG Perth yearling sale.
Rich American, the $1.30 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier, set a solid pace and gave his rivals little chance by dashing over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 27.7sec. He rated 1.57.6 and beat the $4.40 second fancy McArdles Gem by four metres. McArdles Gem trailed Rich American all the way and finished with a spirited burst, without threatening the favourite.
Rich American has inherited some of the ability of her dam Rich Life, who raced 60 times for five wins, 12 placings and stakes of $36,358.
Suvaljko followed her win with Rich American in the final event at Gloucester Park on Friday night by winning the opening three events at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Sunday afternoon with Dynamite Dolly ($5.50), Lamour Dottie ($2.50) and Stirup Iron Jack ($10).
Easy for Jaspervellabeach
“I don’t think he has been beaten when he has set the pace,” said Blythewood trainer Gary Elson after champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr had enjoyed an armchair drive to score an effortless all-the-way victory with Jaspervellabeach in the 2130m www.DTSWA.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
From the prized No. 1 barrier Jaspervellabeach was the $1.20 favourite who ambled through the lead time in a slow 39.1sec. before coasting through the opening quarters of the final mile in 32.1sec. and 30.3sec. and then sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 27.7sec. to win at a 1.59.3 rate.
Jaspervellabeach won by 5m from $12 chance Allwoods Rocknroll, who trailed the leader all the way. The Kraken ($6.50) fought on to be third after enjoying the one-out, one-back trail.
“He looked like the best horse in the race, and he had the best driver,” said Elson, who bought the son of Somebeachsomewhere as a yearling in Melbourne where he was offered for sale by the Alderbaran Lodge.
“A young bloke told me that the breeders had a nice horse, and that they were hoping to sell him for $20,000. I bid to $11,000 and got him. I had ten youngsters at home that year and I told my daughter Kristy that she could have one of them.
“Jaspervellabeach kept throwing himself down, but Kristy said that he was the one she wanted.”
Indeed, it was a wise decision. Jaspervellabeach, now a five-year-old, has earned $220,222 from 13 wins and 12 placings from 51 starts. He was an outstanding youngster who won at four of his six starts as a two-year-old, with his notable victories being in the group 1 Golden Slipper in which he defeated Major Martini, and in the group 2 Champagne Classic.
Egerton-Green’s winning move
Talented reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green was rewarded for his bold decision to dash Ideal Agent forward with a lightning-fast move from last in the field of nine with about 1300m to travel in the 2130m Get the Best Service Only @ DTS Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ideal Agent, racing first-up for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was the $6.10 second fancy, with Doc Holliday a hot $1.30 favourite from the favourable No. 2 barrier, and when that pacer ambled through the opening quarter of the final mile in 31.5sec. Egerton-Green realised that Ideal Agent would be unable to come from last with a late burst in the final lap to make up sufficient ground to beat the frontrunner.
So, Egerton-Green made the fast move with Ideal Agent to charge to the breeze and put pressure on Doc Holliday, who had to increase the tempo to keep Ideal Agent at bay. This resulted in a 28sec. second 400m section of the final mile, followed by a 29.7sec. and then a fast 28.4sec. final quarter.
Ideal Agent ran home determinedly to take the lead in the final 20m and beat Doc Holliday by a neck, rating 1.56.8sec. Arma Einstein ($23) finished strongly, four wide, from sixth at the bell to be a neck farther back in third place, a nose ahead of the fast-finishing Vespa ($7.50).
Ideal Agent, who was having his first start for ten weeks, won at four of his 31 starts in New Zealand and now has raced ten times in WA for six wins, three seconds and one seventh.
Ideal Agent’s win completed a double the Bond stable and Egerton-Green, who opened the nine-event program with the $1.50 favourite Dont Bother Me None proving too strong for his eight rivals in the DTS We’ve Got Shedloads Pace.
Polemarker Rock Me Over ($10) set the pace, with Egerton-Green content to rate Dont Bother Me None in the breeze. After a modest lead time of 37.8sec. and opening quarters of 30.7sec. and 29.8sec. Rock Me Over sped over the third 400m section in 27.7sec. before Egerton-Green sent Dont Bother Me None the front with 370m to travel. The final quarter was run in 28.1sec. and Dont Bother Me None won by a length from $3.60 chance Will I Rocknroll, with Rock Me Over holding on to be third.
Dont Bother Me None, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old by Bettors Delight, has done all his racing in WA, earning $74,949 from 12 wins and four placings from 21 starts.
Billy Mack ends losing run of 88
Veteran pacer Billy Mack ended a losing sequence of 88 and broke a four-year drought when he caused a major upset by winning the 2130m Farmlock Fencing Only At DTS Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eleven-year-old Billy Mack, owned by Brett Postans of Merredin and trained and raced on lease by Serpentine horseman Matt Scott, was left without a driver when Shannon Suvaljko was forced into isolation after being in close contact with a COVID-19 sufferer.
Scott then engaged Aiden de Campo to drive the Victorian-bred Billy Mack in his 175TH race start in an event in which he was favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier but was given little hope against the $1.05 favourite and polemarker Heez Our Perseus.
However, Heez Our Perseus had no luck in a helter-skelter event in which the lead time was covered in a very fast 34.5sec. Heez Our Perseus took the lead from the outset but was tightened and carried over several marker pegs and raced roughly soon after the start.
Distinguished Taste, a $41 chance, dashed to the front after 250m and soon after that he was challenged by Heez Our Perseus, who had to work very hard to regain the lead after a fierce 350m battle for ascendancy. Meanwhile, de Campo was content to race in fifth position, three back on the pegs with Billy Mack.
Heez Our Perseus then had to withstand $16 chance Zazu’s spirited challenge for the lead with 1100m to travel. Heez Our Perseus led until the final 220m before de Campo sent Billy Mack to the front on the home turn. Zazu, who had been in the breeze for more than a lap, refused to give in and he and Billy Mack were engaged a titanic struggle in the home straight, with Billy Mack prevailing to win by a nose a 1.56.9 rate.
This took Billy Mack’s record to 175 starts for 13 wins, 32 placings and $112,797 in prizemoney. It was his first success since he started at $44.20, raced in the breeze and won narrowly from Runrunjimmydunn and Maxentius at Gloucester Park on February 9, 2018.
Billy Mack, who began racing as a two-year-old in February 2013, had 26 starts in Victoria for six wins and won at three of his 27 starts in South Australia before arriving in Western Australia where he now has a record of 120 starts in the State for four wins and 18 placings.
He is by Art Major and is the fifth foal out of unraced New Zealand-bred mare Come To The Party, whose dam Bee Gee’s Dream also produced the outstanding mare Another Party, who had 149 starts for 31 wins, 42 placings and stakes of $888,678. Her victories included the Celebrity Mile at Gloucester Park on December 31, 2000, the Fremantle Cup in January 2001 and the Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley in February 2001.
Postans trained Billy Mack in Merredin for his early starts in WA before Scott took over the training duties in mid-2017 when he drove him and won a six-horse trial at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park in June 2017 when his rate of 1.55.7 was a course record for 2100m.
A fortnight after that trial Billy Mack, driven by Corey Peterson, won at his first start for Scott, racing in the breeze and beating Hez The Artisan by a half-length. A month later Billy Mack finished seventh behind Rock Diamond in the final of the John Higgins Memorial.
Billy Mack returned to Merredin to be prepared again by Postans, who notched his first — and only –city success when the pacer was successful in beating the $1.04 favourite Runrunjimmydunn in February 2018.
Scott resumed as Billy Mack’s trainer last November, and Scott gives him three 400m sprints on the Jandakot track every Wednesday and then rides him in the water at Kwinana on Thursdays — to help freshen the mind of an old performer.
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