RECORD RUN BY TALKS UP A STORM
Pony-sized gelding Talks Up A Storm set a race record and gave his trainer Murray Lindau his first group 1 success when he revealed sparkling gate speed and ran his rivals ragged in scoring an easy victory in the $100,000 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven aggressively and with supreme confidence by Dylan Egerton-Green, Talks Up A Storm, a well-fancied $3.70 chance, began speedily from the No. 5 barrier and burst to the front after about 300m. After an opening quarter of 28.2sec. he relaxed with a second 400m section in a comfortable 31.2sec. before dashing over the final 800m in 57.4sec.
His rate of 1.56.2 over the 1730m journey broke the race record of 1.56.6 set by Its Rock And Roll in 2018. He won by seven metres from Aiden de Campo’s Rock On The Beach, with Rich American, trained by David Thompson and driven by Aldo Cortopassi, a half-head away in third place.
The win gave the 65-year-old Lindau his biggest success in harness racing. His previous important feature race wins came in the 1990s when he trained and drove Krooz Mode and Let Me Decide to victory in $60,000 State Sires Series Classics. Let Me Decide won the three-year-old version in June 1997 and Krooz Mode was successful in the event for two-year-olds in July 1998. For Egerton-Green Friday night’s win was his third group 1 triumph.
Lindau bought Talks Up A Storm for $22,500 at the 2019 APG yearling sale and the gelding is raced by his partner Claire McNaughton and his stepmother Sylvie Lindau.
“I actually went to the sale wanting to buy a colt by Captaintreacherous (who was later named The Swiss Maestro) but he got up to $30,000 and that blew me out of the water,” he said. “I finished up getting Talks Up A Storm for $22,500 which was affordable.”
Talks Up A storm now has won a heat and the final of the Sales Classic at his first two starts and has earned $66,085 in prizemoney.
“I didn’t know much about his sire, Artspeak, but I liked the dam Typhoon Tan who earned $141,722 from 14 wins and 24 placings from 74 starts which showed that she was no slouch.”
Lindau said that he was seriously considering not running the small, lightly-framed Talks Up A Storm in rich feature events, including the Champagne Classic, Golden Slipper and Pearl, for two-year-olds later in the season.
“My whole campaign for him was based around the heat and the final of the Sales Classic and then putting him away,” he said. “Maybe, when I cool down and relax, I might look at the program. But at this stage, I want him to develop and become more mature. If I look after him, he could go places. So, he’s now off to the paddock.
“The long-term plan for him is the WA Derby next season. The Derby was one race my father (the late Darcy Lindau) always wanted to win and I’d love to win a Derby for him. It was always his ambition.”
$5000 BARGAIN TRIUMPHANT
Banjup trainer Annie Belton and her husband Colin reinforced their reputation as excellent judges of juvenile pacers when Lady Jadore scored a brilliant victory in the $100,000 group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
They picked out Lady Jadore at the 2019 APG yearling sale and purchased her for a mere $5000 before giving shares in the filly to their three daughters.
Lady Jadore now has raced three times for three easy victories and $70,569 in prizemoney.
Lady Jadore, driven by Aldo Cortopassi and starting a hot $1.32 favourite from barrier five, won by just over a length from stablemate Adore Me Some More (Chris Lewis) at a 1.57.2 rate over 1730m. The Vicki Lea-trained Benesari Lane was an excellent third after racing without cover.
Adore Me Some More took an early lead before Cortopassi dashed Lady Jadore to the front after about 500m. The win gave Cortopassi his second success in this event, following his victory as trainer and driver of Artemis Belle in 2010.
Cortopassi, who had the filly in his stable for a month early in her first preparation, said he predicted a bright future for the daughter of New Zealand stallion Tintin In America. “I said to Annie and Colin ‘this is the best one’; she has speed and is a really nice filly.”
SPORTS PACKAGE FLIES HOME
Well-bred black filly Sports Package will be aimed for the $150,000 WA Oaks on May 1 after her thrilling victory in the 2130m www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Starting the rank outsider at $71.90 (and at $81 on the fixed market), Sports Package started from barrier six and thundered home, out five wide, from a seemingly impossible position on the home turn to get up and win by a short half-head from the $2.65 favourite My Sweet Deal, who had come from last at the bell to hit the front in the home straight. Run For Mercy, who set a fast pace was a half-head away in third place.
The win completed a double for Dylan Egerton-Green, who had won earlier in the program with Talks Up A Storm.
Sports Package was bred and is owned and trained by Terry Ferguson and is closely related to former top-line performers Saab (63 starts for 21 wins, 18 placings and $577,197), Talladega (66 starts for 18 wins, ten placings and $411,680) and Saabella (74 starts for 17 wins4 placings and $205,745).
Ferguson bred Sports Package from his black mare Ultimate Package, who raced 45 times for five wins, ten placings and $29,216. Sports Package is the third foal out of Ultimate Package, who produced Cimorene (38 starts for four wins, 11 placings and $117,191) and Bettor Pack It (45 starts for eight wins, 11 placings and $61,183).
Egerton-Green drove Sports Package at her first three starts as a two-year-old in February of last year for a second to Double Expresso at Bunbury and all-the-way victories at Pinjarra.
“I had a lot of time for her as a two-year-old before she went amiss,” said Egerton-Green. The filly now has earned $31,899 from five wins and two seconds from ten starts.
ROSIES IDEAL FOR THE GOLDEN GIRLS MILE
Pinjarra trainer-driver Shane Young produced Rosies Ideal in fine fettle for her impressive first-up victory in the Perth Plasterboard Centre Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and the five-year-old will now be set for the group 3 Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra on March 23.
Rosies Ideal, having her first start since winning at Gloucester Park two months ago, was a 4/1 chance from barrier four. She began well and Young was content to allow her to race outside the pacemaker Mileys Desire before she forged to the front 450m from home and went on to beat Miss Sangrial, who fought on gamely after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
The WA-bred Rosies Ideal is developing into one of the State’s best mares and she looks set to improve significantly on her record of 13 wins, six seconds and three thirds from 38 starts for earnings of $215,364. Eight of her wins have been at Gloucester Park and she also has won twice at Northam and once each at Bunbury, Pinjarra and Narrogin.
OCEAN RIDGE BOUNCES BACK
Ocean Ridge, a disappointing failure when a 5/4 fancy two weeks earlier, bounced back to top form when he enjoyed the run of the race in the one-out, one-back position before dashing to the front on the home turn and winning from hot favourite and pacemaker Simba Bromac in the Retravision Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $6.10 chance for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond and ace reinsman Ryan Warwick, who admitted that he was to blame for Ocean Ridge’s fading eighth placing in a field of eight behind Ideal Liner over 2130m at his previous outing.
“I was just trying to be too smart, going too slow (in front) and he obviously didn’t like it,” he said. “I like it better when he’s got a helmet (to follow) or is free-rolling. I wasn’t terribly confident tonight because they had gone so slow early. But I do like him better, driven that way.”
Simba Bromac, resuming after an absence of just over two months, set the pace, but was challenged in the middle stages by Roman Aviator and he was unable to respond when Ocean Ridge loomed alongside him approaching the home turn. He is sure to be improved by the run and will pay to follow.
Ocean Ridge now has earned $169,340 from 12 wins and seven placings from 30 starts.
BRACKEN SKY BREAKS THROUGH
Smart five-year-old Bracken Sky broke through for his first win in Western Australia when he trailed the pacemaker Grinny Vinnie and finished fast to beat that pacer in the 2130m Better Your bet With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was his 17th start in WA after he had raced 45 times in New South Wales for ten wins. Trained at Wanneroo by Debbie Padberg, Bracken Sky was purchased from NSW for $22,000 and he now has earned $28,253 from his one win, five seconds and two thirds in this State.
From barrier No. 1 Bracken Sky, a $13.40 chance, was first into stride before Shannon Suvaljko surrendered the lead to Grinny Vinnie after 250m. Grinny Vinnie survived a strong challenge from Iconic Valor in the middle stages, but was able to dash over the final quarter in 28.2sec. before being overhauled in the final couple of strides.
Mrs Padberg, who also trains Bracken Sky’s half-brother Absolution, said that it was the plan on Friday night to race with a trail. “He’s a good frontrunner but is inclined to fire up when he is challenged as a pacemaker,” she said. “He is better suited with a sit.”
TOUCH OF SUCCESS MAKES A FLYING START
A sizzling start from out wide at barrier No. 7 paved the way for an easy victory for the Nathan Turvey-trained Touch of Success in the 2130m Direct Trades Supply Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr seized the early initiative when he fired Touch of Success away brilliantly and the seven-year-old, a 5/2 fancy, burst straight into the lead. The gelding then dictated terms and sprinted over the final quarters in 27.7sec. and 27.4sec. to beat oldtimer Maximum Demand by more than two lengths.
“He got to the front after 50 metres which is always helpful,” Hall said. “I know that I got away with a bit there, even though he blasted off the arm, the lead time (38.3sec.) wasn’t that quick at all. He came back to me really nicely, which was obviously the key. He did it with the ear plugs in and on the line was going well.”
WARWICK SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY
Star reinsman Ryan Warwick made the most of the opportunity to drive smart six-year-old Dreamy Nights in the 2130m Mexican March Madness Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Astute Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams engaged Warwick to handle Dreamy Nights after the New Zealand-bred gelding’s regular reinsman Aldo Cortopassi was committed to handle his own nomination Naval Aviator.
Warwick stole a march on his rivals when he bounced Dreamy Nights straight to the front from barrier four and the gelding set the pace, with Runaway Three in the breeze and Naval Aviator behind the leader.
Dreamy Nights, driven by Cortopassi when a winner at his previous outing, dashed over the final 800m in 56.1sec. and won convincingly by one and a half lengths from Naval Aviator, who fought on determinedly.
Dreamy Nights now has earned $78,209 from 13 wins and ten placings from 46 starts.
TURVEY'S 100% RECORD
Nathan Turvey has made the most of the chance to drive experienced five-year-old Bee Seventeen and he has a 100 per cent record behind the brown gelding --- two wins from two attempts.
Turvey drove the Cliff Woodworth-trained Bee Seventeen for the first time when he guided him to a fast-finishing narrow victory over Major Spoilt last Friday week.
On Friday night, Bee Seventeen was a $7.10 chance from the inside of the back line and Turvey gave him the run of the race behind the pacemaker Hoiho before gaining a late split to get up in the final stride to beat While They Pray by a half-head.
“Turning for home I thought there was enough room to get through (on the inside of Hoi Ho),” said Turvey. “He (Hoi Ho) obviously saw me coming and I reckoned it wasn’t going to work. Really late, it just opened up for me to get through. I couldn’t drive him out and couldn’t pull the ear plugs. The horse darted through himself.”
RUM DELIGHT ENDS LOSING RUN OF 20
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell was rewarded for his patience with Rum Delight when the seven-year-old gave a bold frontrunning display for Deni Roberts to win the 2503m stand, the Westral Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rum Delight ($6.90) sprinted over the third quarter of the final mile in 28.3sec. and then covered the final 400m in 29.1sec. to defeat ten-year-old Over Loaded by 2m. Atmospherical came from fifth on the pegs at the bell to be third.
Rum Delight, whose previous win for Bell and Roberts was in a stand at Northam last July, has now won 11 races and been placed 27 times from 93 starts.
