By Adam Hamiltom
Trainer Emma Stewart is confident we haven’t seen the last of her gifted but injury-plagued star Philadelphia Man.
Stewart scratched the big entire from the NZ Cup late last week and revealed he had a stress fracture of a hock.
It’s the latest in a long of major injuries which have interrupted Philadelphia Man’s career, but he has somehow still managed 24 wins and $558,335 in earnings.
“It’s disappointing of course, but hey say it’s not too serious so we can get him back,” she said.
Philadelphia Man was on the verge of a racetrack return, having not started since sustaining an injury when eighth in the Perth Inter Dominion final on December 13, last year.
Earlier in his career, Philadelphia Man was sidelined from July 26, 2012 to October 17, 2014 with a broken leg.
“He certainly had plenty go wrong, but he’s a real favourite of ours and we will give him every chance to race again,” Stewart said.
Stewart’s open-class stocks still remain stunningly strong with star quartet Yankee Rockstar, Guaranteed, Restrepo and Ideal For Real all being set for the Perth Inter Dominion.
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THE jury is well and truly out on buzz WA pacer Beaudiene Boaz.
Three months ago he was the standout hometown hope for the Perth Inter Dominion and third favourite in betting markets.
Now he’s put together three of the most disappointing runs of his career and looks at the crossroads.
Much focus was on Beaudiene Boaz’s first-up run at Gloucester Park last Friday with trainer Gary Hall Sr confident his stable star was “back.”
But, just as he did in his last two runs during a brief winter campaign, the five-year-old raced way below his best.
Yes he drew wide, yes he had to come around and sit parked, but he surrendered meekly from the home turn and just plugged into sixth spot, about three lengths from the winner Libertybelle Midfrew.
There was no spark. No fight.
Former star filly Libertybelle Midfrew, who has become enigmatic as an open-class mare, has now put together two terrific runs.
She really had to win last Friday night and leading without fuss from the pole, dawdling through the first lap, then zipping home in impressive late splits for driver Shannon Suvaljko.
The run of the race was clearly The Bucket List, who would have won except for hitting a flat patch with a lap to run and being pushed out of the the one-one trail to sit three-wide for the rest of the race.
His effort to keep coming and finish just 1.5m from the winner in third spot was enormous.
It was a big night for Suvaljko and trainer Mike Reed who also combined to win with Kiwi Legend in a slick 1min55.8sec mile rate for 2130m in the second event.
Suvaljko ended with a treble when Major Dancer won the ninth race.
The other star of the night was young former Kiwi driver Stuart McDonald, who landed a treble aboard: Mynameiskenny, Sheer Rocknroll and Ona Happy Note.
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THINGS are looking up for the Andy and Kate Gath barn.
Their emerging open-class pacer Mister Mundaka returned with a narrow but impressive Melton win last Friday night.
And stable star, trotter Glenferrie Typhoon, is close a return after some recent exciting trials.
Mister Mundaka defied a big betting drift ($6.50 to $12) to sit parked and simply out-zip his rivals at Melton.
Stunning Grin led and dictated terms, but Mister Mundaka nabbed him to win by a head in a closing 26.5sec quarter.
It was his 17th win from just 42 starts and took his earnings past $150,000.
It was also good to see Nathan Purdon in the winner’s circle at the Melton meeting.
Purdon, now based in Victoria, took the pick-up drive on Kerryn Manning’s Johnny Fox and bolted in with a 1min53.3sec mile rate.
Purdon’s main focus is on the Perth Inter Dominion with Ohoka Punter.
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SPEEDY veteran Freyberg made the most of Arms Of An Angel’s late scratching from the Les Chant Cup at Menangle last Saturday night.
A health scare saw Arms Of An Angel, the $1.25 prepost favourite, scratched on the morning of the race.
Thankfully she has recovered and should be back racing soon.
Freyberg, now a nine-year-old, snatched victory in the Group 3 race by a nose from the in-form Stormont Czar in a slick 1min51sec mile.
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LEADING WA trainers Greg and Skye Bond love raiding the popular and remote Kalgoorlie carnival.
They won four of the seven races at the Kalgoorlie Cup meeting last Friday night, but had to be content with second in the Cup itself.
The Bonds’ Better Scoot finished a well-beaten second to Ross Olivieri’s Im Full Of Excuses.
But they did the other feature, the Mount Eden Mile, with Ima Connoisseur in a slick 1min55.2sec mile rate for 1750m.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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