19 September 2024 | Ken Casellas
Harper’s golden streak
Star reinsman Kyle Harper celebrated a notable milestone at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when he drove four winners on a program for the first time — and he has high hopes of continuing his golden streak by guiding Talks Up A Storm to victory in the $31,000 The West Australian Free-For-All over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The 34-year-old Harper’s four winners followed a treble at Pinjarra on Monday, and he gives the Murray Lindau-trained Talks Up A Storm a great chance of notching his 19TH victory when he begins from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Talks Up A Storm’s clash with the speedy Pinny Tiger should produce loads of action, with Harper declaring: “I think we can lead and win. Plan A will certainly be to lead. I’d like to be out in front, especially with Pinny Tiger being first-up.
“But if Pinny Tiger crosses Talks Up A Storm at the start, I still think we can win. There could be fireworks at the start. Talks Up A Storm is pretty quick, and I think that if we can hold Pinny Tiger for the first 50 metres, we should be able to keep him out.”
Last Friday night Talks Up A Storm began from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Howard Porter Memorial and was beaten for early speed by the polemarker Sangue Reale, who set the pace and beat Talks Up A Storm by 4m.
“There was a bit of cat and mouse at the gate, and whoever led was probably going to win, and whoever sat behind the leader was unlikely to get a (clear) run,” said Harper. “Talks Up A Storm got out late and hit the line strongly.”
Pinny Tiger, trained by Michael Brennan, will be driven by Chris Voak from out wide at barrier No. 7 in the field of eight. This will be his first appearance since he led from barrier one and won the 2662m Narrogin Cup on May 11. That followed his close third behind Catch A Wave and Jumpingjackmac in the 2936m Fremantle Cup a fortnight earlier.
“I drove Pinny Tiger on the track at Pinjarra last Saturday, and he worked really well,” said Voak. “He has the gate speed and I daresay we will be trying to lead and lead them on a merry dance.
“Pinny Tiger is heading towards the WA Pacing Cup (on November 8) so I would like to think he will run a strong race in this field.”
Harper began this week with his treble at Pinjarra on Monday with Miss Knowall ($2.50), Blaze Koops ($2.60) and Control Queen ($3.30) and followed with wins on Tuesday with Fleur Du Marquis ($26.90), Sir Belvedere ($49.20), Pocketful Of Opals ($3) and Uptown Lad ($3).
He was unlucky not to have driven another winner on Tuesday when Island Tee Rex was a certainty beaten when a close second to Sonic Chip. Island Tee Rex trailed the pacemaker Il Bandito and was hopelessly blocked for a run until he got clear with 120m to travel and charged home.
“The closest I had got to drive four winners was about 13 years ago,” said Harper. “After driving three winners I was driving Black N Bettor, the $1.10 favourite, for Gary Hall snr, but the horse refused to score up and caused two false starts and was scratched.”
Cyclone Jordy set for the Slipper
High-priced New Zealand import Cyclone Jordy will attract great interest when he makes his Australian debut in the $21,000 Vili’s Family Pace for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be the Cyclone Jordy’s first appearance since he won the group 1 Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes over 1700m at Alexandra Park 20 weeks ago, and Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr (who has had the Art Major gelding under his care for eight weeks) is looking forward to a successful Australian debut to have him primed for the $150,000 Golden Slipper the following Friday night.
“He is fast, nuggetty and a quick beginner,” said Hall. “His wok has been okay, and he will need the run, and he will go better in the Slipper after this run.”
Cyclone Jordy’s five New Zealand runs have all been over 1700m, but he is not expected to be troubled by the 2130m trip on Friday night and in the Golden Slipper.
He will begin from barrier four, and champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr is confident of success. Cyclone Jordy also started from the No. 4 barrier when he won the Young Guns event in which he was not bustled early before getting to the front after about 500m.
He set a solid pace and dashed over the final 400m sections in 29.6sec. and 27.7sec. before holding on to win by a neck at a 1.58.7 rate from the filly Yourtheonethatiwant, who charged home from last with a flying five-wide burst.
Cyclone Jordy is the third foal out of former star mare Cyclone Kate, who earned $360,349 from 21 wins and 18 placings from 60 starts. Cyclone Kate’s first foal Cyclone Charlotte has had 32 starts for ten wins, 16 placings and $178,744. Cyclone Charlotte raced twice in New Zealand for a win and a third placing before continuing her career in Western Australia.
Capel trainer Aiden De Campo has two runners in Friday night’s field of six, and he has chosen to drive Como El Viento, the polemarker and last-start Pinjarra winner over 2185m, ahead of Last Hard Copy, who will be driven by Trent Wheeler from barrier five.
Last Hard Copy has won at four of his past five starts, and De Campo said: “He loves racing and will be hitting the line hard.
“I’ll give Como El Viento his chance out in front and see if he can get the job done. We will be having a crack out in front.”
Cyclone Jordy is one of four pacers trained by Hall snr who will be racing first-up on Friday night, the others being Skylou, Mister Smartee and Im The Black Flash.
“They are all underdone and will need the run at the start of their preparations before tackling feature events,” said Hall.
Suvaljko praises Water Lou
Superstar filly Water Lou has drawn the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line of the $50,000 group 3 Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but this distinct disadvantage is not causing leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko any serious misgivings.
“We’ve got options,” he said. “We can come out hard or we can go back. I drove her at Gloucester Park last Saturday morning when she had a hit-out by herself.
“And that was the best work this preparation. She ran through the line (powerfully), and I couldn’t hold her after that and into the back straight. She ran quick times, and I was most impressed with her.
“Barrier nine is not ideal, and hopefully we don’t get that in the Oaks (a fortnight later). This will be a good test for her before running in the Oaks over 2536m. She needs to work up to that distance, and in recent races (over 2130m) I have been keeping her going after the finish and continuing into the back straight. I have been targeting the Oaks for a while.”
Trainers Kim Prentice, Colin Brown and Aiden De Campo each has two runners in Friday night’s race — with Prentice faring the best with Soho Honey Rider (Mitch Miller) and Soho Vesper Lind (Gary Hall jnr) drawing barriers No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
Soho Vesper Lind has finished strongly to win at Gloucester Park (1730m) and Pinjarra (2185m) at her past two starts, beating Soho Honey Rider (third at Pinjarra, and second at Gloucester Park).
Brown’s runners Relatively Arma (Emily Suvaljko, barrier three) and Xceptional Arma (Maddison Brown, barrier four) are racing keenly and should be prominent, while De Campo’s runners (Miss Hepburn (barrier six) and Copy Cat Queen (seven) have each won three times since resuming from spells.
Trent Wheeler will handle Copy Cat Queen, and De Campo has opted to drive Miss Hepburn, saying that there’s not much between the two fillies.
An interesting runner is the New Zealand-bred Irresistible, who will be driven by Deni Roberts for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond.
Irresistible, a winner at one of her eight starts in New Zealand, faces a stern first-up test from out wide at barrier eight. However, she impressed with a splendid win in a 2150m trial at Byford on Sunday morning when she took the lead after 200m, set the pace and won, untouched, by two lengths from smart colt Hold The Ammo. She rated 1.59 after final quarters of 29.7sec. and 28.8sec.
“She was impressive, gave me a good feel, and ran a good time,” said Roberts.
Roberts is also looking forward for a strong showing from the Ray Williams-trained Sister Cherie, who will begin from barrier four in the $27,000 SEFS, You Name It, We Fund It Pace.
Sister Cherie, a winner at seven of her 26 starts, caught the eye last Friday night when she was seventh on the pegs at the bell before running home strongly to finish third behind Castella Dellacqua and Zephyra.
“Sister Cherie had a chequered passage and made up ground,” said Roberts. “She has good gate speed and is in with a chance.”
One of Sister Cherie’s chief rivals in an open affair is expected to be the polemarker Nase Vira, who is racing keenly for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green with close seconds to Loch Tay and Water Lou at two of her three appearances after resuming from a spell.
This will be the first time Nase Vira has begun from the No. 1 barrier. She possesses good gate speed and has led and won (from barrier three) at Gloucester Park.
The Mike Reed-trained Montana Glory will have many admirers when she starts from the inside of the back line, immediately behind Nase Vira.
After wins at three of her first four appearances after resuming from a spell, Montana Glory was the $1.80 favourite in a 2130m event last Friday night when she began from the No. 2 barrier and made a spirited but unsuccessful bid for the early lead before racing without cover and fading to ninth behind the frontrunning Castella Dellacqua.
“She is capable of winning this week,” said reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “She did too much work last week when I thought the lead was there, but it wasn’t. She should get the right run this week.”
Big plans for Mister Smartee
New Zealand-bred gelding Mister Smartee has had only eleven starts — for nine wins — but he is being set for the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on November 8.
He will begin his campaign — after a 20-week absence — when he starts from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the $30,000 Kersley Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“The draw is not ideal, but he is working really good,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who has chosen to drive the gelding in preference to his talented stablemate and fellow-four-year-old Skylou, who will also be resuming after a spell, and is sure to be popular with punters after drawing ideally at barrier two.
“Skylou is probably the better drive because of the draws,” said Hall. “But I have decided to stick with Mister Smartee, and Stuart McDonald will handle Skylou.”
Trainer Gary Hall snr said that Skylou would be hard to beat. “We would like him to lead, and he grows a leg in front,” he said. “Mister Smartee and Skylou are both Pacing Cup candidates. Mister Smartee is tougher.”
Mister Smartee has enjoyed a spell since he raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning the group 3 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship on May 3.
Skylou, winner of the WA Derby last November when he beat Never Ending and Im The Black Flash, will be having his first start on Friday night since he made most of the running and won a 2503m stand from Carana on May 17.
Four starts before that Skylou set the pace and won the group 3 Easter Cup, a 2503m stand.
Skylou and Mister Smartee are unlikely to hold all the aces on Friday night when they will clash with several in-form pacers, including the up-and-coming star Louie Dior, Star Casino, Soho Firestone and Rockmyster.
Louie Dior, to be driven by Ryan Bell for trainer Annie Belton, won for the eighth time from twelve starts when he dashed to an early lead and was not extended in winning over 2130m last Friday week. He is the solitary runner on the back line and should enjoy a favourable run.
The Follow @Skyracingau On Instagram Handicap should develop into an exciting duel between the Hall-trained Im The Black Flash and trainer-reinsman Chris Voak’s promising four-year-old Rock Artist.
Rock Artist is in superb form and will start from barrier two on the front line in the 2503m stand, with Im The Black Flash the solitary backmarker off 20m in the field of seven.
Im the Black Flash has shown a liking for stands, with his three appearances in stands resulting in an excellent second to Skylou in the Easter Cup in March this year, followed by wins at his next two appearances.
“Friday’s event looks like a two-horse race,” said Voak. “Rock Artist was unlucky last week when third behind Me Flash and Soho Firestone in a 1730m sprint,” said Voak.
Rock Artist trailed the pacemaker Me Flash all the way and was hopelessly blocked for a clear run. That followed placings behind Carana and Skylord at his two previous starts. He is a noted frontrunner, and Voak is sure to attempt an all-the-way win this week.
Hall jnr agreed that Rock Artist would be hard to beat, but he said that the small field should improve the prospects of Im The Black Flash, whose trackwork had been most encouraging leading into his first-up run on Friday night.
Hall also gives Solesseo Matuca a good winning chance when the five-year-old starts from the outside barrier in the field of nine in the 2130m TABtouch Share My Bet Pace.
The gelding has worked hard in the breeze in several recent starts, and this week Hall is considering driving Solesseo Matuca with a sit.
“Loucid Dreams looks the leader, with Hillview Bondi in the breeze, and I might get the opportunity to sit Solesseo Matuca up and come home with one run,” Hall said. “And that would give my horse a good winning chance.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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