19 December 2022 | Ken Casellas
Himself maintains Bond dominance
Outstanding reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green, beaten into second place in desperately close photo finishes in two of the three previous Golden Nugget Championships, put the record straight when he brought rank outsider Himself home with a powerful burst from the rear to win the $200,000 Retravision Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And Himself’s victory continued the dominance of champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond in the recent runnings of the prestigious group 1 feature event for four-year-olds.
The Bonds, who had prepared Himself for the rich race with a diet of standing-start events, now have won three of the past four Nuggets, following the successes of Ana Malak in 2018 and Minstrel in 2021. The race was not run in 2020.
It was Ana Malak’s victory that really put the Bond stamp of authority on the Nugget, with the Forrestdale trainers also preparing Mighty Conqueror (second), Fizzing (third), Bright Diamond (fourth) and Bettor Aim (fifth) in 2018.
Mighty Conqueror, driven by Egerton-Green, finished a short half-head behind Ana Malak, and a year later Egerton-Green set the pace with the Colin Brown-trained Patrickthepiranha, who was overhauled in the final stride and was beaten by a head by the fast-finishing Shockwave.
Himself not only wrote his name in the record books as the longest-priced winner in the 42-year history of the Golden Nugget, but he also broke the race record and track record for 2536m.
Himself rated 1.54 and erased the names of other Bond-trained pacers Vampiro and Minstrel from the record books. Vampiro rated 1.54.1 in winning a Free-For-All from Bletchley Park and Galactic Star in December 2020, while Minstrel held the race record of 1.54.7.
Himself, a New Zealand-bred gelding by Sportswriter, was an effortless winner in a standing-start event a week before Friday night’s race, but he was overlooked by most punters and started at $76.40 and at $81 on the fixed market.
Himself was somewhat awkwardly drawn at the No. 5 barrier on the front line, and Egerton-Green’s plan was not to become involved in any early speed battles. He restrained the gelding back to tenth while the early speed was frenetic, with Trent Wheeler getting Pinny Tiger (the winner of the group 1 Four-Year-Old Classic a fortnight earlier) away with a flying start from barrier seven and bursting straight to the lead.
Pinny Tiger ($13) then defied an early challenge from Mighty Ronaldo ($4.40) and then from Lavra Joe ($2.90 favourite). The lead time of a sizzling 63sec. was the fastest recorded in a 2536m event at the track.
Pinny Tiger continued to set a strong pace, with opening quarters of the final mile in 29.1sec. and 29.7sec. before he began to wilt. The Amber Hare, who had raced four back on the pegs, was sent forward, three wide, approaching the bell and Jocelyn Young sent the mare to the front with 600m to travel.
The third section went by in 29.1sec. and Himself was twelfth and last at the 900m. Jumpingjackmac ($6.50), who was last at the 1200m, followed The Amber Hare’s three-wide run in the final circuit before Aiden de Campo dashed him into the lead 350m from home. He fought on grandly to finish an excellent second (his tenth second placing to go with his 16 wins from 39 starts). Himself followed Jumpingjackmac, out three wide, in the last lap before surging to the front 250m from the finish.
The Bond-trained Tenzing Bromac ($34) raced three back on the pegs and finished gamely to be third despite breaking in the home straight.
For the 29-year-old Egerton-Green this was his ninth group 1 victory. “There was a lot of speed inside us, so it was always the plan to take hold early,” he said. “I thought that over the journey, if they went hard, Himself’s toughness would prevail.
“There was a bit on early which played into our hands. After the fast lead time I was pretty happy.”
Before the Golden Nugget, Himself had won ten races, nine of them in stands. He won at three of his eleven New Zealand starts and his twelve starts in WA have produced eight wins and three seconds to boost his career record to 23 starts for eleven wins, seven placings and $238,861.
Skye Bond said that Himself had not been nominated for the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup (2536m) and the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup in January, but the stable would be keen to pay a $5500 late nomination fee if he maintained his splendid form.
“The Cup distances are ideal for Himself,” she said. “He definitely has the toughness to be a Cups horse. I guess those really good horses have not only toughness but real high speed as well. That’s a little question mark against Himself; how much top-end speed he has.”
Ragazzo Mach set for Cups
High-priced New Zealand import Ragazzo Mach was a comparative outsider at $20.10 — the longest price of his 29-start career — when he bounced back to his best form with an impressive victory in the $30,000 Retravision For All The Electrical Stuff You Love Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Mike Reed-trained four-year-old ended a losing sequence of nine and a ten-month drought, just six nights after his six-year-old half-brother I Cast No Shadow won the $500,000 Interdominion Championship final at Melton.
“That’s the first time he has had a bit of luck on his side,” said Reed. “And now we will be heading for the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups with him.
“Two starts ago when he raced in fast-class company he got carted back to last leaving the back, and he hit the line really good. Last week he sat outside the leader (when second to Ezana) and that’s not ideal.
“He is a speed horse and if he is able to lead in the Cups, he would be hard to beat. But if they are run up-tempo (and he races with a sit) he would be a swooper.”
Ragazzo Mach raced in sixth position, one-out and three-back, while Hampton Banner ($3.90) was setting a brisk pace, and the $1.53 favourite Prince Of Pleasure appearing in a bit of danger, locked up on the pegs and on the inside of Ragazzo Mach.
Gary Hall jnr was able to ease Prince Of Pleasure off the pegs with just over a lap to travel, leaving Reed expecting Ragazzo Mach to be forced three wide. But Shannon Suvaljko cleverly avoided being pushed three wide and Ragazzo Mach then was able to follow the one-wide run of the favourite.
Ideal Agent ($11) raced outside the pacemaking Hampton Banner and took a narrow lead on the home turn before Prince Of Pleasure obtained the upper hand 60m from the post. But Ragazzo Mach sprinted home strongly, out four wide, to hit the front in the final couple of strides and win by a neck from Prince Of Pleasure, rating 1.56.6 over the 2536m, with the final three quarters of 28.9sec., 27.6sec. and 28.1sec.
Mighty Conqueror, winner of the WA Pacing Cup in January 2020, finished solidly into third place after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position. “That was his fourth run after an extended break, and he is getting back to peak fitness,” said trainer Skye Bond.
Ragazzo Mach has had 29 starts for 11 wins, 11 placings and stakes of $142,150. He won at seven of his 13 New Zealand starts, while his 16 WA starts have produced four wins and eight placings.
Aussie Scooter completes Bond treble
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond ended a highly successful evening at Gloucester Park on Friday night on a winning note when star reinsman Ryan Warwick drove a confident and patient race to guide Aussie Scooter to victory in the Retravision Handicap, a 2503m standing-start race.
The Bonds had won earlier in the night with Himself and Glenledi Chief and enjoyed second placings with Ima Rockabilly Rebel and Dont Bother Me None, and a third with Tensing Bromac.
Aussie Scooter was equal favourite at $3.40 with Orlando Blue, and Warwick was happy to bide his time with Aussie Scooter enjoying a perfect passage in the one-out, one-back position while Cooper ($9.50) led for the first 600m before Gary Hall jnr sent Orlando Blue to the front.
Warwick waited until 250m from home before switching Aussie Scooter three wide. The Mach Three gelding sprinted strongly to take the lead at the 100m, and he won, unextended, by a half-length from Orlando Blue, with the final 400m being covered in a slick 27.8sec.
“Aussie Scooter has been knocking on the door and has been ultra consistent in stands,” said Skye Bond.
Aussie Scooter, raced by Kerry and Jan Gibellini and members of the family, was purchased for $35,000 at the 2019 Perth APG yearling sale. He now has had 43 starts for 11 wins, 12 placings and $104,509 in prizemoney. He has inherited much of his ability from his dam, the Sportswriter mare Jasmin Amal, who earned $101,511 from eight wins and 12 placings from 31 starts.
As a two-year-old in 2015, Jasmin Amal finished third behind Bethany Aitch in the Diamond Classic and second to Dodolicious in the Westbred Classic for fillies.
Sugar Street simply superior
Classy four-year-old Sugar Street simply proved too speedy for his ten rivals when he gave a stylish exhibition of pacemaking to coast to victory in the 2536m Retravision Lowest price Guarantee Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was his second convincing win at his second start after a spell and it gave part-owner and trainer Barry Howlett and champion reinsman Chris Lewis the first leg of a double. They combined later in the night when Little Darling was an easy winner of the 1730m Retravision NYE Pace for three-year-old fillies.
Howlett has yet to determine the immediate program for Sugar Street. But the Bettors Delight stallion could be a strong candidate for feature events like next Friday night’s $50,000 Christmas Gift and the $48,500 Nights Of Thunder on January 20.
Sugar Street was the $1.40 favourite, and Lewis took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier by setting the horse the task of leading all the way. After opening quarters of 30.4sec. and 30.3sec., Sugar Street sped over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec. and won by just over a length from $13 chance Dont Bother Me None, who enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before finishing solidly.
Sugar Street has the potential to quickly graduate to fast-class events. He has had 31 starts for ten wins, 14 placings and stakes of $107,607.
Little Darling began from the outside of the back line and was a hot favourite at $1.70 over the sprint trip. The polemarker Cheese And Biccys ($13) set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and Lewis sent Little Darling forward with a three wide burst soon after the start to quickly move to the outside of the pacemaker.
Cheese And Biccys reeled off quarters of 28.4sec., 29.6sec. and 28.6sec. before Lewis dashed Little Darling to the front 250m from home. She then coasted home and won by two lengths from $26 chance Elsamay, who fought on after trailed the leader. Cyclone Charlotte ($4.20) was most impressive. She was tenth at the bell and charged home, out six wide, to finish third.
Little Darling, bred by the Howlett family, has earned $127,444 from seven wins and ten placings from 22 starts. “She has done a good job, and I might give her a break now,” said Howlett. “As a four-year-old next year she should be right up there with the best of the mares in the State.”
Beat City goes up in class
Victorian-bred five-year-old Beat City stepped up to Conditioned class racing after Maddison Brown gave a flawless exhibition in the sulky to guide the gelding to narrow victory in the $20,375 Retravision.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Conditioned racing is one step below Free-For-All company, and trainer Michael Young said he was confident the gelding would handle the rise in class.
“Beat City is probably the best sit-sprinter in the stable and he is filling the void left by Vespa, who is expected to start racing in America in the near future,” said Young.
Vespa won nine times for Young, including seven in metropolitan-class events, before leaving for the United States in August.
Beat City has been a star performer for Young, having had 33 starts for him for nine wins, eleven seconds and four thirds for stakes of $144,932. His career record now stands at 69 starts for 18 wins, 26 placings and $223,885.
Beat City is out of the Bettors Delight mare TPS Girl, who also produced Sarge, who has earned $96,840 from ten wins and 38 placings from 125 starts. Sarge won once in Victoria and four times in New South Wales. He also raced 69 times in WA between 2018 and 2020 for five wins and 17 placings.
Polemarker Master Publisher was the $1.55 favourite in Friday night’s race, and he set the pace despite hanging out early. Brown quickly manoeuvred Beat City, the $5.90 second fancy, from barrier two to three back on the pegs in fifth position.
The third quarter of the final mile was run in a smart 27.7sec. and Brown cleverly eased Beat City off the pegs 450m from home, and the gelding went four wide on the home turn and sprinted fast to get up and snatch victory from $13 chance Ima Rockabilly Rebel, who was sixth at the bell before finishing strongly to get to the front 60m from the post.
Glenledi Chief back in form
Consistent pacer Glenledi Chief returned to his best form and ended a losing sequence of nine when Ryan Warwick drove him perfectly to land him an easy winner in the 2130m Retravision 60 Day Price Promise Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Glenledi Chief, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was the second fancy at $2.80 from the No. 2 barrier, with the polemarker Jack Farthing the $2.50 favourite.
Kyle Symington sent Jack Farthing straight to the front, and the seven-year-old looked the likely winner after a modest lead time of 37.8sec. and leisurely opening quarters of 31.6sec. and 29.3sec. Warwick was happy to trail the leader and was confident Glenledi Chief would outsprint his rival in the closing stages.
The third quarter was run in 28.2sec. and Warwick timed Glenledi’s run to perfection, with the New Zealand-bred gelding forging to the front 50m from the post and winning by a length from Jack Farthing, rating 1.56.8 over the 2130m after a final 400m in 27.6sec.
“Glenledi was racing third-up after a short break,” said Skye Bond. “He had a tough run first-up (in the breeze when fourth behind Blitzembye) and last week the race didn’t suit (when he was hampered for room and locked wheels before finishing fifth behind Orlando Blue).
“He is a nice, consistent earning horse. He will continue racing, and if he wins a couple more you never know where he might end up. I’m not sure whether he’s at the top end.” However, Glenledi Chief has been nominated for the Fremantle Cup and WA Ping Cup.
Glenledi Chief, a winner at three of his 22 New Zealand starts, has raced 27 times in WA for 12 wins and seven placings.
Bettor Get It On is at her peak
Talented five-year-old Bettor Get It On showed that she should be a leading candidate for next Friday night’s $50,000 Christmas Belles when she overcame difficulties to score an emphatic victory in the $26,000 Members Save 5% Every Day at Retravision Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bettor Get It On, the $3.70 second favourite, began speedily from barrier six and led by a length in the early stages but was unable to cross to the front. Just For Love ($26) got the better of Libba Racy ($101) to take the lead after 500m.
However, Emily Suvaljko continued to press forward after a fast lead time of 36.1sec. and Bettor Get It On hit the front 600m after the start before she relaxed and covered the opening quarters in 31.5sec. and 29.8sec. She then sprinted strongly over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.5sec. and won by 7m from her stablemate and $3.80 third favourite Platinum Sparkle, who fought on grandly after racing in the breeze for most of the race.
Trainer Justin Prentice admitted that he was worried about Bettor Get It On’s chances after working so hard in the early stages. “I was a bit concerned when they ran such a quick lead time,” said Prentice. “But she is a tough mare and is a hard horse to get over.
“I thought that she might have won one of the big races for mares (the Norms Daughter and the Mares Classic).”
Bettor Get It On had no luck with wide draws and began from barrier eight when seventh in the Norms Daughter Classic, and from barrier six when ninth in the Mares Classic.
Her victory on Friday night followed her narrow victory over Eighteen Carat a fortnight earlier. Eighteen Carat was the $2.20 favourite for Friday night’s race in which she started out wide at barrier No. 8.
She raced four wide early before being restrained to the rear. She then dashed forward, out wide, to be second at the bell and battled on, out wide, to finish seventh.
Brown makes the most of opportunity
Gifted driver Maddison Brown made the most of the opportunity to handle Getn Wiggy Withit for the first time when she guided the oddly-named New Zealand-bred four-year-old to victory in the $20,250 Retravision Online Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Getn Wiggy Withit’s win completed a double for Brown and trainer Michael Young, who had combined to win the opening event with Beat City.
Getn Wiggy Withit was the $2 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier, and he fended off an early challenge from $7 chance Unconditional, who got to a three-quarters of a length lead but was unable to cross to the front.
Getn Wiggy Withit then gave a solid frontrunning display to win by 2m from $7 chance Rocknroll Elliot, who fought on doggedly after working hard in the breeze. The winner rated 1.58 over the 2130m journey in which the final quarters were run in 28.5sec. and 28.1sec.
“He is a good leader, and this was the first time he had drawn barrier one in WA,” said Young.
Getn Wiggy Withit is by American Ideal and is out of Bettorkeepthefaith, who managed one win from 12 starts in New Zealand. Bettorkeepthefaith’s dam Running On Faith amassed $326,890 from eight wins and 19 placings from 33 starts, including wins in the group 1 Great Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park in April 2007 and the $200,000 Diamond Classic at Ashburton two months later.
Getn Wiggy Withit is a half-brother to Louie the Horse (72 starts for 14 wins, 23 placings and $151,019) who raced 15 times in WA in 2020 and 2021 for six wins and six placings. Getn Wiggy Withit won at two of his eight New Zealand starts and his 17 WA appearances have produced five wins and five placings.
Ten years between drinks
Bakers Hill trainer Mike Williams ended a ten-year drought when handsome gelding Bronzed scored a stylish all-the-way victory in the $20,250 Follow @Gloucester Park On Twitter Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 64-year-old Williams his first metropolitan-class win since nine-year-old Dee Eight Supercar started at $15.60 and won by a head from Topnotch Dan in a 2503m standing-start event at Gloucester Park on August 24, 2012.
Williams is a farrier and has prepared a small team of pacers for many years. Two-year-old Bronzed, a gelding by Indomitable Saab, was the $1.45 favourite who was driven with great confidence and aggression by Deni Roberts.
Bronzed began like a shot from barrier four and he left his six rivals floundering in his wake as he sped over the lead time in 36.5sec. He maintained a strong pace and won easily by 5m from $12 chance Cabsav, who finished strongly from last at the bell. Hez All The Rage ($3.30) battled on into third place after racing without cover.
Bronzed, who was bred and is owned by Williams’s wife Sue, looks set for a bright future after his first 13 starts have produced four wins, four placings and stakes of $31,444.
Bronzed is the second foal out of the Live Or Die mare Zonya, who was given to Sue Williams as a gift by her breeders Pat ad Ron Borg towards the end of the mare’s racing career in 2016. Zonya won a minor race at Kellerberrin in May 2016 for Williams before being retired to the breeding barn with a record of 68 starts for six wins, 15 placings and $43,720.
Zonya’s first foal Flashee finished second to State Of Heaven at Narrogin last December at his second start in a race. He then bowed a tendon and is recuperating well.
“A few months ago, we planned to put Bronzed out for three months,” said Sue Wiliams. “But he then won at Northam and again tonight. He is thriving and loves being in work.”
Mike Williams enjoyed plenty of success with Dee Eight Supercar, who was retired after having 71 starts for ten wins, 30 placings and $86,469. He also trained Jett Dee, who was bred by his wife.
Jett Dee earned $156,590 from 12 wins and 34 placings from 104 starts. He was prepared by Mike Williams for 54 of those starts for eight wins and 25 placings and $94,869. One of those 25 placings was his second to the brilliant James Matthew in the group 1 State Sires Series for two-year-old colts and geldings in July 2008.
Strike Team survives emergency surgery
Four-year-old gelding Strike Team, whose life was in danger twice earlier this year when rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, has made a wonderful recovery and he resumed after a nine-month absence in a blaze of glory with a dashing victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bred and owned by prominent Serpentine breeder Mike Howie in partnership with his wife Sharon and his mother Mary, Strike Team looks set for many more wins after his all-the-way success in the 2130m $1 Million Slot Race in April Pace.
“About a week after finishing third in a race at Pinjarra early last March Strike Team suffered a colic attack and had to be rushed from Capel to Murdoch Hospital for emergency surgery when about a metre of his bowel was cut out,” said 60-year-old Mike Howie.
“A complication set in about three weeks later and Strike Team had to return to hospital for further surgery where some more bowel was cut. I then gave him three months off, and he has made a full recovery.”
Howie worked Strike Team for three months at his Serpentine property before sending the gelding back to his trainer Aiden de Campo in Capel.
“The horse has plenty of ability and is one of Aiden’s favourites,” said Howie. Strike Team started from the coveted No. 1 barrier on Friday night and was the $1.70 favourite. He led for the first 100m before being passed by $81 outsider Heza Head Honcho, and 150m later de Campo sent Strike Team back into the lead.
After a fast lead time of 36.6sec. Strike Team relaxed with quarters of 30.7sec., 30.5sec. and 30.1sec. before he sprinted over the final 400m in 28.7sec. and won by a length and a half from $4.60 chance Miss Serenade, who fought on gamely after racing in the breeze.
Strike Team’s comeback triumph adds yet another chapter to Howie’s remarkable career in harness racing, which began when he was an 18-year-old clerk with the R and I Bank in Narrogin.
“It was then that I went to the WA yearling sale in 1980 with my grandfather Joe Coverley,” said Howie. “I wanted to buy a Renaud filly and was willing to pay $500 for her. I finished up buying her for $1000 and named her Renaud Express, who won seven or eight races for me on country tracks. I drove her and her best win was in a Wagin Cup.
This was the start of Howie’s involvement in harness racing, and, remarkably, Strike Team’s pedigree traces back in an unbroken line to Renaud Express, with Howie breeding a succession of successful race mares and brood mares — Copper Strike, Red Hot Copper, Copper Beach Girl and Topless Beach Girl.
Topless Beach Girl (by Art Major) managed one win (at Pinjarra in August 2015) and ten placings for $21,810 from 21 starts. Her first foal is Strike Team, who has had 33 starts for nine wins, ten placings and $69,531 in prizemoney.
Her second foal is The Miki Taker, winner of the group 1 Pearl Classic for two-year-olds in June 2021 and boasts a fine record of 20 starts for eight wins, eight placings and $146,160. Topless Beach Girl’s third foal is Insta Gator, a two-year-old colt by Huntsville who led and won on debut at Pinjarra last Monday for trainer-driver Madeliene Young.
Renaud Express produced Copper Strike, who raced 61 times for 13 wins, 12 placings and $91,644) before she produced Red Hot Copper (one win from eight starts) and the dam of Copper Beach Girl, who raced 84 times for 14 wins, 24 placings and stakes of $156,851, with her biggest success being in the group 3 WASBA Breeders Stakes at Gloucester Park in May 2011.
Copper Beach Girl’s first foal is Topless Beach Girl, and her only other foal is Bettor Be Oscar, who has raced 105 times for 18 wins, 44 placings and $247,089. He won 15 races for de Campo in WA, and his three most recent wins have been at Yonkers in New York.
The thousand dollars outlaid by 18-year-old Howie 42 years ago has proved to be an amazing investment.
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