By Adam Hamilton
THE comparisons between Chicago Bull and his former champion stablemate Im Themightyquinn are inevitable.
Yes, they probably are premature in many ways, but it wasn’t until his five-year-old season and beyond when Im Themightyquinn’s greatness became evident.
Chicago Bull, despite being smaller in stature, has achieved a lot more at the same stage of their careers courtesy of his big Fremantle/WA Cup double in January.
And now he’s looming as one of the absolute key players in the Perth Inter Dominion.
Chicago Bull has brilliantly won both starts this campaign to take his record in Aussie since joining Gary Hall Sr’s stable to 24 starts for 17 wins and seven placings with almost $870,000 in earnings.
At Gloucester Park last Friday, Gary Hall Jr drifted back to near last from a wide draw, came with a three-wide run from the bell and roared past the leader before the home bend to win without being extended by 7.5m in a 1min55sec mile rate for 2130m.
The most obvious similarity between Im Themightyquinn and Chicago Bull is there amazing ability to make ground, at top speed around the right bends at Gloucester Park.
The free-for-all on the same night, the Winter Cup, went to classy mare Tricky Styx, who found the front and just held-off sit-sprinter The Bucket List in a 1min58.1sec mile rate for the long 2536m.
MERV Butterworth’s patience is being rewarded with former star Kiwi filly Supersonic Miss.
The now five-year-old mare spent more than a year off the track with injury, but Butterworth and trainer Kerryn Manning never lost faith.
After a fantastic comeback run when second to last season’s Breeders Crown champ Rocknroll Magic, Supersonic Miss has since won both starts in fantastic style.
The latest came in the Group 3 Richmond Lass (1720m) in a slick 1min53.6sec mile rate at Melton last Saturday night.
“It’s such a thrill to see her back and going so well,” Butterworth said. “She’s had these three runs close together and shown us she’s comeback where she left off, so we will freshen for a few weeks now and map out a plan around some bigger races.”
IT’S Vicbred time and that usually spells Emma Stewart dominance time.
This is year no different judging by the qualifying heats run so far.
Stewart qualified a staggering 10 runners for semi-finals out of just eight qualifying heats for two year-olds – colts/geldings and fillies – at Bendigo last Tuesday night.
It was easy to pick out the star performer with Poster Boy making in three wins from as many starts this campaign in the most dominant fashion in his heat.
Chris Alford had the luxury of driving Poster Boy from off the speed in the one-one trail and he blasted past leader and stablemate Major Times on the home bend to win without being extended by 6.2m in a 1min55.8sec mile rate for 2150m. Major Times held on well for second.
Concealment led throughout to win his heat for Stewart in a 1min56.7sec mile rate, while Big Bad Bruce (second) and Liftntorque (third) also qualified with their placings behind $66.60 upset winner Regal Cheval.
Stewart also qualified Tam Major and Tapthekeg are through to the semis after landing the quinella in their heat.
Stewart also won two of the four heats for two-year-old fillies with feature winners Nostra Beach and Nosta Villa, while Pistol Abbey made it through with a fighting second to Nicole Molander’s classy filly Passions Delight.
Passions Delight was one of the stars of the night, sitting parked in a 1min57.7sec mile rate for 2150m and zooming away to win by 6.5m.
Stewart then snared a double on Vicbred 3YO heats night at Kilmore last Thursday with Victoria Oaks winner Miss Graceland and Rocknroll Icon.
Miss Graceland is headed towards another stoush with arch-rival Petacular, who impressively won her heat on the night.
There was some added Kiwi interest through Art Major colt Stars Align, who made it two from two for new trainer Dean Braun when he won his Vicbred heat by 12.5m in slick time.
Stars Align, part-owned by the Kennards, Creightons and Riseleys, looks a huge winning chance for the final in a Vicbred division lacking a standout performer.
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THE Vicbred action continued with all the four-year-old qualifying heats at Ballarat last Friday night where the headline act was Western Australian raider Soho Tribeca.
The former Victorian was placed behind young superstar Chicago Bull in the Fremantle and WA Cup earlier this year and headed to Ballarat after an eye-catching first-up placing at Gloucester Park.
Soho Tribeca showed he will be the horse to beat in the Vicbred final with a powerhouse all-the-way heat win in the equal quickest time of the night, a 1min56.6sec mile rate for 2200m. He 55.8 and 27.4sec to win by 10m.
His main threat will be lightly-raced and untapped local General Dodge, who made it seven wins from just eight starts when he led throughout in the same 1min56.6sec mile rate and won by 10m.
General Dodge, a son of Courage Under Fire, thrashed highly-rated Kiwi raider Moonrock, who had to be content with second for trainer Michael House and driver Anthony Butt.
NSW raider Charlaval returned to his best form to toy with his rivals in his heat in a 1min58sec mile rate, while the other heat went to outsider Warfare.
In the 4YO Mares’ heats, the biggest shock came when nominal final favourite and reigning Breeders Crown champ Rocknroll Magic was outstayed after leading in her heat by the emerging Bou Chard.
Rocknroll Magic cruised through a 62sec middle half then Bou Chard attacked through a 27.3sec third quarter and was too strong in a slugging 29.4sec last 400m.
The other mares’ heats went to the classy one-time Harness Jewels hopeful Rockstar Angel and Emma Stewart’s talented mare Whirily School.
FORMER globetrotting Inter Dominion winner Mr Feelgood snared one of his biggest siring wins when Feelin Dusty landed the $40,000 Dan Patch 2YO final (2090m) at Hobart last Friday night.
The colt led and had a good stoush with co-favourite Izaha before pulling clear for driver Ricky Duggan to score by 10.5m.
It was a big night for trainer Paul Hill who puts the polish on Feelin Dusty and Ideal Bliss, a daughter of American Ideal, who won the Evicus final for 2YO fillies.
THE big Queensland Winter Carnival starts next weekend and, as usual, power couple Grant and Trista Dixon will be key players.
One of their headline acts is star mare Joys A Babe who used the pole to lead, take a trail on main danger Kept Under Wraps, and sprint lane to win the feature Wondais Mate free-for-all (1660m) in a slick 1min53.1sec mile rate at Albion Park last Saturday night.
The other class factor to win on the night was exciting four-year-old Mattgregor, who found the front and scored easily in the final race.
Mattgregor ran a massive second to Field Marshall in the 4&5YO Championship at Melton three starts back, then a fighting third in the Group 3 Mount Eden at Menangle.
TRAINER Anton Golino and the powerhouse Yabby Dams team keep clocking up the winners.
Golino snared a double with promising trotters Cyclone Jeter and Pizza Queen at Melton last Saturday night.
Gavin Lang drove both and had armchair drives to win in quick time.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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