24 October 2022 | Ken Casellas
Gary Hall reigns supreme
A virtuoso performance in the sulky on a wet and wintry Gloucester Park on Friday night catapulted Gary Hall jnr into harness racing’s stratosphere as a driver without peer.
When he guided veteran pacer Rock Me Over to victory in the final event the 40-year-old Hall set a significant record, becoming the first West Australian to drive seven winners at a meeting in the State.
And he achieved this marvellous feat with a seven-year-old gelding having his 185TH start in a race — and following a seventh placing, two ninths and two tenths at his five previous starts.
Earlier in the evening Hall had been successful with Kimble, Jumpingjackmac, Tricky Miki, Eighteen Carat, Firerockfireroll and The Mustang. Hall had shared the previous WA record of six winners at a meeting with Morgan Woodley (at Collie in March 2011) and Ryan Warwick (at Kellerberrin in October 2019).
A humble and self-effacing champion, Hall is a true superstar, who had landed six winners on a program on five occasions before he dominated proceedings on Friday night when he had harness racing aficionados gasping with admiration at his remarkable skill, flair and ingenuity in the sulky.
He was cool, calm, composed and calculating as he weaved his magic as he lit up the wet, miserable night with his great skill. Indeed, he drove with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker and with the dash and flair of a Spanish matador.
“I never thought that seven was possible,” he said. “You don’t expect to get that many live chances at a meeting. If you get two, three or four good drives, you’re happy.”
Hall was surprised when trainer Matt Scott nominated him to drive Rock Me Over after the gelding’s regular reinsman Shannon Suvaljko opted to handle Glorafilia. Hall previously drove Rock Me Over 69 starts earlier when he finished tenth behind Carerra Mach in a race at Gloucester Park on January 15, 2021.
He had driven Rock Me Over to victory four times as a two and three-year-old in 2017 and 2018 when the colt was trained by Katja Warwick. He also won a race with Rock Me Over when he was prepared by Scott in January 2020.
Rock Me Over was the $3.10 favourite when he started from barrier two in the 2130m The Nullarbor $1m April 2023 Pace on Friday night. He lacked early sparkle, but Hall was quickly able to manoeuvre him into the one-out, one-back position while $16 chance Name In Lights set the pace.
Hall switched Rock Me Over out three wide 570m from home and sent the gelding to the front at the 400m. Rock Me Over covered the final 400m in 29.6sec. and won by a half-length from the strong-finishing $4.60 chance Tuas Delight, rating 1.58.3.
Hall, who has driven 189 winners this season, does not slavishly adhere to a tactical plan in his races. He relies on getting the ‘feel’ of the race before making his moves. It is this innate skill that makes him a champion.
He is a reasonably harsh self critic and is still working at becoming a better driver. There are still mountains to scale, with Victorian reinsman Mark Pitt driving nine winners on a ten-event program in Launceston in April this year. One of those winners (all of which were trained by Emma Stewart) was Firerockfireroll, who featured in Hall’s feast of winners on Friday night.
Then on July 15 Tasmanian-born Bendigo reinsman Jack Laugher drove seven winners on a 12-event meeting at Mildura. Three men have driven seven winners at a meeting in New Zealand — Doug Watts at Reefton on February 8, 1954, Tony Herlihy at Alexandra Park on October 5, 2001, and Dexter Dunn at Forbury Park on May 8, 2015.
Tricky Miki’s great Derby trial
A patient drive by Gary Hall jnr was rewarded when Tricky Miki got clear on the home turn and charged down the straight to snatch a thrilling last-stride victory in the group 2 Cowden Insurance Western Gateway Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a splendid rehearsal for the $200,000 WA Derby next Friday week, and it delighted his trainer Justin Prentice, who gave the gelding no hope when he was under lock and key, hopelessly hemmed in on the pegs behind the pacemaker Machs Bettor, and with Linebacker in the breeze, in the final circuit.
But Hall was able to push Linebacker three wide with 220m to travel, and Tricky Miki, the $2 favourite, got into the clear and flashed home to beat $3.70 second Machs Bettor by a head, rating 1.59.3 over the 2536m journey.
Tricky Miki started from the inside of the back line, and Hall decided his best winning prospects would be to sit behind the frontrunning Machs Bettor.
“Tricky Miki went super,” said Hall. “I didn’t think in the last lap that he could win. And even when he got out, I thought that the leader had had too nice a run for Tricky Miki to get over him.”
Prentice was a relieved man after the race, saying: “I thought that there was no way in hell that Tricky Miki would get a run at all.”
This was Tricky Miki’s first start over 2536m, the distance of the Derby, with Prentice saying that racing over 2536m was never a concern. Tricky Miki, purchased by Prentice for $57,500 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, now has raced 13 times for seven wins, five placings and $208,450. Prentice races the gelding in partnership with eight others.
Hall and Prentice now have won the Western Gateway Pace four times, with Hall’s earlier victories being with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Chicago Bull (2016). Prentice won this event as a driver with the John Graham-trained Lively Royce (2008) and Michael Brennan’s Im Victorious in 2012 before he trained and drove Major Martini for his win in 2020.
Tricky Miki’s win on Friday night came three days after Prentice lost his brilliant two-year-old Art Major gelding Valedictorian.
“His death was the result of either an aneurysm or a snake bite,” said Prentice. “I have spoken to a couple of vets, and they’re leaning towards an aneurysm because there was no sign of any discomfort.
“Mum was in the paddock cleaning his water trough, and Valedictorian was trotting up and down, thinking he was getting a feed. Then, two hours later she went back to do a final check in the afternoon, and the horse had died. He was one of the nicest horses I’ve had. He loved people and loved being in work and racing.”
Valedictorian raced ten times for five wins, two seconds and stakes of $132,647. His wins included the group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings and the group 2 APG Gold Bullion.
Eldaytona overcomes a setback
Veteran reinsman Lindsay Harper had some anxious moments before scoring a narrow victory with $1.50 favourite Eldaytona in the 2130m Hotspurs 1882 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eldaytona had a comfortable time with a slow lead time of 39.3sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.6sec. and 30.8sec. before he sprinted over the third 400m section of the final mile in 28.3sec.
Then, after rounding the home turn Harper went to pull the ear plugs. But the cord broke, and the plugs failed to come out.
“I thought we were in trouble, but Eldaytona was able to hold on,” said Harper. “They were coming, and it got close on the line. Normally, I pull the plugs on straightening up and he accelerates away. It’s a myth that that plugs help all horses. But they make all the difference in the world to him.
“If the plugs had come out tonight, I think he would’ve run away and won by three lengths. He tends to knock off in the straight, and he got beaten a couple of times when he switched off. So, then we put the ear plugs in, and he was a different horse and became very focused when you pulled the plugs.”
Harper, who races Eldaytona in partnership with his trainer Sue Wiscombe and Kevin and Annette Charles, said that the gelding was on the way up and was being set for the rich four-year-old classics, culminating in the $200,000 Golden Nugget on December 16.
“He is a quality horse and I think he deserves a start in the feature events,” said Harper. “There are a lot of quality four-year-olds around, and there are probably four or five certainties and then at least another 15 who deserve a spot.”
Eldaytona, who won by a metre from Markham Eyre on Friday night, has earned $118,709 from 12 wins and 12 placings from 31 starts.
Firerockfireroll bred to succeed
Victorian-bred five-year-old Firerockfireroll has the background to be a prolific winner, with his sire Courage Under Fire and dam Rocknrolla both being group 1 winners and starring on the track.
Firerockfireroll was the $1.40 favourite when he made his third appearance in Western Australia, starting off the front in the Scott Bunting Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He got away well before being interfered with by galloping horses,” said reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who wasted no time as he dashed the gelding forward to take up the running after 750m. Firerockfireroll then dominated the race, and after sprinting the final quarters in 28.9sec. and 28.6sec. he won by a length from $6.50 chance Aussie Scooter, who raced three back on the pegs before running home strongly.
“This was his third WA starts,” said trainer Michael Young. “And he was probably unlucky not to have won at his first two runs here. He is still in a low grade, and we will just roll him through the classes.”
Firerockfireroll, bred and owned by Warren Stewart, has been raced sparingly, and he has earned $78,802 from nine wins and eight placings from 26 starts.
The New Zealand-bred Courage Under Fire was a champion pacer who had 56 starts for 41 wins and four seconds for stakes of $1,485,629. Rocknrolla, a mare by American stallion Grinfromeartoear, had 27 starts for 12 wins, seven placings and stakes of $287,351. She won the group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for two-year-old fillies at Melton in July 2009 before winning the group 1 Vicbred Super Sires Series final for three-year-olds in May 2010.
Close shave for The Mustang
Five-year-old The Mustang remains unbeaten in Western Australia after he set the pace and held on to win by the barest possible margin in the 2130m Aylmore Classic Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Punters who had supported The Mustang, the $1.10 favourite, were besides themselves with considerable apprehension when $20 chance Theo Aviator flew home to join the pacemaker on the line. The photo finish revealed that The Mustang had scored by a nose.
This followed easy all-the-way victories at his two previous appearances for trainer Michael Young and reinsman Gary Hall jnr on the two previous Friday evenings.
“I am very happy with him,” said Young. “He doesn’t go until he has something outside him. Ryan (Warwick) put the pressure on with Ideal Agent, with the quarter down the back in 27.5sec. The track was pretty slow, and that 400m would have been a high 26sec. on a normal night.
“Ideal Agent couldn’t hold on and run a place, while The Mustang held on and won. He will press on and, hopefully, earn a start in the Cups. He won’t race every week, and we’ll space his runs.”
Ideal Agent wilted slightly to finish fourth, while Theo Aviator, having his first start for 26 months, impressed with his powerful finishing burst after racing in the one-out, one-back position for much of the way.
The Mustang now has raced 68 times for 18 wins, 27 placings and $193,756.
The Code Breaker hangs on
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell has The Code Breaker racing enthusiastically, and the American Ideal five-year-old maintained his excellent form with an all-the-way victory in the 2130m Sport FM 91.3 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
However, it was not an effortless win for the $1.30 favourite who fought on grimly to score by a head from $14 chance Fanci A Dance, who enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before sprinting home with a powerful burst.
“He led easily (from the No. 1 barrier),” said young reinsman Kyle Symington. “I was prepared for an early challenge from Athabascan, and with Glenledi Chief coming out, too, it helped a bit, even though I thought The Code Breaker had the speed to lead, no matter what.
Glenledi Chief denied Athabascan the breeze position, leaving Chris Lewis no alternative but to restrain the veteran $61 outsider back to the rear.
The Code Breaker coasted through the opening quarters in 32.8sec. and 30.2sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 28.2sec.
“I think I went a bit too slow early,” confessed a relieved Symington. “I think The Code Breaker would have preferred it rolling along a bit more.”
The Cope Breaker has won at three of his past six starts and has a career record of 55 starts for 13 wins, 18 placings and stakes of $108,516. He is the ninth foal out of the unraced mare Alldatglittersisgold, who has produced top-flight pacers Baby Bling (55 starts for 21 wins, ten placings and $854,490), Bling It On (100 starts for 49 wins, 24 placings and $1,882,957) and Bletchley Park (74 starts for 20 wins, 24 placings and $417,028).
Bynder is an able substitute
Aleesha Bynder is proving to be a wonderful substitute for Coolup trainer Michael Brennan. She has brought the Brennan-trained five-year-old Whatabro to Gloucester Park twice for two wins.
Forty-five minutes after Brennan had driven Rona May into third place behind Northern Gaze in the seventh and final event at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park, Whatabro, the $2.30 favourite, set the pace for Dylan Egerton-Green and won the 2130m Go The Cardies Pace at Gloucester Park.
Whatabro’s previous win was eleven starts earlier, when the gelding finished strongly to win from Euphoria on July 29 when Bynder was in charge while Brennan was on a visit in Ireland.
“We won the start (from barrier one) and were able to hold out Euphoria, who had a crack for the lead,” said Egerton-Green after Whatabro had beaten $8.50 chance Master Publisher, who had trailed the pacemaker throughout.
Whatabro, a former South Australian performer, has been a consistent pacer, having raced 108 times for 23 wins, 39 placings and $165,456 in prizemoney. Whatabro is out of the Whats Next mare Whatacorka, who earned $7797 from three wins and 11 placings from 28 starts. Whatabro’s half-brother Come On Frank won the group 1 Vicbred Four-Year-Old Super Sires Series final at Melton in May 2012 and was retired with earnings of $404,650 from 61 wins and 38 placings from 130 starts.
McCallum’s dream start
Former jockey Campbell McCallum made a perfect start to his career in harness racing when he landed two winners from his first two drives in a race at the meeting at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Friday afternoon.
The 33-year-old McCallum set the pace with the $1.32 favourite Toni Street and won the second event (over 1609m) by a length from Miss Stefani.
His next drive was in the sixth event when he was in the sulky behind $6 chance Leap Of Faith, who started from the 50m mark (virtually 40m) in a 2503m stand. Leap Of Faith raced four back on the pegs before she sustained a strong burst and went four wide on the home turn to get up in the final couple of strides to win by a head from the favourite Distinguished Taste.
Toni Street and Leap Of Faith are prepared by 32-year-old trainer Luke Edwards.
McCallum’s winning streak ended in the final event when he handled the $101 outsider Dynamite Beach, who did not threaten danger and finished sixth behind Northern Gaze.
McCallum, who won the award as the Apprentice Jockey of the Year in far north Queensland in the 2005-06 season, rode 194 winners in a ten-year career in the saddle before turning his hand to training gallopers.
He rode winners at Broome, Derby, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Albany, Belmont and Ascot.
He rode $24 chance Central Park to victory in the 2014 Broome Cup and was successful in listed city events in 2012 with Werd (1100m WATC Stakes) and Zester (1200m Bolton Sprint). His first win as a trainer was with Prescience in a 2000m race at Belmont in September 2019.
Eighteen Carat resumes in style
Talented pacer Eighteen Carat was produced in great shape for her first outing for eight weeks by Mundijong trainer Michael Young — and she delivered the goods in style with an impressive victory in the $50,000 group 2 Cowden Insurance Schrader Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She was very good, first-up, and I think she is one of the best mares in the State,” said an enthusiastic Young. “Good draws in the big races will make life easy for her, and she can still win from bad draws.”
Eighteen Carat was the second fancy at $3.30 from barrier two on the back line, with the $3.20 favourite Fifty Five Reborn ideally drawn at the No. 1 barrier on the front line.
After a smart lead time of 36.4sec. Maddison Brown rated Fifty Five Reborn perfectly with quarters of 30.3sec., 29.8sec. and 28.5sec. before a final 400m of 30.2sec.
Eighteen Carat settled down in eighth position before Gary Hall jnr started a three-wide move 1050m from home. Eighteen Carat moved to the breeze and Hall did not bustle her, instead rated her in the breeze to keep last-start winner and $14 chance Vivere Damore hemmed in on the pegs behind the pacemaker.
Hall sent Eighteen Carat to the front in the final 25m and won by a half-length from Fifty Five Reborn, with Vivere Damore getting clear late and flashing home into third place.
Eighteen Carat, a winner at five of her 38 New Zealand starts, has had seven starts for Young in WA for five wins and a third placing for stakes of $77,693 to boost her career earnings to $145,566.
She will be a leading contender for the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on Friday week and the $150,000 Mares Classic a fortnight later.
Young excels with four wins
Up-and-coming pacer Kimble got Mundijong trainer Michael Young away to a flyer at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he scored a decisive victory in the opening event, the 2130m Cowden The Insurance Brokers Pace.
It was a perfect start for the 33-year-old Young, who ended the night with his most successful meeting with four winners — Kimble, Eighteen Carat, Firerockfireroll and The Mustang.
Kimble arrived in Western Australia with an excellent reputation as a group 1 winner in Victoria for trainer-reinsman Matthew Craven, and his first three starts in WA have indicated that he should be a worthy contender in the rich feature events for four-year-olds in the coming months.
He was the $1.30 favourite from barrier five on Friday night when he revealed his customary sparkling gate speed to burst straight to the front before setting a solid pace and dashing over the final three 400m sections in 28.3sec., 28.8sec. and 28.4sec. on his way to winning by two lengths from $13 chance Little Bit Of Fun, rating 1.57.1.
This took his record to 36 starts for nine wins, 15 placings and $182,293 in stakes, with the highlight of his career being his victory as a $99 outsider in the group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for two-year-old colts and geldings at Melton on December 31, 2020, when he beat Idyllic by two lengths, rating 1.55.2 over 2240m
Kimble is by American stallion Western Terror and is the first foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Im Wrongly Accused, who won a heat of the 2016 Victoria Oaks at Melton before finishing fifth behind Piccadilly princess in the final.
“The four-0year-old classics, that’s what we bought him for, with the Golden Nugget in mind,” said Young. “He raced against the best in his age group in Victoria when he was known as one of the fastest beginners of his age. He will be peaking at the right time, hopefully, for the Golden Nugget when there will be some good horses who miss out.”
Hall’s plan is successful
Classy four-year-old Jumpingjackmac went into Friday night’s $30,000 WAFL World On 91.3 FM Free-For-All with champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr hatching a firm plan of not using the gelding’s excellent gate speed, but to tuck away on the pegs before relying on his natural high speed.
It was a tactical ploy which worked out perfectly. Hall didn’t want Jumpingjackmac to be involved in an early battle for the lead.
“I planned to go three on the rails because I couldn’t see him winning coming from the back,” said Hall. “I did have Hurricane Harley leading. But that didn’t happen. However, we still were able to race three back on the pegs.”
Hampton Banner, a $23 chance, began brilliantly for Jocelyn Young from the outside barrier in the field of seven and he was able to settle in the 2536m event with opening quarters of the final mile in 31.4sec. and 29.5sec., with Minstrel ($6.50) moving into the breeze 750m after the start.
The tempo lifted dramatically with the third 400m section being covered in 27.7sec. Jumpingjackmac was in sixth place before Hall eased him off the pegs 450m from home. Lavra Joe, the $3.20 equal favourite with Hurricane Harley, was making heavy weather out three wide in the final circuit.
Jumpingjackmac was held up behind the tiring Minstrel at the 250m, and Hampton Banner was still in front on the home turn, with Gambit ($6) looking the immediate danger.
Jumpingjackmac finally got into the clear and surged home to hit the front in the final couple of strides to win by a half-length from Gambit, with a head back to Hampton Banner, and Lavra Joe fighting on gamely to be a close-up fourth.
“We got a check at the top of the straight,” said Hall. “It was a bit tight and Jumpingjackmac hit Lavra Joe’s wheel, but he sorted himself out really well and didn’t go roughly. He is better suited driven like he was tonight. He’s a speed horse.
“Before last week’s race (when leading and finishing second to Magnificent Storm) we tracked him during the week, and this week we didn’t give him a fast workout and just jogged him. He goes better when fresh. And he’s a big chance in the Golden Nugget.”
Jumpingjackmac’s six runs before Friday night’s win produced two seconds, two thirds and two fourths, and he now boasts a fine record of 34 starts for 16 wins, nine placings and $288,754.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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