10 April 2023 | Ken Casellas
Lavra Joe excites Lewis
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis left Gloucester Park on Friday night in high spirits after having driven powerful five-year-old Lavra Joe to a superb all-the-way victory in the 2536m Garrard’s Your One Stop Shop Pace.
Greenbushes trainer Ray Jones also wore a confident smile after Lavra Joe had warmed up for next Friday night’s $1 million Nullarbor Slot race with his decisive win over Valentines Brook, rating 1.57 after dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.3sec. to leave other Nullarbor candidates Jumpingjackmac (third), Spirit Of St Louis (fifth) and Diego (seventh) in his wake.
“Lavra Joe should be right on target for the Nullarbor when we should see the best of him,” said Lewis. “He is looking really good, is in a good frame of mind and I expect a really good run from him.
“Tonight, he got out really well (from the No. 2 barrier), travelled good and pulled up good. He won comfortably and is moving towards the big race very nicely. The draw makes a big difference, so obviously we want a good draw, like everyone else does.
“The draw is a major factor at Gloucester Park, but even if Lavra Joe doesn’t get an ideal barrier, he will still be player. But you will need a bit more luck. Last week he came from behind (when second to Magnificent Storm), and it was an exceptional run.”
Lavra Joe was the $1.60 favourite on Friday night, with the star New Zealand-bred Sydney pacer Spirit Of St Louis the second fancy at $3.70.
Spirit Of St Louis began from barrier three and settled down in the one-out, one-back position before Jack Callaghan switched him three wide after 400m to move to the breeze. He then regained the one-out, one-back trail 100m later when the $11 third fancy Minstrel surged to the breeze.
Callaghan eased Spirit Of St Louis three wide 300m from home and the six-year-old battled on into fifth placing without threatening danger. Callaghan was quite satisfied with the gelding’s performance at his first run for a fortnight. “He handled the track well, and I’m looking forward to the big race next week.”
Gary Hall jnr was delighted with Jumpingjackmac’s effort in running home powerfully from seventh at the bell in the field of eight to be third after starting out wide at barrier seven.
“He went super and hit the line pretty hard,” said Hall. Jumpingjackmac’s stablemate Diego, who started from the No. 6 barrier, raced in last position and finished seventh, with driver Maddison Brown saying that she was pleased with his effort.
Minstrel disappointed in fading to finish last, and leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond have chosen Steel The Show ahead of Minstrel as their runner in the Nullarbor. Steel The Show impressed with his fighting qualities when he had a tough run in the breeze and finished fourth behind Magnificent Storm, Lavra Joe and Whatabro over 2130m last Friday week.
Stand is no problem for Hector
Making his first appearance in a standing-start event proved to be no problem for former Victorian pacer Hector, who was driven assertively by Mitch Miller to score a most impressive victory in the $50,000 group 2 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Easter Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“It was a twelve out of ten drive by Mitch, an absolute stunner,” said trainer Kim Prentice. “Hector is a well-mannered horse, and the distance (2503m) was right up his alley.
“The plan (from the 10m mark) wasn’t to get to the front early; it was to get away safely. We thought that the better horses would be up there, and that we would race with cover.
“Hector got away well, while a couple of others (including the $2 favourite Taking The Miki and the $3.40 second fancy Street Hawk) galloped at the start.”
Miller didn’t waste any time early and sent Hector forward with a three-wide burst to dash to the front after about 600m. Hector then relished comfortable opening quarters of 31.2sec. and 30.8sec. before giving his rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 28.1sec.
Hector won by 5m from Street Hawk, with Taking The Miki finishing a length farther back in third place after both placegetters performing extremely well after missing the start and settling down at the rear.
Tasking The Miki was last in the field of twelve early before Chris Voak dashed the mare forward 550m after the start to move to the breeze. Soon after that Deni Roberts, who followed Taking The Miki’s three-wide forward move, sent Street Hawk to the breeze.
Prentice predicted further successes for hector, saying: “He is a really nice horse, but it is hard to get a gauge on him because at home he is so lazy. In the better races he will be really good when sitting and is the one doing the chasing while the others are doing the work.”
Brown’s tactical change
A complete change of tactics by gifted driver Maddison Brown proved highly successful when five-year-old Arma Einstein gave an excellent frontrunning performance to win the $30,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Westbred Autumn Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A week earlier Brown restrained Arma Einstein at the start (from barrier five) to race at the rear before bringing the gelding home with a powerful sprint from eighth at the bell to win from Kimble and Eldaytona.
Arma Einstein again began from the No. 5 barrier on Friday night’s event, but this time Brown urged Arma Einstein forward to take up the running after 250m. The lead time was a slow 38.2sec. followed by ambling opening 400m sections of 32.4sec. and 30.3sec.
Arma Einstein, the $2.70 second fancy, then sprinted over the final quarters in 28.6sec. and 27.9sec. to win by almost a length from the $2.25 favourite Eldaytona, who enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing with a solid three-wide burst over the final 500m.
“Dad (trainer Colin Brown) said that the plan was to stay in front of Eldaytona, the main danger, who had drawn the No. 7 barrier,” said Brown. “From the draws I thought that the only way we could beat El Daytona was to set the pace.
“I thought that there was every chance that Wait For The Bell (the polemarker) would be crossed at the start, and that we could get to the front without too much trouble. And once in front we got away with a fair bit.”
Miller’s quick decision
Sweet Vivienne is noted for her sparkling gate speed — and Mitch Miller revved her up at the start of the 1730m Garrard’s Here On Track Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But though Sweet Vivienne was smartest into stride from the No. 4 barrier, she was unable to cross the polemarker Lucienne, and Miller then made the snap decision to restrain the filly, and he was able to switch her from her three-wide position to gain a favourable spot three back on the pegs.
Sweet Vivienne, the $3.60 second fancy, was locked up on the pegs in fifth position in the final circuit before Miller was able to ease her into the clear — and the filly finished strongly to take the lead 110m from home and go on and win by more than two lengths from the $3.50 favourite Sweet Ivy.
Sweet Ivy, a Pinjarra winner four days earlier at her second start, raced wide early and then in the breeze before taking a narrow lead approaching the home turn. But she was unable to sustain the effort after her hard run.
Sweet Vivienne, bred and trained by Paula Petricevich, has earned $47,389 from five wins and two placings from 14 starts. She is being set for the $50,000 Diamond Classic on May 19, and she is developing into a strong candidate for the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 13.
Middlepage is maturing with age
Six-year-old Middlepage has been a problem pacer for trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper for much of his career when he began badly, raced roughly and broke in running on many occasions.
But he was on his best behaviour at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he began smoothly from the No. 1 barrier and was untroubled to set the pace and score an easy win in the 2536m Garrard’s Service With Integrity Pace.
He was the $2.90 second favourite, and his ability to dash over the final 800m in 56.7sec. enabled him to win by almost two lengths from $10 chance Gran Chico, who finished solidly after trailing the pacemaker all the way. Carrera Mach ($26) raced three back on the pegs and finished third, ahead of Roll Up ($4.60) and Kimble ($2.70 favourite), both of whom finished gamely after racing three wide in the final lap.
Middlepage now has earned $110,162 from 13 wins and 19 placings from 68 starts, with Harper saying: “He’s a lovely, honest horse, who has done a good job. He had issues in the past, but I seem to be on top of him this time in.
“He had some feet issues, and we’ve had vets looking at him without finding the problem. I think he is just maturing and is getting better with age.
“When he was younger, he could lead from nine. But lately I’ve been taking him back (at the start). However, when he drew one for tonight’s race, I let him come out, and he came out quite good.”
Veteran prevails at 183RD start
Veteran pacer Disco Under Fire is thoroughly enjoying his eighth season of racing, and he notched his 17TH win at his 183RD start when he finished full of running to win the 2536m Garrard’s Online www.horseandhound.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The ten-year-old gelding, prepared by Serpentine trainer Giles Inwood, was a $9.70 chance and his win completed a double for reinsman Chris Voak, who had been successful earlier in the program with Miss Boudica.
Voak restrained Disco Under Fire from barrier four and the gelding raced in fifth place, three back on the pegs, before Voak eased him into the clear 470m from home. He dashed past the pacemaker Stormyskyes in the home straight and went on to win by two and a half lengths from Rock Me Over ($6), with Stormyskyes ($3.80) a nose away in third place.
This took Disco Under Fire’s record to 183 starts for 17 wins, 54 placings and stakes of $194,232. It was his sixth metropolitan-class win. He was bought by Inwood for $4000 in February 2020, and since then he has had 99 starts for nine wins, 19 placings and $125,694.
“Tonight, they went hard and set it up for us,” said Voak. “He looked an absolute picture and felt terrific.”
Five-year-old Rascal, the $2.35 favourite from barrier two, disappointed in finishing last in the field of seven. He was the smartest into stride and led by a half-length early but was unable to cross the polemarker Stormyskyes. He did not appear comfortable at any stage as he persisted in hanging inwards.
Goodfellaz shows his class
Lightly-raced four-year-old Goodfellaz produced a sample of his class when he gave a splendid frontrunning exhibition to win the 2130m Garrard’s Rio Cobra Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory showed that he should be a leading candidate for the $50,000 Four And Five-Year-Old Championship next Friday week.
Goodfellaz, trained by Debra Lewis and driven by her husband Chris, was having his third start after a seven-month absence, and he was the $1.30 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
He began speedily and ran the lead time in a smart 36.7sec. before reeling off strong 400m sections of 29sec., 28.2sec., 28.5sec. and 29.7sec. on his way to beating $26 chance Hillview Bondi by 2m, with a further 2m to Alcopony ($7.50) in third place.
Goodfellaz rated a smart 1.54.9 and took his record to 13 starts for seven wins, four placings and $50,522 in prizemoney.
Goodfellaz is certainly bred to be a good winner. He is by American Ideal and is the seventh foal out of the D M Dilinger mare Shes Innocent, a half-sister to the former brilliant pacer Innocent Eyes, who amassed $421,875 from 18 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts.
Goodfellaz is also a half-brother to former outstanding performer Restrepo, whose 49 starts produced 19 wins and ten placings for stakes of $527,118. Restrepo won the group 1 2014 Ballarat Cup when he beat Christen me and Caribbean Blaster in a three-way photo finish. He also won the group 1 Coca Cola Sprint at Menangle when he beat For A Reason in November 2013. His other feature wins also included one at group 2 level and four in group 3 events.
Miss Boudica bounces back
Bonny mare Miss Boudica bounced back to her best form with an emphatic victory in the Garrard’s Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday evening which was a strong indication that she should be a leading candidate for the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes on May 5.
The five-year-old had managed just one win from her past 21 starts for Coolup trainer Michael Brennan. However, a recent third to Simply Shaz and an excellent fifth behind Simply Shaz in the Empress Stakes the previous Friday were strong indicators that another win was not far away.
Miss Boudica, the sole runner on the back line in Friday’s race, was a $11.90 chance and was $16 on the fixed market. Chris Voak was content to have Miss Boudica racing in fifth position, three back on the pegs, while New South Wales mare and the $2.80 second favourite Machs Legacy at her West Australian debut was setting the pace and was kept under pressure by the $1.65 favourite Nevermindthechaos.
Miss Boudica was still fifth 450m from home before Voak eased her into the clear and she finished solidly to take the lead in the final 15m and win by almost a length from Machs Legacy, with Nevermindthechaos a half-length farther back in third place.
“She was terrific, and I was very impressed with her performance,” said Voak. “She was a very good three-year-old before losing her way a bit. And before the race Michael (Brennan) said that she would go well.”
The Victorian-bred Miss Boudica is by Mach Three and is out of the Caprock mare Our Jingle Belle Rock, the dam of eight other winners, including the New Zealand-bred Bettor Rock On, who earned $442,173 from 40 wins and 64 placings from 208 starts. Bettor Rock On won once from eleven starts in Western Australia in 2015 before continuing his career in America.
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