Gloucester Park Review Friday 14 April 2023

Cortopassi living a dream

Fifty-one weeks ago, Aldo Cortopassi was a gruesome sight, with his face bloodied and swollen after being kicked in the face by a horse in a freak racing mishap at Gloucester Park.

Cortopassi, one of Western Australia’s finest drivers, was seriously considering quitting as a reinsman. A steel plate was inserted from below his left eye to the top of the eye to help mend the terrible damage received when a horse fractured a leg and fell, causing interference to other runners, including Cortopassi’s drive Allwoods Rocknroll.

Cortopassi was flung from the sulky and then was kicked in the face.

He has made a remarkable recovery after deciding against retiring after 30 years as an accomplished and successful reinsman— and now he has high hopes of achieving his greatest triumph in the sport he loves by driving Magnificent Storm to victory in Western Australia’s richest harness racing event, the $1 million TABtouch Nullarbor Slot race at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was a wonderful association he had formed with Magnificent Storm that determined his decision to continue his career in the sulky.

“Magnificent Storm has been a great horse for me, and he is the big part of why I came back to driving,” said the 46-year-old Cortopassi after the New Zealand-bred six-year-old had drawn perfectly at barrier No. 2 in the 2536m Nullarbor event.

“If there hadn’t been a horse like him, I probably wouldn’t have come back to driving. I probably would have retired and carried on just as a trainer. I had an orbital fracture; three fractures in my left eye socket. I had plastic surgery and a metal plate put in to fix up all the damage on the left side of my face.

“I had the same procedure that James Hird had in May 2002.” Hird, the Essendon captain, was seriously hurt when he stumbled and fell into the knee of his teammate Mark McVeigh in a match against the Fremantle Dockers at Subiaco Oval. A plate was inserted around his damaged left eye.

Cortopassi has driven Magnificent Storm in all but three of his 43 WA starts — twice when he was recovering from his injuries.

Magnificent Storm warmed up for this week’s important assignment in grand fashion with a superb victory over 2130m last Friday week when he began out wide at barrier eight, raced at the rear and was sixth at the bell before finishing powerfully and covering the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 27.3sec. to beat the fast-finishing Lavra Joe by a length, rating 1.54.5.

“He is now back to his four-year-old form,” said Cortopassi. “I know that the race was run to suit him, but just the way he accelerated excited me. I’m really looking forward to Friday. We have the gate speed to go to the front; everyone knows how quick he is off the arm.

“I don’t think any horse will be able to cross him. Typhoon Banner (barrier one) is a sit-sprint horse, and I expect he will be trailing us as far as he can. I think Lavra Joe (barrier three) will have a crack. At least that would put him in the firing line.

“I really want to win for the horse and for the owners because the horse deserves it, and some of his runs from bad draws have been massive. And the owners are a great group of people. Win, lose or draw, they’re always happy. They are in it for the ride, and they are loving it.

“I know that they (the other runners) are not going to give it to us. There are no certainties in racing. The first leg of the puzzle, with the barrier draw, has fallen into place. The next will be how the race is run.”

Cortopassi said that Magnificent Storm was an extremely quirky animal. “When he’s on, he’s on, and when he’s off, he is still a very good horse, who has got a great stride length and is so soft on the ground. He gets across the ground so easily and he has such a big motor and a big heart.

“Every time we come in after a hard run his heart rate is always sensational.”

Trainer Ray Williams (77) is looking for his greatest achievement in harness racing, and he is confident that Magnificent Storm is at the top of his game.

“We will be keen to get to the front, with Typhoon Banner being a sit and kick horse on our inside,” he said. “And I’d say that whatever horse drew barrier one would find it hard to keep Magnificent Storm out. He has a lot of speed and the 2536m will suit him.

“He has the speed to hold Lavra Joe out. He has shown that before. Lavra Joe is a really nice horse, but I don’t think he has any more speed than Magnificent Storm.”

Owner-trainer Ray Jones said that Lavra Joe was getting better with every run and was ready to produce the goods in the big race in which he will be handled by champion reinsman Chris Lewis.

“Drawn on the outside of Magnificent Storm makes it a bit awkward for Lavra Joe,” said Lewis. “Regarding tactics, I will mull things over during the next few days and work out what we’re going to do.

“We have plenty of options, and Lavra Joe has a good bit of versatility about him, for sure. The way he has improved lately it is not impossible to win, even if he sits on the outside of Magnificent Storm. But that will make it a lot harder task.”

Looming large as a major threat to Magnificent Storm and Lavra Joe is the brilliant New Zealand-bred five-year-old Betterzippit, a winner at five of his six Australian starts for Menangle trainer Jason Grimson after his 28 New Zealand starts produced five wins and six placings.

Betterzippit gave a spectacular exhibition of his ability last Saturday week when he began out wide at barrier No. 8 in a 1609m event at Menangle, raced three wide before bursting to the front after 250m. The 400m sections of the race whizzed by in 26.5sec., 28.5sec., 26.7sec. and 26.9sec. and Betterzippit won by four and a half lengths from Alta Orlando, rating 1.48.6.

The 29-year-old Grimson is one of the nation’s most exciting trainers, who has prepared the winner of the past two Interdominion championships, scoring with Boncel Benjamin, a $51 outsider who finished a head second to Expensive Ego at Menangle in December 2021 and was awarded the race on protest, and with $16 chance I Cast No Shadow, who trailed the pacemaker Act Now before finishing fast along the sprint lane to beat Torrid Saint at Melton last December.

I Cast No Shadow was handled by star 24-year-old reinsman Cam Hart, whose 843 wins include nine in Group 1 events. Hart, who has driven 67 winners this year, will drive Betterzippit on Friday night. It is generally anticipated that Hart will drive aggressively, and if that happens, the early pace could be a scorcher — and that would certainly help the sit-sprinters, including Jumpingjackmac, Mighty Ronaldo and Loyalist.

“I won’t be getting involved in any of the early speed battles,” said Jumpingjackmac’s driver Gary Hall Jnr. “I aim to drive him cold, and it would be nice to get the one-out, one-back or the one-out, two-back trail.”

Mighty Ronaldo’s driver Emily Suvaljko admitted that drawing the outside barrier (No. 9) was “not fantastic” and said: “We will just have to sit back and let it all unfold, and if there is any sort of tempo he is one horse who has a really sharp 400m to 500m sprint — and he will make the most of it.”

Loyalist, who will be driven by Suvaljko’s father Shannon from barrier No. 7, impressed two starts ago when he was ninth at the bell and seventh at the 600m before flying home, out six wide, to snatch a last-stride victory at a 1.53.8 rate over 2300m at Menangle. Then a fortnight later Loyalist settled in eighth place, was sixth at the 400m before finishing fast, out four wide, to be third behind Gliding Away, who rated 1.50.4 over 1609m at Menangle three Fridays ago.

Steel The Show, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, is the sole runner off the back line, leaving driver Deni Roberts a variety of options.

“He is definitely not without a chance, and he should have a good shot at it,” said Greg Bond. “Steel The Show was very competitive at top level in New Zealand. He has a lot of toughness and possesses good high speed.”

Jack Callaghan, who will drive star Sydney pacer Spirit Of St Louis, said that the six-year-old would be relying on a bit of luck after starting out wide at barrier eight. “It’s going to be pretty tricky from out there,” he said. “But he has come through his run at Gloucester Park last Friday (when fifth behind Lavra Joe) in good shape, and that effort should benefit him.”

Diego, trained by Gary Hall Snr and a winner at six of his past nine starts, will be driven by Maddison Brown from the awkward draw at barrier No. 6. Brown looks certain to be conservative and will be relying on the gelding’s strong finish.

Busy night for Roberts

Deni Roberts achieved a memorable milestone at Pinjarra on Monday when she notched her 400TH career win, and she will be busy at Gloucester Park on Friday night with nine drives on the ten-event program.

After a double at the Pinjarra meeting with Lusaka and Fess Up, the 27-year-old Roberts landed a treble at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night with Sista Sammy, Hotfoot It and Ten To The Dozen to take her season’s tally of wins to 53, after driving 98 winners last year.

She is in third place on the WA drivers’ premiership table, behind Gary Hall Jnr (58 wins) and Shannon Suvaljko (57). Her brightest prospect on Friday night is undoubtedly the talented New Zealand-bred four-year-old Street Hawk, who will begin from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Retravision Pace.

Street Hawk, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, has won at nine of his 20 starts, and Roberts will be anxious to dictate terms in front and make life tough for her rivals, particularly Tricky Miki and Ezana.

Street Hawk lost ground when he galloped at the start of the Easter Cup, a 2503m stand last Friday night. He settled at the rear before he dashed forward, three wide, in the middle stages to race in the breeze. He fought on tenaciously to finish second to the pacemaker Hector, with the final 800m being covered in 56.3sec.

At his previous start in the Group 3 Preux Chevalier Four-Year-Old Classic a fortnight earlier, Street Hawk set a brisk pace, sprinted over the final 800m in 56.6sec. and won by two and a half lengths from Tricky Miki.

Tricky Miki, winner of the WA Derby last November, gave a further example of his class when he was last in the field of eight with 450m to travel before charging home to finish second. That was his first appearance since winning the Derby, and he then finished second to Noted over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he raced without cover in the middle stages.

Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko is hoping that the No. 1 barrier will prove a decisive factor in El Chema’s bid for victory in the $30,000 TABtouch Eucla Pace over 2536m.

El Chema, trained by Justin Prentice, is aiming to extend his winning sequence to four in what will be his most serious test in his 31-start career.

“Hampton Banner (barrier No. 2) and Whatabro (three) are both quick out, but El Chema has got quicker and quicker every time we have used him out,” said Suvaljko.

“I’ll talk to Justin (regarding tactics) and I’d like to think that we would like to be in front, but not going stupid. El Chema is now pacing the best for a horse who wears no hopples. He has paced the best at his past two runs that he ever has.

“He was very brave two starts ago when he faced the breeze and won narrowly from Street Hawk. He has high speed and also Has a bit of toughness.”

Suvaljkjo also is looking forward to driving the Kevin Keys-trained Alcopony from barrier four in the opening event, the 1730m TABtouch Pace. Alcopony is in top form, and he raced in the one-out, one-back position before running home strongly to finish third behind Goodfellaz and Hillview Bondi over 2130m last Friday week.

“Star Armbro and Lamandier have good gate speed inside of us, but Alcopony should be right there at the finish,” she said.

Suvaljko also has sound each-way prospects with Cheer The Major (race two) and Blue Blazer (race ten).

Cheer The Major, trained by Gary Elson, finished gamely when a head second to Wasa Heat Seeker over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week.

Blue Blazer, trained by Craig Abercromby, raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly to be an encouraging second to Eton Rock over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night. “I was happy with the way he got to the line,” said Suvaljko. “It was the best he has got to the line for a while, and on Friday night from barrier three I will be looking for the top and holding it.”

Callaghan likes Machs Legacy

Star Sydney reinsman Jack Callaghan is bubbling with confidence about the prospects of Machs Legacy in the $20,250 Trotsynd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He praised the five-year-old mare’s performance at her first run for 35 days when she set a fast pace from barrier three and finished second to Miss Boudica over 2130m last Friday night. The quarters were run in 29.4sec., 28.4sec., 28.5sec. and 29.1sec., with the winner rating 1.55.

Machs Legacy will start from an awkward draw at barrier six, and her clash with last year’s WA Oaks winner Taking The Miki (barrier seven) should be one of many highlights on a wonderful night of pacing.

Taking The Miki, trained by Jemma Hayman, has impressed at her first three starts after a spell, with wins at Bunbury and Gloucester Park followed by an unlucky third in the Group 3 Easter Cup last Friday night when she galloped at the standing start, settled down in last place before dashing forward after 550m and then gaining a favourable passage, one-out and one-back.

Taking The Miki is a quality mare, and she can’t be discounted,” said reinsman Chris Voak.

Gary Hall Jnr has given punters a good lead in Friday night’s event by choosing to drive Let It Linga ahead of stablemate Im Themightylucy. Hall drove both mares to last-start wins, with Let It Linga leading and beating Too Bee Watching at a 1.59.6 rate over 2130m, and Im Themightylucy trailing the pacemaker before finishing strongly to win from Mister Ardee at a 1.59.3 rate over 2130m.

“I chose Let It Linga because she will lead (from barrier two) and she goes pretty good in front,” said Hall. Im Themightylucy (barrier three) will be driven by Maddison Brown.

Hall selected The Mustang (barrier three) as his drive ahead of the Michael Young-trained stablemate Kimble (inside of the back line) in the 2130m TABtouch Pace. “The Mustang drops well down in grade, and he should lead and prove hard to beat,” said Hall.

Hall also has sound each-way prospects with Twobob Cracker (race two), Alta Rhett (race four), Posseidon (race seven), Tricky Miki (race eight) and Baltic Ace (race ten).

“Baltic Ace (trained by Tracy Reay) gets his chance to lead from barrier one and should fight out the finish,” said Hall. Reay also trains Posseidon, who will start from the No. 1 barrier in the 2536m TABtouch Trot.

The nine-year-old Posseidon has won easily at his past two starts, in stands at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park, and he is sure to meet with plenty of opposition from in-former trotters Line The Starzzz, Luvaflair, Chumani and Deep Secret.