07 November 2022 | Ken Casellas
An irresistible combination
The combination of trainer Justin Prentice and reinsman Gary Hall jnr continues to be an irresistible force in juvenile classics in Western Australian harness racing, and the partnership was to the fore again at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Tricky Miki triumphed in the $200,000 Sky Racing WA Derby.
The 34-year-old Prentice is growing in stature as an astute judge of selecting yearling pacers and as a trainer par excellence from his Boyanup property, while the 40-year-old Hall continues his reign as WA’s most gifted reinsman.
Prentice chose Tricky Miki on his conformation and good looks and purchased him for $57,500 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sales. He races the three-year-old gelding in partnership with eight stable clients — and the Derby victory boosted Tricky Miki’s record to 14 starts for eight wins, five placings and earnings of $324,450.
This was Prentice’s 27TH success in a group 1 feature event, and for Hall it took his tally in group 1 events to a remarkable 63 wins. Prentice has also prepared 19 group 2 winners and 19 group 3 winners, and his runners have also chalked up 76 placings in group races.
Hall has driven the winners of 203 group events and has also been placed in another 141 group races. His victory on Friday night was a record sixth in a WA Derby, coming after wins with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015), Chicago Bull (2016), King Of Swing (2018) and Major Trojan (2019). Prentice had driven Im Victorious to victory in the 2012 Derby and he trained and drove Mighty Ronaldo to win the classic in 2021.
Tricky Miki was the $1.70 favourite from barrier No. 6 on Friday night, and he settled down in ninth position while $19 chance Hoppys Way was setting a solid pace after beginning brilliantly from barrier seven.
Hall, not wanting to rely on Tricky Miki’s wonderful turn of foot in the final circuit, seized the initiative by sending the gelding forward, three wide, 950m after the start to quickly move into the breeze.
Shannon Suvaljko increased the tempo when he got Hoppys Way to sprint over the third quarter of the final mile in 28.7sec. Hall was not flustered, and he bided his time before asking Tricky Miki for a supreme effort 250m from home. Tricki Miki responded to the challenge, and he sprinted strongly to burst to the front 25m from the post and win by a half-length from Hoppys Way, with the filly Taking The Miki running on from sixth, three back on the pegs, at the bell to be third.
The final 400m was covered in 29.1sec. and Tricky Miki rated 1.58.8 over the 2536m.
“I weighed it all up and I wasn’t scared to put Tricky Miki into the breeze in that field,” said Hall. “I was going all right down the back when I remembered watching the race at Bunbury (in late August) when Tricky Miki sat outside four-year-old Tenzing Bromac — and when I asked him, he just went bang (and finished a half-length second to Tenzing Bromac after final quarters of 27.3sec. and 27.6sec.).
“I knew that Tricky Miki could show that point to point speed from the breeze, but I had to make sure that I timed it right. It was hard to keep waiting, but it turned out all right.”
Prentice praised Hall, saying: “It was an awesome drive by Junior. Once he got to the breeze, I was confident, though turning for home I thought he was in a little bit of strife. However, it was good that Junior didn’t panic down the back and take on the leader, and I knew that Tricky Miki had a kick left in him.”
Prentice said that he was contemplating starting Tricky Miki in the $30,000 WA Country Derby at Pinjarra next Monday before sending him for a spell. “I’ll just see how he pulls up,” he said.
Tricky Miki caught Prentice’s eye at the 2020 yearling sale. “I really liked him, even though his American sire Always B Miki was an unknown,” he said. “But I thought that Tricky Miki was too nice looking to worry about the stallion too much.”
Tricky Miki, bred by Steve Johnson, is out of the Modern Art Mare Harriet Elisabeth, who raced 36 times for 11 wins, nine placings and stakes of $114,348. Her victories included the Western Crown Classic for two-year-old fillies in March 2013 and she also finished second to Im Bella Jay in the Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies in July 2014.
Patronus Star ends a drought
Talented New Zealand-bred five-year-old Patronus Star emerged as a leading candidate for the rich Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in January when he unwound a dazzling finishing burst to win the $30,000 Sky Racing Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a first-up triumph for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who produced the American Ideal gelding in great shape for his first race for 15 weeks.
The victory ended a losing sequence of 14 and broke a 16-month drought. Patronus Star, a $7.80 chance from barrier four, was driven with great patience and skill by Deni Roberts, who restrained the gelding at the start and was content to race in last position.
Hurricane Harley, a $51 outsider, began speedily and set a solid pace, with the $1.40 favourite Magnificent Storm in the breeze. Magnificent Storm failed to settle and overraced before Aldo Cortopassi sent him to the front 550m from home.
Patronus Star was still ninth and last with 450m to travel before Roberts switched him three wide at the 300m. He was out five wide on the home turn and still in seventh position at the 100m before he flew home to win by just over a length from $71 outsider Cordero, who ran home strongly from eighth at the bell.
Mighty Conqueror ($14), a stablemate of Patronus Star and making his first appearance for eight months, impressed in finishing solidly from sixth at the bell to be a neck away in third place, with Magnificent Storm wilting to fourth.
“It was always my intention, first-up and over the longer trip, to tuck him away and then see how he hit the line,” said Roberts. “He can follow a good tempo and still reel off a really nice quarter, which he did tonight.
“It was run to suit, and he loves peeling off their backs like that. To be honest, I didn’t think that he could win. They were rolling along, and he wasn’t travelling overly well. But the minute I pulled him to the outside I thought I’ve got a bit more horse under me than I thought, and he showed that. It’s the best feeling swamping the field like that.”
Roberts has enjoyed an excellent association with Patronus Star, having driven the gelding four times for a win, two seconds and one third placing. Patronus Star had a modest start to his career as a two-year-old in New Zealand when his seven starts in minor events produced two wins and three placings. His 33 WA starts have resulted in 12 wins and 12 placings, and his record now stands at 40 starts for 14 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $420,730.
He won at his first seven starts in WA in 2020 when his most notable victory was in the WA Derby in April that year when he defeated Major Martini.
Clay treatments helps Five Bangles
Constant treatment over the past couple of months has helped high-priced New Zealand-bred filly Five Bangles to overcome sore hooves. She was a $6.40 chance from the No. 1 barrier when Shannon Suvaljko drove her to an all-the-way win in the 2130m Follow Sky Racing On Facebook Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
After a third quarter of 28.3sec. Five Bangles dashed over the final 400m in 27.9sec. and held on to win by a half-head from the $2.10 favourite Little Darling, who raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before Chris Lewis sent her forward, three wide, from the 600m.
“Five Bangles has a lot of speed but has been troubled by laminitis (inflammation of the tissue between the hoof and the underlying coffin bone),” said trainer Mike Reed. “She races with pads under her shoes and IO have been standing her in clay every day for about three hours for the past six weeks.”
This has minimised inflammation in the filly’s feet and has reduced the soreness.
Five Bangles won the start and ambled through the lead time in 39.6sec. and the opening quarter of the final mile in a slow 31.2sec. before sections of 30.1sec., 28.3sec. and 27.9sec. She rated 1.58.7 and improved her record to 18 starts for five wins, eight placings and stakes of $43,054.
Five Bangles is by champion sire Bettors Delight and is the sixth foal out of the Badlands Hanover mare Beaudiene Bad Babe, who amassed $404,898 in prizemoney from 22 wins and 12 placings from 42 starts. Her most significant victory was in the group 1 Four-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in June 2010.
Bad To The Bone is an elder full-brother to Five Bangles and he has earned $307,772 from ten wins and 16 placings from 54 starts. The potential shown by Bad To The Bone aroused the interest of Reed and Jim Giumelli at the 2020 national yearling sale in Christchurch, and Giumelli went to $220,000 to buy Five Bangles.
Robbie Rocket excels in stand
Consistent four-year-old Robbie Rocket overcame a slight scare at the start before winning at his first appearance in a standing-start event, the 2503m Sky Racing Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the culmination of Byford trainer Ron Huston’s plan to race the Follow The Stars gelding in stands. “He has had three trials in stands over a six-month period and he was pretty safe in all of them,” said Huston, who races Robbie Rocket with his partner Vicki Lea.
“His latest trial, about three weeks ago, was really good, and I always thought that stands would be his go. He can’t be used out of the gate real hard in mobiles. Tonight, he shied at the tape at the start, with the tape pinging across and landing at his feet. Junior (Gary Hall jnr) is a master, and he didn’t panic.”
Robbie Rocket veered out slightly and paced roughly for a couple of strides, but Hall was able to get him to settle and he was able to hold out an early challenge from Aussie Scooter, who shared favouritism at $2.60 with Robbie Rocket.
Robbie Rocket dashed over the final two 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.1sec. and won comfortably by 5m from Aussie Scooter. Robbie Rocket, whose dam Elite Angel raced 62 times for 12 wins, 14 placings and $128,702, has earned $107,582 from ten wins and 16 placings from 44 starts.
Whatabro’s perfect formula
Coolup trainer Michael Brennan has discovered the perfect formula for Victorian-bred five-year-old Whatabro — draw barrier No.1, set the pace and win.
Remarkably, Whatabro, a former prolific winner in South Australia, has started from the No. 1 barrier five times at Gloucester Park, and he has set the pace and won at all five starts.
Whatabro has started from the inside barrier on the past three Friday nights, and he kept up the good work on Friday night when Chris Voak took full advantage of the prized barrier and guided the Four Starzz Shark gelding to a comfortable all-the-way victory over the $3.10 favourite Machnificent.
Whatabro was the third fancy at $4.30, after winning at $2.30 and $3.50 at his two previous outings. He sprinted over the final 800m in 56.3sec. and showed that there are more wins in store for the gelding who had managed one win from his previous 24 starts before this hat-trick of victories.
Whatabro, a winner of 18 races in South Australia, has won seven times from 39 WA starts. His career record stands at 110 starts for 25 wins, 39 placings and $191,049 in prizemoney.
Master trainer’s treble
Hard-pulling pacer Master Publisher completed a treble for master trainer Gary Hall snr when he revealed plenty of toughness to score a fighting victory in the 2130m Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall had been successful earlier in the 11-event program with Euphoria and Hes Never Been Beta.
Master Publisher, an $11 chance from barrier five, worked hard in the breeze for most of the 2130m journey and simply outstayed the $1.85 favourite Ima Rockabilly Rebel, who finished doggedly after racing three wide for the first circuit and then enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Maddison Brown, who was driving Master Publisher for the first time, found that the New Zealand-bred five-year-old was a bit of a handful, saying: “He was pretty keen and pulling a bit. I worked forward because he wasn’t giving me much of an option.”
Master Publisher, who was unplaced at his three New Zealand starts in group 2 and 3 events early in 2019, has now had 35 starts in WA for ten wins and six placings and has earned $75,571.
He is by A Rocknroll Dance and is the eighth foal out of the unraced Badlands Hanover mare Neverland Franco, whose full-sister Nearea Franco had 34 starts for 11 wins, 11 placings and $441,405. She won the $200,000 Four-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in May 2008, the group 1 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park in December 2008, the group 2 Kaikoura Cup in November 2009 and a group 3 Free-For-All at Addington in November 2010. Later, she produced the brilliant Nike Franco, who raced 83 times for 32 wins, 19 placings and stakes of $913,870.
Late burst earns Pradason a win
A scorching early speed battle between Dominus Factum, Western Arterra and Mirragon played into the hands of the sit-sprinters in the 1730m Follow@SkyRacingau on Twitter Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
While Mirragon was able to kick through on the inside and set the pace from Dominus Factum, Dylan Egerton-Green was quite content to remain at the rear with $11.70 chance Pradason, who began from the outside of the back line.
Pradason was tenth early and eighth at the bell, with Egerton-Green biding his time. Pradason was still in eighth position 400m from home when Egerton-Green sent the five-year-old forward. Pradason sprinted strongly and burst to the front in the final 60m to win by a half-length from Mirragon, rating 1.56.3 rate over 2130m.
The Victorian-bred Pradason, trained by Aiden de Campo, was driven for the first time by Egerton-Green, with de Campo choosing to drive stablemate Dominus Factum, who wilted to seventh after racing without cover.
Pradason, by American stallion Shadow Play, is the second foal out of Stylish Jasper, who earned $1189,491 from 15 wins and 33 placings from 125 starts. He raced 17 times in Victoria for five wins and eight placings, and his 46 WA starts have produced ten wins and 13 placings. He showed early promise in finishing second behind Soho Hamilton in a group 2 classic for three-year-olds at Melton in September 2019.
Euphoria improves his gate speed
“He has really found some new-found gate speed,” said Stuart McDonald after driving consistent five-year-old Euphoria to victory in the #Skyharness Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Euphoria, trained by Gary Hall snr and a $4.50 chance from barrier five, surged to the front after $17 chance and last-start winner Tuas Delight led from barrier four for the first 250m.
“He has always had gate speed, but after being fired out a few times lately he’s got the hang of it and got faster,” said McDonald. “He probably could have got to the front easier if Tuas Delight had not drawn to our immediate inside. If Euphoria had drawn wider, I would’ve been able to cross a lot earlier.
“Once in front he’s always hard to run down. Ideal Agent (the $2.35 favourite) had got to the breeze comfortably and I’d burnt hard. But I was able to get a good breather and I was comfortable with the first half (60.7sec.).” Euphoria then was able to sprint over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 28.7sec. and he won by a half-length from Ideal Agent, rating 1.57.2 over 2130m.
Euphoria has been a splendid moneyspinner and he has earned $161,243 from 13 wins and 26 placings from 62 starts.
Eighteen Carat warms up in style
Star mare Eighteen Carat was not extended in scoring an all-the-way victory in the $26,000 In The Gig On Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night — a win that showed she was in peak form for the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic next Friday night.
She was the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and gave Gary Hall jnr an armchair drive as she dictated terms and strolled to victory by a length and a half from $81 outsider Bettor Get It On, who raced three wide for the first 450m and then in the breeze for the rest of the event.
Eighteen Carat rated 1.57.8 over 2130m and was untroubled to reel off quarters of 30sec., 30.8sec., 29.1sec. and 28.5sec.
Booraa ($26) also ran a good trial for the Norms Daughter Classic in finishing solidly to be third.
“She did just what she had to,” said trainer Michael Young. “It was a good trial for next week for the Norms Daughter Classic and for the $150,000 Mares Classic a fortnight later.”
The New Zealand-bred Eighteen Carat has now won at six of her eight appearances in Western Australia and has improved her career record to 46 starts for 11 wins, seven placings and stakes of $160,646.
Hes Never Been Beta impresses
Inexperienced colt Hes Never Been Beta is giving every indication that he will develop into a top-flight three-year-old next year.
The Hes Watching youngster, trained by Gary Hall snr, overcame difficulties before winning the 2130m #Inthegig Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $1.30 favourite from the No. 6 barrier, and he raced in the breeze outside the $3.50 second fancy Dourado before he hung down on the bend out of the home straight in the final lap, with his hind leg contacting Dourado’s off side sulky wheel, causing him to pace roughly for a few strides.
Aiden de Campo then attempted to pinch a winning break with Dourado, but after a 27.7sec. quarter down the back and a final 400m of 29.9sec. he was unable to hold out Hes Never Been Beta, who finished powerfully and got to the front in the final few strides.
“For Hes Never Been Beta to do that, and to balance up, and go on and win was pretty impressive,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “He did a big job to win, and I was pretty impressed. His work at home is as good as you could hope from a baby.”
Hes Never Been Beta is the only foal out of Never Been Bettor, who is a half-sister to Herrick Roosevelt, who was trained by Hall snr and was driven by Hall jnr for ten of his 14 wins in Western Australia.
Herrick Roosevelt was retired with earnings of $350,624 from 21 wins and 31 placings from 93 starts. He won the group 2 Christmas Gift at Gloucester Park in December 2017 and finished third behind Ultimate Machete in the Golden Nugget that season.
Another first for Hall
A fortnight after becoming the first driver to land seven winners at a meeting in Western Australia, champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr chalked up another milestone when he prepared his first metropolitan-class winner as a trainer at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The 40-year-old Hall has concentrated on driving throughout his career and is just starting to get the feel of preparing pacers for racing.
Armed Reactor was having his second start for Hall (after a sound second to Prince Of Pleasure at Pinjarra last Monday week) when he began from barrier five in the 2130m Sky Racing Pace on Friday night.
Armed Reactor was third favourite at $7.10 and after racing wide early during a fast lead time of 36.6sec. he surged to the front after 500m and enjoyed his pacemaking role as he reeled off quarters of 30sec., 29.6sec., 28.5sec. and 29.6sec. to win easily by two lengths from the fast-finishing $4.60 chance Pontevivo, rating 1.56.7.
“It’s harder to drive,” said Hall. “All the trainers talk about how much pressure they’re under, but training is the easy part; driving is the harder part.”
Armed Reactor, a New Zealand-bred seven-year-old, has had a chequered career, and his record is quite confusing. Official records indicate that the Auckland Reactor gelding has had 19 starts for five wins and four placings.
But, in fact, he has raced 38 times and has finished first on six occasions. He was registered in New Zealand as a chestnut, but in WA he is registered as a bay gelding.
Armed Reactor has started nine times in WA, but his record shows that he has had only seven starts for three wins and two placings. Explaining this is the fact that he was disqualified from his first two starts in the State, when finishing seventh behind El Chema at Pinjarra on November 15, 2021, and winning by six lengths from All Black Rain at a 1.56.9 rate at Gloucester Park on March 15, 2022.
He was disqualified from his first two WA appearances when handicappers later discovered his New Zealand earnings had made him ineligible for those events.
Mundijong trainer Michael Young recently decided to transfer Armed Reactor to Hall for a change of environment, with Hall explaining that the gelding was a bit of a lunatic.
“In the preliminary I let him walk around for one and a half laps; you can’t let him go because he just takes off,” said Hall. “But in the run tonight he was perfect.
“He likes to roll. His run at Pinjarra wouldn’t have suggested that he could do it like what he did tonight. Obviously, he took a lot out of his Pinjarra run.
“I try to keep him as quiet as possible at home, and I don’t do a lot with him. He barely works, and you have to race him for his fitness.”
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