CHICAGO BULL BREAKS $2 MIL BARRIER
Champion pacer Chicago Bull took out the $50,000 Group 2 Mount Eden Sprint (1730m) in emphatic fashion at Gloucester Park on Friday night, taking his stake earnings past an incredible $2 million in the process.
Starting a raging $1.16 favourite, the Bettors Delight seven-year-old stopped the clock in a sizzling 1:53:2 mile rate en route to landing the 57th win of his career and his ninth from his past 10 starts.
After jumping from barrier one, Hall of Fame driver Gary Hall Jnr held the lead with ease through the early stages before leaving his rivals in his wake courtesy of a breathtaking 26.6 third quarter and 54.2 last half.
Main rival Shockwave ($5.50) sat in the breeze and battled on gamely to finish second, beaten just over six metres, while Vampiro ($23) ran on into third place a further 10.4 metres away.
Chicago Bull’s victory was the first of four wins on the night for Hall Jnr and the first of three for champion trainer Gary Hall Snr.
AMERICAN ARMA MAKES NICE FIRST IMPRESSION
Blue-blooded filly American Arma made an auspicious debut in the Cowcher The Insurance Brokers 2YO Fillies Preferred Pace (2130m) when finishing strongly to score by more than three metres.
The American Ideal two-year-old is out of former Australian 2YO Filly of the Year, Arma Xpress, and justified trainer-driver Colin Brown’s high opinion of her in an ultra-professional first start performance.
Brown settled the $2.90 race-favourite one-out and one-back before levelling up to race-leader Bettor Beach Belle ($12) turning for home and running away from her rivals over the final 100 metres.
Goodealhmaddie ($8) finished a further metre away in third place.
Following the race, Brown reported that American Arma pulled up surprisingly big and the veteran horseman was of the opinion there was plenty of improvement still to come.
THE LAST DROP GOES BACK-TO-BACK
The Joshua Dunn-trained The Last Drop scored successive wins with Shannon Suvaljko in the sulky when leading from go-to-whoa in the Retravision Pace (2536m).
The Allamerican Ingot four-year-old held the front from barrier one and skipped clear entering the straight before clinging on over the concluding stages to defeat the fast-finishing Euphoric Moment ($5.50) by a neck.
The Kraken ($10) finished almost two metres away in third place, while Alta Intrigue ($4.40) encountered a chequered passage over the final 400 metres before finishing fifth in his first race for almost 28 months.
Formerly trained by Justine Prentice and then Ross Olivieri, The Last Drop was transferred to Dunn’s care in July and has since recorded three wins and two minor placings from seven starts.
The gelding’s win was the first of two on the night for Suvaljko.
JIMMY MACK BOUNCES BACK
Ross Olivieri’s consistent pacer Jimmy Mack landed his second win from his past three starts in the Westral Pace when surviving a late scare over the late stages of the 2130m event.
Starting the $1.55 race favourite, the Washington VC eight-year-old was allowed a soft lead as the seven-horse field settled in Indian file and driver Chris Lewis still looked to be in complete control making the final turn before Bettor Be Oscar ($8.50) finished powerfully to issue a strong challenge in the straight.
Lewis and Jimmy Mack lifted over the late stages to hold on by a half-neck, while second-favourite My Carbon Copy ($2.90) recorded his seventh-consecutive top-three finish when filling third position a further five metres away.
Jimmy Mack was well-found as a $2.35 elect at his previous start before being heavily pressured for the lead and subsequently fading to finish a distant fifth, however, he was able to bounce back to his best on Friday to continue his sound form since resuming from a freshen-up.
The gelding has returned three wins and two minor placings from seven starts since August 21.
PATRICK RETURNS TO BEST FORM
Colin Brown’s night went from good to great when his former Group 1-winning three-year-old Patrickthepiranha bounced back to his best to lead all-of-the-way in the TABtouch Pace (2130m).
After openly conceding the Four Starzzz Shark CA gelding needed to improve on recent form, Brown’s decision to apply the hood-type blinkers for the first time paid dividends when the $9.50 chance flew off the arm to lead from barrier five and never really looked in danger from then on.
Race-favourite I’m Soxy ($2.35) drew the pole and settled leaders-back after being crossed by Patrickthepiranha and stuck on well to finish second, while Roman Aviator ($26) improved from a last-start disappointment to fill third position.
Eloquent Mach ($9), Stroke Of Luck ($4.80) and Whozideawasthis ($5.50) each received interference at various stages before finishing fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Patrickthepiranha’s 1:55:8 winning mile rate was his best performance since clocking 1:55:4 in his $100,000 Group 1 3YO Colts & Geldings Westbred Classic victory 16 months ago.
JACK FARTHING SCORES AT WA DEBUT
Former New South Wales pacer Jack Farthing appears destined for future success for new trainer Justin Prentice after an impressive win at his WA debut in the Simmonds Steel Pace (2536m).
Previously trained by John McCarthy in Menangle, the McArdle five-year-old was having his first start for 35 days when settled leaders-back behind race-favourite Baylan Jett ($2.90) and he raced fiercely through the middle stages, however, he was still able to let down with a sharp turn-of-foot to reel in a brave Braeview Bondi ($12) by a half-neck.
Baylan Jett battled on fairly to finish just over four metres away in third place.
Champion driver Gary Hall Jnr reported afterwards that Jack Farthing wasn’t entitled to win the race after over-racing badly and felt the gelding had plenty of scope for improvement moving forward.
Meanwhile, Braeview Bondi is knocking on the door for another win after continuing to race consistently despite not having drawn inside barrier four for six starts.
CARTER MICHEAL GOES OUT WITH A BANG
Bettors Delight entire Carter Micheal bowed out from racing a winner after scoring a dominant victory at his 83rd and final race start in the Etch Coatings Pace (2130m).
Starting the $1.80 race favourite, the Nathan Turvey-trained and Emily Suvaljko-driven six-year-old took his career stake earnings past $200,000 after leading from start-to-finish and romping in by almost 18 metres.
Crocodile Kid ($5) settled leaders-back from barrier one and finished runner-up, while Destined To Rule ($31) was a head away in third after hitting the line strongly from back in the field.
Carter Micheal finishes his career with three wins, three minor placings and seven top-five finishes from his past nine starts.
LIAM NEIL JUSTIFIES SHORT QUOTE
Liam Neil landed two wins in the space of three days when making good of his $1.45 starting price in The West Australian Pace (2130m).
After recording an effortless win by more than 13 metres at Gloucester Park on Tuesday, the Modern Art five-year-old handled a rise in grade with ease to score by eight metres.
Outsider Be On Guard ($71) was given a nice push by driver Maddison Brown pre-race and hit the line well into second place, while Lightning Jolt ($8) was a further half-metre away in third after also doing his best work over the late stages.
The Gary Hall Snr-trained Liam Neil has now recorded 15 wins and 16 minor placings from his 64 career starts and appears to be an improved horse in his three runs back this preparation.
Meanwhile, noted speedster Dreamy Nights ($6.50) failed to beat a runner home at his race return when making an unsuccessful bid for the lead and subsequently tiring to be beaten 33 metres at the finish.
LORD ROSCO LEADS ALL OF THE WAY
Prolific winner Lord Rosco scored his seventh win from his past eight starts when leading from barrier to box in the Channel Seven Pace (2536m).
Prepared by Stephen Reed, the relatively lightly-raced Bettors Delight five-year-old has a brilliant race record of 31 career starts for 14 wins and 12 minor placings and was the recipient of strong backing on Friday, backed from $2.60 into $2.15 with TABtouch.
Consistent type Maras Ace Man ($9.50) continued his good form when hitting the line well from an unfavourable draw to finish second, while drifting pre-post favourite Roman Art ($2.25 to $2.40) was held up for the majority of the straight before finishing third.
Rocknroll Whitby ($31) and Henwood Bay ($17) locked wheels and the latter suffered a flat tyre before the pair faded to finish a distant seventh and eighth respectively.
VIVERE LAMORE LANDS PLUNGE
Peter Tilbrook-trained mare Vivere Lamore landed good bets in the Worldwide Printing Fillies & Mares Pace (2130m) when scoring an all-the-way win with Shannon Suvaljko in the sulky.
The Lincoln Royal five-year-old opened at $6.50 in pre-post markets with TABtouch and was as high as $4.80 within 10 minutes of the jump before getting crunched into $3.80 late and recording her first win since for 16 starts.
Suvaljko was full of confidence of a return to winning form for the mare pre-race and went on to chalk up the second leg of a winning double on the night, however, it wasn’t before a scare from the fast-finishing Suzies Gem ($34).
The Peter Lodding-trained mare settled leaders-back before getting clear on straightening and launching late to miss by a neck, while rank outsider C C Cheveron ($51) showed marked improvement to finish just over four metres away in third place.
The well-found Queen Shenandoah ($3.20) was inconvenienced before finishing at the tail of the nine-horse field.
THE IDEAL TOUCH REMAINS UNBEATEN IN THE WEST
Progressive three-year-old The Ideal Touch made it four wins from as many starts in WA when scoring easily in a dramatic edition of the Owners Only 3YO Pace (2130m) to round out the night.
Stormyskyes ($31) and Middlepage ($5.50) locked horns in a spirited battle for the lead through the early stages before the former broke into a gallop and the latter soon followed, causing interference in the field.
Gary Hall Jnr and The Ideal Touch ($2.30) were the beneficiaries of the incident and subsequently strode forward to claim the lead unchallenged before skipping clear on straightening and scoring by almost four metres.
Warriors Legacy ($19) finished runner-up, while Hotfoot It ($7.50) was a further two metres away in third place.
A former New Zealand import, The Ideal Touch has now won five of his eight career starts and appears destined for bigger and better things in the future.
