17 June 2024 | Ashleigh Paikos
It was start 102 for Baltic Ace that saw the war horse break the $100,000 in stake money for owner/trainer Tracy Reay, with the stable heading to Kellerberrin on Sunday with two runners for a win and a second placing, with Jades Fortune the runner-up in race three on the day.
Reay, who purchased the then five-year-old from his Victorian connections after his last start on May 4, 2021, after having just 19 starts in the east for two wins and five placings, now going on to have a further 83 starts here in the west for 10 wins and 17 placings, a true stable star for Pinjarra based Tracy Reay.
At just $5000 as his purchase price, the now eight-year-old has more than repaid Reay, and she made special mention that he would have to be close to the top of her stable, being a good horse for her from the time she bought him.
“I lost him there for a little while, he had a really hard run at Gloucester Park where he sat in the breeze and didn’t handle it and I’ve had a bit of a rocky road getting him back, but I think he’s on the improve again now,
“I bought him from across east off Mr Brosnan and he wasn’t that expensive, I think he was about $5000 at the time, so he’s done a huge job for me.”
The stable recently moved from being in central Pinjarra to property on the outskirts of West Pinjarra, and although the horses have enjoyed the move to bigger paddocks, getting their training regime right has taken some adjustment for Tracy Reay and her partner John Jelf.
“When we moved, they love it out here, but it took a bit of time to work everything out, work out how to work them out here and I just think it’s just coming good now
“They weren’t going to bad when we were in town but we came out here and you could tell they were loving it but it’s taken months for us to work everything out and get them to where I think they’re now improving.”
With at least 20 horses in work, their racing team is starting to ramp up with Agent Booth having just his fourth start today at Pinjarra.
Purchased at the yearling sales by Reay in 2020, the now five-year-old was a late starter, qualifying in March 2022 but not making his official race debut until the 24th of May this year, winning at just his second attempt earlier this month at Kellerberrin after leading all the way.
Agent Booth is a half sibling to pacing bred trotter Papa Razzi (owned and trained by Bob Mellsop) and pacer Miss Harlequin who had 60 starts for six wins and 12 placings for Reay.
Reay heads to Gloucester Park on Tuesday night with new addition Cohlin having his first start for the team in race five (7.17pm) as well as the two trotters in race nine (8.58pm) Stay Focused starting from barrier three and Kyvalley Clichy making his return from barrier four.
Reay currently has a few new horses making their way through, including a two-year-old from the east who is just weeks away from making his WA debut.
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