12 October 2020 | Ken Casellas
Convert Denario’s nostalgic victory
Nostalgia ran high at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Convert Denario maintained his superb form with a powerful frontrunning performance to score an emphatic victory in the $25,000 Fred Doy Memorial.
The big six-year-old gelding was produced in splendid condition for his first outing for six weeks by astute Mount Helena trainer Ray Williams, whose wife Dot is a daughter of the late Fred Doy, a former outstanding trainer and driver whose ashes are buried adjacent to the winning post at Gloucester Park.
“It was great to win this race,” said a proud Williams, whose son Grant drove Matt In Black to a fast-finishing win over Crab Stick and Lennon in the inaugural Doy Memorial in December 2006.
Convert Denario, favourite at $2.40, is looming large as a major player in the $300,000 Fremantle Cup on November 20 and the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 4.
Williams is anxious to keep Convert Denario fresh and intends to space the gelding’s races before the major Cup events. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that Convert Denario will bypass the $50,000 Mount Eden Sprint next Friday night, a race expected to feature leading Cups candidates Chicago Bull, Shockwave and Might Conqueror.
“Our main aim for the horse is the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups,” said Williams. “He is a big raw-boned horse who is not particularly robust. So, we try to keep him fresh and not to go to the well too many times.”
Aldo Cortopassi took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier and Convert Denario was not extended in holding Our Jimmy Johnstone at bay in the early stages.
Mighty Conqueror, making his first appearance since winning the WA Pacing Cup last January, raced four wide early before being restrained by Ryan Warwick to settle in eighth position. Gary Hall jnr urged My Carbon Copy forward early and his three-wide run was followed by Mighty Conqueror, who eventually moved to the breeze after a lap.
Convert Denario dashed over the final quarters in 28.2sec. and 27.8sec. and went on to win by just under a length from Mighty Conqueror, rating 1.55.9 over the 2130m journey. My Carbon Copy fought on gamely to be third, just ahead of The Bird Dance, who was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage in the final stages after trailing the leader throughout.
The New Zealand-bred Convert Denario has earned $175,211 from 15 wins and 12 placings from 38 starts.
Bracken Sky proving a good buy
Five-year-old Bracken Sky continues his steady rate of improvement and is proving a good buy for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg, her husband John and loyal stable clients Don and Adele Simmons.
After winning at ten of his 45 starts in New South Wales, Bracken Sky was sold for $20,000 to his West Australian owners, and now he has raced 38 times in WA for four wins, 12 placings and $85,183 in prizemoney.
A $5.80 chance, Bracken Sky was driven in fine style by Jocelyn Young to win the $30,000 Kersley Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bracken Sky, from the No. 3 barrier, led for the first 450m before the freewheeling $3.40 favourite Rakasinc assumed control and he sped over the final quarters in 27.7sec. and 28.1sec., but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Bracken Sky, who went three wide on the home turn before bursting to the front 90m from the post to beat Rakasinc by just over a length at a 1.5 4.8 rate over 2130m.
The Buckeye Bullet ($4.20) and Queen Shenandoah ($14) each performed strongly to finish third and fourth, respectively. The Buckeye Bullet had a tough run in the breeze throughout and fought on grandly, while Queen Shenandoah thundered home from eleventh at the bell.
“Bracken Sky is now going to have a break,” said Mrs Padberg. “He’s no champion but will keep running good races. He’s worth every cent we paid for him.
“Bracken Sky is typical of all the pacers from Sydney, all they’re taught to do is to run a mile, and to run the gate. So, we’ve got to teach them to settle and to get the extra distance. And Jocelyn is ideal for him. She is quiet and he responds well to her.”
First city win for almost six years
Coolup trainer Victor Bryers, a rare visitor to Gloucester Park, recorded his first city victory for almost six years when Chris Voak drove the promising, lightly-raced Roman Art to an easy win in the 2130m Mondo Doro Smallgoods Pace on Friday night.
It was his first success at Gloucester Park since Voak was successful with the Bryers-trained Mosquito Buzzin, a $27.30 outsider who finished fast to beat Dashing Christian by a head on December 12, 2014 — a week after Voak had guided the old gelding to win at $12.90.
Those were among the final few races contested by Mosquito Buzzin for the New Zealand-born Bryers, and his only city runners since then have been four starts with Roman Art, a WA-bred stallion by Art Major. Bryers races Roman Art on lease from breeder John McIntosh and the horse has shown considerable promise, earning $54,693 from nine wins and five placings from just 18 starts.
“It is by design that Roman Art is lightly raced and did not appear as a two-year-old,” said Bryers. “I wanted to give him plenty of time to develop and mature, and now he has just come of age. One day, I’d like to have a crack at the Pinjarra Cup with him. That’s his favourite track, so hopefully he can achieve that one day.”
Roman Art, having his first start for almost five months, was big and burly for his first-up assignment. But he was produced in excellent condition by Bryers, starting favourite at $1.55, dashing to the front after 350m, setting the pace and running the final quarters in 28sec. and 28.7sec. to beat $91 outsider The Last Parisian, who fought on gamely after working hard without cover.
Suvaljko’s early birthday present
Talented concession driver Emily Suvaljko received an early birthday present when she excelled as a frontrunning driver to land a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Suvaljko, who will celebrate her 20TH birthday next Friday, was successful with the Tony Svilicich-trained Vincenzo Peruggia in the Owners Only Pace and with the Karen Thompson-trained Our Perkins in the Retravision Pace.
She is enjoying a fabulous season, with her 987 drives producing 89 wins, 108 seconds and 127 thirds.
Svilicich produced Vincenzo Peruggia in fine fettle for his first appearance for seven months and the six-year-old was a solidly-supported favourite at $1.60.
Vincenzo Peruggia led from the No. 1 barrier before Suvaljko surrendered the lead after 150m to Carter Micheal. This left Vincenzo Peruggia with an ideal trail behind the pacemaker, but Suvaljko, concerned that she could be hemmed in and blocked for a run in the final circuit, wisely opted to vacate the position behind the leader and to move Vincenzo Peruggia into the breeze 500m later.
The third 400m section of the final mile whizzed by in 28.5sec. and Vincenzo Peruggia forged to the front 300m from home and went on to win by a half-length from $14 chance Mister Bushido, who finished strongly from seventh at the bell.
Vincenzo Peruggia has earned $181,198 from 17 wins and 25 placings from 76 starts.
Our Perkins was a $13.340 chance from the coveted No. 1 barrier and Suvaljko gave the opposition little chance by setting a fast pace over the 2130m, with the final quarters being run in 29.1sec., 29.6sec., 27.8sec. and 28.8sec.
Whozideawasthis, racing first-up for trainer Gary Hall snr, was an $18 chance who enjoyed the perfect trail behind the pacemaking Our Perkins before running home fast to fail by a head to overhaul the pacemaker, who rated 1.55.1. Bettor Be Oscar ran on solidly to be third, with Justasec impressing by charging home from the rear into fourth position.
Our Perkins, bred in WA by Steve Johnson, has been a handy performer who now has raced 75 times for 13 wins, 16 placings and $114,105 in stakes.
Smooth start suits J B Mauney
A smooth beginning from the standing start paved the way for J B Mauney’s easy victory in the 2096m Westral Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ryan Warwick got J B Mauney, second fancy at $3.40, away smartly from the front line and he gave the New Zealand-bred four-year-old time to settle before sending him past the stablemate Flying Mister Ideal and into the lead after 450m, thus leaving the $1.85 favourite Just Wing It in the breeze.
Final quarters of 28.6sec. and 27.3sec. gave the opposition little hope and J B Mauney strode away to win by one and a half lengths from Flying Mister Ideal, with $91 outsider Ohoka Damo finishing third.
Just Wing It was hanging approaching the home turn before breaking and damaging a hopple. He galloped down the straight and finished a distant last.
J B Mauney, prepared by Greg and Skye Bond, had 12 starts in mobiles in New Zealand for two wins and three placings, and four of his seven wins from 14 starts in Western Australia have been in stands.
It’s Millwood Molly all the way
Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo is setting the speedy Millwood Molly for the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic on November 27 after the seven-year-old gave a bold frontrunning performance to win the Vale Ken Cummins Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Millwood Molly, having her second start after a spell and a solid $3.20 second fancy, was smartest to begin from the No. 1 barrier and she needed a final quarter of 27.3sec. to hold on and score by a nose from the $2.25 favourite Wainui Creek.
Wainui Creek, a group 1 winner in New Zealand, failed by the barest of margins to win at her Australian debut. The Greg and Skye Bond-trained four-year-old had a tough run in the breeze before fighting on with grim determination to go down by a nose.
Typhoon Tiff ($17) raced in seventh and last position before Colin Brown brought her home with a fast inside burst to be a neck away in third place.
Millwood Molly, owned by Craig Lynn, has been a consistent mare, with her 39 starts producing 12 wins, ten placings and stakes of $127,447.
Hall’s 200TH winner
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr enjoyed an armchair drive to land promising New Zealand-bred filly Broadbeach a half-length winner of the 2130m Inter Sport Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. This gave Hall his 200TH winner for the 2019-20 season.
Broadbeach, trained at Boyanup by Justin Prentice, was the $1.70 favourite who set the pace from barrier two and held on to defeat the strong-finishing Nikasa ($12), with Star Fromthepalace resuming after a spell, an eye-catching third, coming from eighth at the bell.
Early moderate times (37.9sec. lead) and opening quarters of 31.4sec. and 29.6sec. enabled Broadbeach to cover the final 800m in 57sec. and beat Nikasa, who ran on strongly from seventh at the bell.
Broadbeach was placed once from five New Zealand starts before arriving in Western Australia in March. Her first four starts in the State have produced three wins and a good second to Red Hot Lady. She is the fifth foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Galleons Honour, whose first four foals, Laszlo, My Venice Beach, Duke of Wellington and Rise Above This, have all won several races.
Maras Ace Man strikes again
The remarkable rags to riches story of veteran pacer Maras Ace Man continued at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was not extended in setting the pace and scoring an easy victory in the 2130m TABtouch Pace.
The eight-year-old, who managed just one win from his first 95 starts, has been revitalised since he was purchased early last year for $1500 by young trainer-reinsman Michael Grantham and his friend Kurt Pellington.
Now prepared at Capel by Aiden de Campo, Maras Ace Man has had 34 starts for his new owners for ten wins and nine placings and $69,588 in prizemoney.
He was a hot favourite at $1.70 from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night and he set a solid pace throughout to win by two lengths from Sightseeing Anvil, rating 1.55.4. Jack William raced in the breeze and battled on doggedly to finish third, five lengths from the winner. Maras Ace Man’s career record now stands at 129 starts for 11 wins, 17 placings and stakes of $87,876.
Lavra Joe comes from last
Powerful colt Lavra Joe further enhanced his prospects in the rich WA Derby next year when he gave another splendid performance to win the 2130m Sky Racing Pace for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lavra Joe, a $2.90 chance and starting at $3.90 on the fixed market, started from the outside barrier in the field of seven and Chris Lewis wisely restrained him back to last with Our Shelley Beach setting the pace and defying a couple of spirited early challenges for the lead.
He settled down 12 lengths behind Our Shelley Beach, but Lewis was not particularly concerned, knowing the colt’s sprinting capabilities. Lewis started a three-wide burst from last at the bell which saw Lavra Joe bursting to the front 250m from home and going on to win by just under two lengths from Be Hard Rock, rating 1.56.6.
Owner-trainer Ray Jones is delighted with Lavra Joe’s outstanding form, and the colt now has had 17 starts for eight wins, four placings and $97,514 in stakes.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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