Memories of the first American reinsman to drive a winner in Western Australia — just over 40 years ago — came flooding back when Shaun Vallee succeeded at his first appearance in the State at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
Vallee, from Jackson in New Jersey, was in the sulky behind the disappointing New Zealand-bred mare Giuliana Rancic in a 2185m event at Pinjarra.
Giuliana Rancic was a 9/2 chance in a field of six and Vallee trailed the pacemaker and 7/4 on favourite My Samantha Jane before he darted his mare through along the sprint lane to hit the front in the final 50m to beat My Samantha Jane by 2.2m at a 1.57.8 rate.
He emulated the feat of New Yorker Pat Iovine, who made a flying trip to Perth early in May 1976 in search of a fast pacer to take back to America. Iovine, then 50, selected four-year-old South Australian-bred Main Morris and purchased him for $50,000.
A few hours later Iovine drove Main Morris in a 1609m event at Gloucester Park and Main Morris, hot favourite at 4/1 on, surged to the front in the first lap and was not extended in winning from Oakland Dollar and Farmer Elect in 2.1.7.
That was Iovine’s only drive in a race in Australia and Main Morris won many races for him at the Meadowlands and Yonkers.
Champion WA trainer Gary Hall sen. gave Vallee the drive behind Giuliana Rancic at Pinjarra in an event in which he had three of the six starters, with his sons Clint driving Ladys Are Ideal and Gary jun. driving Harriet Price, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Vallee has had plenty of success as a driver in America with the former Hall-trained pacer Heez Orl Black, prepared by his (Vallee’s) wife Anita. Heez Orl Black won nine races for the Hall stable in 2013-14 and a few of his part-owners, including Max Grynberg and Bill Paterson, are part-owners of Giuliana Rancic, who a 14-month drought and a losing sequence of 24 with her victory on Monday.
Apart from Iovine and Vallee, the only American I can recall driving — and winning — in WA is Tim Tetrick, who drove at Gloucester Park, Pinjarra and Northam in December 2015.
Tetrick had 11 drives at Gloucester Park and the closest he got to winning was three second placings, two behind Raesawinner (beaten a neck by Borntobeanartist and beaten a half-head by Three Blind Mice) and Machtu (second to Machtu).
However, Tetrick shone on country tracks, where in the space of two days he drove five winners — a double with Invasive at Pinjarra and Our Jerry Lee and a treble with Nike Franco, Soho Wolverine and Indomitable Force at Northam.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
