14 February 2022 | Ken Casellas
Savvy Bromac overcomes setback
Star mare Savvy Bromac resumed after a seven-week absence and gave another sample of her wonderful ability when she overcame a severe setback to record a stylish victory in the $26,000 Simmonds Steel Decorative Screens Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Her win over My Prayer and Blissfullabbey showed that she is fit and ready to contest the $200,000 Queen Elizabeth Mile at Menangle next Saturday week.
Owner Karl Deiley is negotiating to secure a suitable flight for Savvy Bromac to travel to Sydney, and if this is arranged within the next day or so, the New Zealand-bred five-year-old could run in next Saturday night’s $50,000 Robin Dundee Stakes at Menangle next Saturday night.
Trainer Nathan Turvey was pleased with Savvy Bromac’s win on Friday night and said that the mare would definitely go to Sydney if Deiley was able to arrange suitable air transport.
Savvy Bromac, the $2.50 equal favourite with three-year-old filly Taking The Miki, started from the outside (barrier No. 9) on the front line in the 2130m event, and Gary Hall jnr urged her forward in a bid to burst straight to the front.
But his plans were dashed when Savvy Bromac struck the arm of the mobile barrier and lost three or four lengths before settling down in sixth position. She was out three wide and Hall eased her back to eleventh position, while Chris Voak had Taking The Miki travelling strongly in the lead.
With the early pace not particularly fast, Hall dashed Savvy Bromac forward with a lightning burst after a lap to get to the front 1100m from home. She went on to win by a half-length from $18 chance My Prayer, who sustained a strong three-wide run over the final 900m. Taking The Miki finished solidly to be fourth.
“She felt terrific,” said Hall. “Nathan said that he thought she could cross from out wide and set the pace. But that plan went out of the window when we ran into the gate. I just misjudged it and tried to get out too quickly.
“However, things probably worked out in our favour, really. I was lucky I misjudged things. If Savvy Bromac had not hit the gate and I had come out harder, I probably would have got a half-length in front, but not getting to a clear lead. And we probably would’ve ended up in the breeze.”
Savvy Bromac was not fully extended, and she rated 1.58.1, with the final three quarters being run in 29.9sec., 29sec. and 28.8sec. She now has had 32 starts for 13 wins and 11 placings for earnings of $238,863.
No trouble for Minstrel
Brilliant New Zealand-bred five-year-old Minstrel simply enjoyed a stroll in the park on his way to scoring an effortless victory in the $50,000 group 2 Etch Coatings Lord Mayor’s Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The $1.20 favourite from the No. 2 barrier gave star reinsman Ryan Warwick an armchair drive as he strolled to a four metre victory over $21 chance Roman Art, rating 1.58.2 over the 2536m after dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 27.1sec.
“I was waiting for a curve ball to come, but it never did,” said Warwick. “I didn’t see any horse who could sit outside him and beat him. After the lead time, I would have been disappointed if he had been beaten.
“I’m not sure what is planned for him. There’s the $50,000 Governor’s Cup next Friday night, and I know that the Pinjarra Cup (March 7) and Narrogin Cup (April 9) are coming up.”
Diego ($19) who started from the outside of the back line, moved to the breeze after a lap and was third and tiring when he met with interference and broke into a gallop 100m from the finish. It was left to Roman Art, who trailed the leader all the way, to battle on into second place, with $91 outsider Golden State, tenth at the bell, impressing in flashing home along the inside to be third.
Minstrel, winner of the Fremantle Cup three weeks before Friday night’s event, has been lightly raced and now boasts a splendid record of 31 starts for 16 wins, ten placings and $536,523 in prizemoney. He has won at 12 of his 20 starts in Western Australia for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond.
Meanwhile, his eight-year-old stablemate Vampiro will be out of action for several months, He damaged a suspensory ligament when he met with interference 250m from home in the Fremantle Cup. Further scans on Vampiro’s injured leg will be taken on Monday.
Another top-flight Bond pacer Patronus Star (a fast-finishing second in the Fremantle Cup) again caught the eye with his fifth in Friday night’s Cup when he surged home powerfully, out five wide.
Has No Fear surprises by leading
In all of her 41 starts for Ravenswood trainer-driver Jocelyn Young WA-bred mare Has No Fear did not set the pace, despite twice drawing the No. 1 barrier and starting from barrier two four times and barrier three twice.
She has been recognised as a talented sit-sprinter, and most pundits did not expect her to lead from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Etch Coatings Sandblasting Specialists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
However, Young has different tactical thoughts, and she was hell bent on giving Has No Fear the unaccustomed role as pacemaker, a task she had not been set since her two-year-old days when she scored all-the-way wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park in February and March 2018. For trainer Justin Prentice and reinsman Tom Buchanan.
The six-year-old Has No Fear was third favourite at $4.90 on Friday night when she revealed excellent speed and determination to stave off spirited early challenges for the lead from Carrera Mach ($3.10 favourite) and Vespa ($3.50).
Carrera Mach (Chris Voak) led by a neck early and then Vespa (Shannon Suvaljko) charged forward from the outside barrier (No. 9) and got a half-length in front but was unable to cross to the lead.
After a lead time of 37.6sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.8sec. and 30.2sec. Has No Fear dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 28.2sec. to win comfortably by 5m from the fast-finishing $17 chance Disco Under Fire, with Vespa a close third after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Carrera Mach worked hard in the breeze before fading to finish last in the field of nine.
Has No Fear was an outstanding juvenile who won the Sales Classic and the WA Oaks as a three-year-old early in 2019. She also has been placed in four other group feature events and now has raced 76 times for 12 wins, 20 placings and stakes of $287,745.
Reprieve for Sangue Reale
Trainer Michael Brennan and the owners of Sangue Reale seriously considered retiring the New South Wales-bred gelding last year when he was off the scene for ten months after having undergone surgery to remove bone chips from his rear fetlock joints.
But patient care from Hopeland trainer Giles Inwood and lots of wading in the ocean are reviving the Art Major six-year-old, who notched his first win for 18 months when he led his eight rivals on a merry dance before coasting to victory in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Balustrade And Handrails Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. This was Sangue Reale’s third start for Inwood, following a first-up second to Bettorstartdreaming and a sound fourth behind Babyface Adda and Gambit.
Sangue Reale was the $2.40 favourite when Chris Voak got him away speedily from barrier three and then was able to get him to relax through the lead time in a slow 38sec. before moderate opening quarters of the final mile of 30.6sec. and 30.8sec.
Sangue Reale then sprinted over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.4sec. and he rated 1.57.6 in beating Machs Gold ($8.50) by five metres.
“Michael Maxwell and Michael Brennan were about to retire Sangue Reale when they agreed to send the horse to me, to see if he could throw off his leg soreness with plenty of beach work,” said Inwood.
“Sangue Reale was pretty sore and had a fair few problems. He hadn’t been particularly sound after the operation to remove the bone chips. I jog him on the heavy sand at home and hopple him occasionally, and I take him to wade at the beach at Naval Base almost every day.
“Sangue Reale has plenty of ability. He won the group 1 Four-Year-Old Classic (beating Shockwave after a successful protest) and at his next start he finished third behind Shockwave in the Golden Nugget.”
Sangue Reale, a six-year-old Art Major gelding, has earned $198,707 from nine wins and 20 placings from 52 starts. His full-sister Miss Sangrial was retired after 19 wins, 21 placings and stakes of $244,748 from 71 starts. Her biggest success was in the group 2 Empress Stakes in March 2019.
Bred in New South Wales, Sangue Reale is out of the Christian Cullen mare Christimo, who raced 35 times for ten wins, six placings and $48,618. Her final seven starts were in WA when Gary Hall snr prepared her for four wins at Gloucester Park early in 2011.
“His nearside hind leg swells a bit after he races and he is a day-to-day proposition,” said Inwood. “Keeping him sound is the main thing, and we could be looking to run him in the Pinjarra Cup next month.”
Orlando Blue steals Zazu’s thunder
Mundijong trainer Michael Young was delighted at Zazu’s first-up win in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Precision Laser Cutting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. But he was more excited at the performance of Zazu’s stablemate Orlando Blue, who unleashed a sparkling sprint from tenth at the bell to finish third.
Zazu was the $2.40 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, while Orlando Blue was a $31 chance from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Zazu, driven by Gary Hall jnr, set a solid pace and rated 1.56.2 in beating $8 chance Pradason by a length. Maddison Brown brought Orlando Blue home with a five-wide burst to finish a further length back in third place.
“Orlando Blue went better tan the winner,” said Young. “It was an exceptional run. He is a nice horse, and providing he stays on track he will be in the Golden Nugget at the end of the year.”
Young said that Zazu, having his first start for just over three months, would not go up a grade after winning. “He will race in similar company next week,” he said.
“I have been lucky to get Zazu. It was due to word of mouth with Zazu’s main owner Gary Collinson knowing some of my other Victorian owners Alex Ashwood and Jamie and Aaron Bain.
“And after Zazu did a good job in his first campaign here, Gary sent me Beat City to train.”
The Victorian-bred Zazu has had nine starts for Young for three wins and four placings, and the gelding has now earned $59,661 from eight wins and 11 placings from 34 starts.
By American stallion Modern Art, Zazu is the third foal out of the Our Sir Vancelot mare Wyperfeld, who raced 68 times for five wins, 14 placings and $91,012. The highlight of her career was her victory at $90.80 in the group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for four-year-old mares at Moonee Valley in May 2009.
Gambit break through
A frustrating run of four second placings from five starts was finally broken when Gary Hall jnr drove the New Zealand-bred six-year-old to an easy victory in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Fencing And Gates Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Thank goodness for that,” said Hall. “It was nice to get a soft run with him for a change.”
Gambit, owned by New Zealander Steve Waters, was the $1.20 favourite from the No. 2 barrier, and Hall jnr was able to dash the Shadow Play gelding past the polemarker and $5.50 second fancy Arma Einstein moments after the mobile barrier had sent the field of ten on its way.
Gambit sped over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.2sec. and won by 7m from Arma Einstein, who had enjoyed the perfect trip behind the pacemaker.
Gambit, prepared by Gary Hall snr, has earned $70,897 from his four wins, six seconds and one third from 15 starts in Western Australia. He was a career record of 37 starts for ten wins, 13 placings and stakes of $170,757.
The best of his six wins from 22 starts in New Zealand was in a group 2 Free-For-All at Alexandra Park in March 2020. His most important WA victory was in the Chandon final at Gloucester Park last July.
Gambit is the eighth and final foal out of the Sands A Flyin mare Whata Breeze, who had 38 starts for four wins, 12 placings and $42,639 in prizemoney.
Mellsop’s patience is rewarded
The patience of Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop was rewarded when his six-year-old pacer Apollo Rock scored an impressive all-the-way victory in the 2130m Etch Coatings Mobile Sandblasting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Apollo Rock was reappearing at city headquarters after Mellsop had raced the gelding on South West tracks at his previous nine starts as part of his development.
Apollo Rock drew perfectly at barrier one and reinsman Kyle Harper made every post a winner by rating him perfectly in front.
Apollo Rock, the $3.20 favourite, was not extended in winning by a length from $4.60 chance Sweet Maddison, who ran home fast after trailing the leader all the way.
“Bob does a good job with his team,” said Harper. “Apollo Rock hasn’t had much luck with barrier draws, but finally he got one, and he showed what he is made of. He won pretty comfortably, with the plugs still in.
“This was probably a drop in grade from what he has been racing in. He has run quicker times, but he did just what he had to.”
Apollo Rock, who was placed twice from eight starts in New South Wales and had three wins and 11 placings from 29 Victorian starts. His 31 WA starts have produced four wins and 12 placings. He is by American sire Pet Rock and is out of the Troublemaker mare Wicker Maker, who managed two wins from 49 starts.
Lazy Doc Holliday gives Hall a hard time
Doc Holliday, the raging hot $1.20 favourite, made champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr earn his driving fee when he scored a fighting win in the 2503m Etch Coatings Professional Powder Coating Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Doc Holliday, making his first appearance in a standing-start event in Australia, got away slowly but safely and settled down in sixth place while $15 shot Hes Royal Blue was setting a modest pace.
Doc Holliday raced without cover for much of the first circuit, and after a lap Hall sent him forward in a bid to get to the front. But Doc Holliday appeared quite lethargic, and Hall had to drive him vigorously for more than 200m before the gelding assumed control.
Hall again had to drive Doc Holliday hard in the home straight in the run to the finish, and the New Zealand-bred pacer prevailed to win by a length from Hes Royal Blue and $10 chance Captured Delight, who galloped at the start and was a distant last in the first lap before fighting on grandly to be third.
“Junior (Hall) certainly earned his five per cent,” said trainer Michael Young. “I wasn’t worried about Doc Holliday getting away, and I told Junior to just let him plod away.
“It took him plenty of time to get to the front. He’s a lazy animal; he’s always like that. He will never win impressively because of his laziness. But he’s got a lot of depth in him, and there’s petrol left in the tank if he needs it. He won’t use it unless he has to.
“Stands don’t really suit him because you just plod away at the start, whereas in mobiles you get your horse on the gate and he gets a bit chargy.”
Doc Holliday, a winner of three races from 24 starts in New Zealand, has raced eight times in WA for five wins and two placings. Friday night’s win completed a training double for Young, who combined with Hall to win earlier in the program with Zazu. For Hall, Doc Holliday gave Hall his fourth winner for the night, after scoring earlier with Zazu, Gambit and Savvy Bromac.
Sovrana has a bright future
Promising filly Sovrana completed a winning hat-trick when she finished with a strong burst to score an impressive victory in the 2130m Etch Coatings Commercial Spray Painting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She remains unbeaten as a three-year-old, after finishing strongly to win at Bunbury and Pinjarra in January, and she is sure to be a major player in the $50,000 APG Sales Classic for three-year-old fillies next Friday week.
Her trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo said that Sovrana would also contest other feature events in April and May before going for a spell then being prepared for the $100,000 Westbred Classic for fillies in September and the $150,000 WA Oaks in October.
Sovrana, an $8.90 chance from her wide draw at barrier eight, settled down towards the rear in Friday night’s event before de Campo urged her forward to be handily placed in the one-out, one-back position at the bell, with Queeninthecorner ($2.50) setting the pace from the $2.25 favourite Wonderful To Fly in the breeze.
Shane Young sent Wonderful To Fly to the front 350m from home and the star filly led by a length on the home turn. Sovrana was full of running as she swept into the lead in the final 40m, and she won by a half-length from Queeninthecorner, rating a smart 1.56.3. Wonderful To Fly wilted to finish third.
“Sovrana wasn’t there mentally as a two-year-old,” said de Campo. “She is a really big horse, and it was always going to take a bit of time for her to mature. She is now still not a hundred per cent there mentally but is getting through on ability at this stage.
“I think she will come back better after another break. She is still on the improve, and there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before the Oaks.”
Sovrana, bred by Steve Johnson, was sold for $30,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, and she now has raced ten times for five wins, two placings and $42,205 in prizemoney.
De Campo maintained his splendid form when he drove five winners at the Albany meeting on Saturday night, scoring with the Lang Inwood-trained Tux And Tails ($4.80) and training and driving four other winners — Gods Plan ($5.50), The Miki Taker ($1.24), Floewriter ($1.04) and Major Carlos ($2.15). He is the State’s leading trainer this season with 20 winners, and he leads by four from Busselton trainer Barry Howlett.
Charles enjoys his busy life
Seventy-one-year-old Kevin Charles is a busy man, particularly at this time of the year as he prepares twenty youngsters for the APG yearling sale next Sunday week.
But the Hopeland trainer still had the time to present Sameplace Sametime in fine fettle for her engagement in the $18,5000 www.Etchcoatings.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Charles has been a regular fixture at Gloucester Park all his life, and that’s why he named the Somebeachsomewhere seven-year-old mare Sameplace Sametime, a pacer he and his wife Annette bred.
Sameplace Sametime, a $6.60 chance, was driven perfectly by Chris Voak, who brought her home with a spirited late burst to win from Crocodile Kid ($23) and Rock Me Over $4.60).
Sameplace Sametime is the third foal out of former brilliant Million To One mare Leilani Lombo, who won the group 1 APG final for two-year-old fillies at Brisbane’s Albion Park in April 2020 and was retired after racing 23 times for ten wins, six placings and $224,595 in stakes. Charles purchased Leilani Lombo from Mick Lombardo after her racing days were over.
Sameplace Sametime has earned $85,649 from ten wins and 19 placings from 88 starts. Her win ended a losing sequence of 14.
“It was about 18 months to two years ago that Sameplace Sametime had a bad bone chip in her off fore knee,” said Charles. “After the operation to remove the chip, the vet said that she would not race again. But she has been able to race without any problems.”
Charles was confident before Friday night’s race, saying that Sameplace Sametime had worked in dashing style at Pinjarra the previous Saturday morning.
“She worked with Roman Art, and they went phenomenal time,” said Charles. “She just got over Roman Art at the finish, and my confidence was boosted after Roman Art finished second to Minstrel in the Lord Mayor’s Cup earlier tonight.”
Sameplace Sametime’s victory came three nights after four pacers bred by the Charles breeding establishment had been successful at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening. Those winners were Middlepage, Queeninthecorner, Eye Better and Eldaytona.
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