27 March 2023 | Ken Casellas
Street Hawk has a bright future
Up-and-coming four-year-old Street Hawk looks destined for an outstanding career after he romped to victory in the $50,000 group 3 SEFS Preux Chevalier Four-Year-Old Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He definitely has the ability to be a player in the big feature events for four-year-olds at the end of the year,” said Deni Roberts after she had driven the Greg and Skye Bond-trained gelding to his two-and-a-half length win over Tricky Miki, rating 1.57.8 over the 2536m journey after dashing over the final 800m in 56.6sec.
“Street Hawk has got a really good turn of foot which you need in that grade, and he has a bit of toughness, too. He grows a leg in front, as most horses do around GP.
“His previous few runs were awesome when he didn’t have much luck. So, it was nice to find the rail with him tonight and have it on his terms.
“There was a little bit of pressure to get to the lead (after 200m) when Lucca was trying to hold him out, and then we had one move (from Alcopony) and another move (from The Miki Taker) to contend with. But I was still able to rate Street Hawk within his comfort zone.”
Street Hawk, who had finished second at each of his three previous starts, was the $1.80 favourite, with Tricky Miki, making his first appearance since winning the WA Derby 20 weeks earlier, the second fancy at $2.75 from the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Tricky Miki was not bustled early and Gary Hall jnr was content to remain in last position until he sent the brilliant gelding forward in the back straight in the final circuit. Tricky Miki finished with a determined burst to finish second, narrowly ahead of $34 chance Lucca, who fought on gamely after trailing the pacemaker.
Street Hawk, a winner at two of his six New Zealand starts, has raced 13 times in WA for seven wins and four placings. He is the fourth foal out of Racketeers Girl, whose 54 starts were all in Western Australia for eight wins, 14 placings and $86,545.
Racketeers Girl showed excellent promise as a young pacer, finishing second to Artemis Belle in the Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park in March 2011 and then shining as a four-year-old with a head second to Thumpem in the Manea Classic at Bunbury, a fifth to Ohokas Bondy in the Four-Year-Old Classic at Pinjarra and third to Ohokas Bondy in the group 3 WA Triple Crown final at Gloucester Park.
Lauren Harper’s milestone
Twenty-seven-year-old Lauren Harper landed her biggest winner in harness racing when she guided Luvaflair to an upset victory in the group 3 SEFS Trotters Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And this gave Waroona trainer Nigel Johns (57) his second group 3 success, following Compressor’s win in the WA Trotters Cup in January 2009.
Luvaflair started from the prized No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s 1730m sprint, and Harper made every post a winner by getting the chestnut away smartly and then rating her perfectly in front to score a decisive two-length victory over $14 chance Line The Starzzz, with the $1.50 favourite Patched almost three lengths farther back in third place.
This was the fourth year in a row that the pacemaker had won the Trotters Sprint, with Luvaflair following in the footsteps of the three previous winners, War Spirit, Tenno Sho and Tricky Ric.
Johns has been a notable trendsetter as a trainer of square gaiters since he purchased Compressor early in 2008. He won twenty races with Compressor, who is one of nine winners produced by Flair, a trotter who managed only two third placings from 15 starts for earnings of $1203 before being retired to the breeding barn.
But Flair has certainly proved herself as a dam of several excellent trotters, one of whom is All Flair, the mother of Luvaflair.
All Flair, placed once from 21 Victorian starts, had 150 starts for Johns for eleven wins, 59 placings and stakes of $120,237.
Johns said that he first became interested in trotters when he was a fan of Victorian trotter Opulence, a son of Flair, who was prepared by prominent trainer Frank Evans. After a phone call from Johns, Evans sold Opulence, and Opulence headed west where he won four times for Johns in 2006-07-08.
“The late Mr Johns is the person who really got us into trotting,” said Johns, who has raced several trotters, including Flair’s final foal Mister Flair, whose 77 lifetime starts for Johns produced nine wins, 21 placings and $73,726.
Flair was the first foal out of a grey mare who won the Victoria Derby and Oaks for Evans in 1984 and was retired with a record of 34 starts for ten wins and eight placings.
Luvaflair, a five-year-old chestnut mare, is by noted French sire Love You, who earned $2,411,372 from 22 wins and 13 placings from 59 starts. Luvaflair was bred and is owned by Noel Boyd and his wife Kaye, a daughter of the late Mr Evans. Luvaflair has raced 64 times for 11 wins, 20 placings and $99,964.
Luvaflair and other members of the Johns stable will be aimed at the Pinjarra Trotters Cup in June.
Gliding Star set for Diamond Classic
Inexperienced filly Gliding Star is improving in leaps and bounds and she chalked up her third win from five starts when she caused an upset with a smart victory over Fly To Fame and August Moon in the $20,250 www.sefsolutions.com.au Pace at Gloucester park on Friday night.
A $14.10 chance from the No. 1 barrier, Gliding Star was given the run of the race by Emily Suvaljko, trailing the pacemaker Cabsav ($5) before getting to the front at the 100m and beating the fast-finishing Fly To Fame ($13) by a head, with the $1.20 favourite August Moon in third place.
August Moon was restrained from barrier six before quickly dashing forward after a slow 38.5sec. lead time to race in the breeze. August Moon burst to the front 390m from home before wilting, while Cabsav faded to finish last.
“This was a big jump in class and a good test for her, said Gliding Star’s trainer Jemma Hayman. “She is paid up for the Diamond (on May 19) and I think she will develop into a good contender for the WA Oaks (October 13). She is going to get better and will be suited over the 2536m of the Oaks.”
Gliding Star is by Follow The Stars and is the second foal out of the Victorian-bred Pacific Fella mare Waterslide, who had 158 starts for 12 wins (ten in Victoria, one in New South Wales and one in Queensland).
Waterslide’s dam Wide Glide produced ten winners of 136 races, including Jonathon, who had 144 starts for 32 wins, 40 placings and $186,469.
Will I Rocknoll’s sparkling finish
Veteran pacer Will I Rocknroll’s winning prospects appeared to be extremely remote when he was eighth 250m from home in the 2130m SEFS Tou Name It We Fund It Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But the Victorian-bred eight-year-old, the $4.40 third favourite, unleashed a sparkling sprint, three wide on the home turn and five wide in the straight, to gain a thrilling final-stride victory by a nose over the $2.65 favourite Ima Fivestar General, with the pacemaker Regal Charm ($21) a half-head away in third place.
Ima Fivestar General raced without cover throughout and looked the winner when Robbie Williams got him to the front about a metre from the post.
A week earlier when Will I Rocknroll was reappearing after a four-month absence, Gary Hall jnr got him away to a flying start from barrier four before took the sit behind Dont Bother Me None and was hampered for room in the home straight when finishing a well-beaten second to the frontrunner.
“I thought that this was a race in which he would have to go back, particularly with Ima Fivestar General drawn inside of him,” explained Hall.
“I have now driven Will I Rocknroll twice like that, holding him back and not pulling him out until the last 300 metres — and he’s won both times. He dropped back (in class) tonight, and also did a big job to get up.”
Will I Rocknroll, prepared by Gary Hall snr, won eleven times in Victoria and has had 50 starts in WA for seven wins and seven placings, taking his record to 84 starts for 18 wins, 13 placings and $194,998.
By American stallion Rock N Roll Heaven, Will I Rocknroll is out of the Mach Three mare Laughing Lilly, who has also produced Kash Is Back (128 starts for 18 wins, 342 placings and $183,180) and Kashed Up (45 starts for 11 wins, 21 placings and $262,518).
Gear change does the trick
A decision by Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Chris Voak to change James Butt’s gear paid dividends when the eight-year-old revealed brilliant gate speed and set a fast pace to win the 1730m Specialised Equipment Funding Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I put a Murphy blind on him in a bid to prevent him from hanging when racing on the pole,” explained Voak. “And he didn’t hang at all on the pole, even at the start, and that allowed him to show more gate speed.
“After starting from 30 metres in a 2503m stand the previous week, I trained him specifically for the mile this week, giving him a couple of one-mile heats, American style, to get a bit more speed out of him.
“I didn’t have a real plan for him tonight. I thought he could be outgunned at the start. But he felt very sharp in the warm-up and I was happy to race straight to the front.”
After solid opening quarters of 29.4sec. and 29.8sec. James Butt, the $8.40 third favourite, sped over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.4sec. to coast to a two-and-a-half victory over Master Yossi ($9.50), with Gran Chico ($23) running on from fifth at the bell to finish third, more than a length ahead of the $2.15 favourite Arma Einstein, who was beaten for early speed and raced in the breeze for much of the event.
James Butt, who rated 1.54.2, has overcome serious leg injuries and now has raced 51 times for 11 wins, 17 placings and $138,865.
Hector produces the goods
The much-travelled Hector, a lazy horse at home where he consistently gets beaten by his stablemates in trackwork, obviously saves his best for race nights.
He was the $3 second favourite from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Vale Alf Da Re Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he had a tough run in the breeze outside the pacemaker and $1.40 favourite Raven Banner.
Raven Banner set a moderate early pace before the final 400m sections were covered in 28.7sec. and 27.9sec. Raven Banner led by a length 70m from the post before Hector ran home with fierce determination to snatch a nose victory in the final stride.
“I didn’t think he was that tough,” said reinsman Mitch Miller. “I don’t think a lot of him. At home he doesn’t try very hard, and everything beats him on the track.
“He didn’t feel like the winner around the bend, but when we straightened up he knuckled down and got the job done. I didn’t think he could do that, so it was pretty satisfying.”
Trainer Kim Prentice said he was very happy with the result. “At home he is a lazy horse, and tonight we were always going to face the breeze and be tested,” he said.
This was Hector’s second start in Western Australia, following his disappointing debut a fortnight earlier when he hit the wheel of Roll Up’s sulky 300m after the start, stumbled and galloped badly. He finished a distant last.
The New Zealand-bred Hector is owned by Queenslander Tony Veivers, and he has now earned $81,984 from eight wins and nine placings from 26 starts. He won once from four New Zealand starts, three times from 13 starts in Queensland and won at three of his seven Victorian appearances.
One of Hector’s Victorian wins was in the group 3 Rising Stars Pace over 2240m at Melton last November.
Hector is the second horse that Veivers has sent to WA to be trained by Prentice. The first was veteran trotter Spud, who won at his first two starts for Prentice, at Gloucester Park and Pinjarra in September 2019.
Wonderful To Fly resumes in style
Wonderful To Fly, WA’s three-year-old Filly of the Year in 2022, made a superb return to racing after a 20-week absence when she scored a splendid victory in the $26,000 SEFS The Asset Finance Specialists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was the $2.30 favourite ($1.80 on the fixed market) , drawn at barrier No. 4, with the brilliant, in-form mare Nevermindthechaos at barrier five.
Pinjarra trainer Shane Young got Wonderful To Fly away to a smart start and she led for the first 950m before Gary Hall jnr sent Nevermindthechaos to the front, leaving Simply Shaz ($18) in the breeze.
Young bided his time before taking Wonderful To Fly off the pegs 240m from home, and she overhauled Nevermindthechaos 40m from the post and beat that mare by a half-length, rating 1.54.8 over the 2130m. The final quarters were run in 28.5sec. and 28sec. Simply Shaz fought on to finish a distant third, just ahead of $7 chance Sheez Our Hope.
“My intention was to lead all the way, but Junior (Hall) had made it clear that he was going to try to outstay Wonderful To Fly. I then did the right thing for a change by surrendering the lead,” said Young.
“For a while I was concerned that I might not be able to get out. But Junior’s mare ran along and gave me the opportunity to get out. I then thought she would win, but when she got outside of Nevermindthechaos she struggled a bit. However, she dug in late and has done a big job.
“It’s a different ball game, going into Free-For-All company, first-up. I reckon she will improve on what she’s done tonight when she has broken 1.55, raced against good mares, taken a bit of pressure and was good enough to win.
“She gives me the impression by the way she has come back after a spell that she will furnish into a nice horse. I will nominate for the Empress Stakes next Friday night, and four days after that she will run in the APG Gold Bullion heats for four-year-old mares before she has a week off and then get ready for the $50,000 final on May 12.”
The sky now seems the limit for Wonderful To Fly, who has had 35 starts for 22 wins, six placings and $427,225, as well as several thousand more dollars in bonuses.
Deeorse bucks the odds
One win from his past 83 starts was not the ideal form line for veteran pacer Deeorse going into the final event, the $18,500 Catalano Truck And Equipment Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New South Wales-bred seven-year-old had been unplaced at his ten previous outings and had a losing sequence of 34. But all those facts and figures failed to dent the optimism of part-owner and Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg.
“Deeorse hasn’t had many good barriers and he needs everything to go right in his races,” said Padberg. “Last week when he ran sixth behind very good pacers El Chema and Street Hawk he was held up and he rated 1.55. And that was his first run for a month, during which he had a little break because he had a virus.
“He worked well during the week and I thought that if they left him alone (in front) for one quarter, he could run three good quarters. And that’s what happened.”
Deeorse, driven for only the second time by Aiden de Campo, was the $3.70 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and he had an easy time with a modest 8.1 led time and slow opening quarters of 30.2sec. and 31.4sec. before he dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.9sec. and 28.3sec. to win by a length from $6.50 chance Rock Me Over, who trailed the leader throughout.
Deeorse is by American Ideal and is the ninth and last foal out of the Holmes Hanover mare Elite Legacy, who raced ten times for three wins, one placing and stakes of $10,813. Deeorse now has had 125 starts for eight wins, 35 placings and $120,794.
He raced 28 times in New South Wales for four wins and ten placings and his 97 WA starts have produced four wins and 25 placings. His half-brother Clarry earned $161,449 from 20 wins and 45 placings from 155 starts.
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