Voak’s plan succeeds
Star reinsman Chris Voak’s major concern going into the group 3 Preux Chevalier Pace with the $1.90 favourite Perfect Major at Gloucester Park on Friday night was being trapped on the pegs after starting from the inside of the back line in the $30,000 feature event over 2130m.
His tactics were simple: Ease off the pegs as quickly as possible.
“It was my intention to get off the pegs safely as soon as I could,” he said after driving Perfect Major to a dashing victory over the pacemaker and $5 second favourite Euphoric Moment, rating a smart 1.55.5 and extending his winning sequence to five.
Voak eased Perfect Major back immediately after the mobile barrier released the field of 12 and the former Victorian pacer settled down in ninth position in the one-wide line.
“They were going very hard early and a few horses dropped to the pegs and I was able to find Gary Hall junior’s back in the first lap,” Voak explained.
Hall sustained a strong three-wide burst with Alta Intrigue to get to the breeze outside Euphoric Moment, who had revealed good gate speed to take advantage of the No. 1 barrier. Then Voak was happy to maintain Perfect Major’s impetus and move into the breeze.
“So, we had the perfect cover into the race, getting to the breeze in a fast tempo, but cheaply,” Voak said. “And Perfect Major showed great tenacity over the final 600 metres to wear down the leader.”
Alta Intrigue ($6.50) fought on gamely to be a well-beaten third, with The Kraken ($31) finishing strongly from tenth at the bell to be fourth, with the final quarters being run in 27.7sec. and 28.2sec.
Perfect Major’s victory gave Voak his 221ST driving success for the season, and it was win No. 114 for trainer Ross Olivieri in the extended 2019-20 season.
Perfect Major, unbeaten in three appearances in Western Australia, won once from one start in Tasmania, once from four starts in South Australia and six from 21 Victorian starts when prepared by Emma Stewart.
Perfect Major has inherited much of her ability from her dam Perfect Life (who raced 33 times in Victoria for eight wins, 13 placings and $47,588). Perfect Life’s dam Secret Life raced 52 times for 11 wins, 14 placings and $86,798. Her final 11 starts were in WA in 2007 and 2008 for trainer Bob Mellsop.
“I think that Perfect Major will graduate to top company,” said Voak. “But not driven like he was tonight. I think he’s going to be a sit and sprinter. He hasn’t had that much racing and I think he’s a season behind the better ones at the moment. He certainly has exceeded the expectations of everyone, and he’s gone a great job so far.”
Galactic Star on target for the Cups
Increasing years are not diminishing Galactic Star’s enthusiasm for racing, and the outstanding seven-year-old showed that he will be a major player in the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in the next couple of months with an impressive victory in the $25,000 Better Your Club With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Galactic Star, great value at $11.40, sprinted home brilliantly with a final quarter of 27.2sec. to beat stablemate and pacemaker Vampiro ($1.30 favourite) to give leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond and reinsman Ryan Warwick the second leg of a treble.
The Bonds and Warwick also combined for all-the-way wins with Captain Kirk and Flying Mister Ideal. The Bonds have prepared 246 winners and 210 placegetters from 795 starters this season, while Warwick is the State’s leading driver with 232 winners and 180 placegetters.
Galactic Star began speedily from the No. 4 barrier and was able to secure the ideal one-out, one-back position in the first lap after Mighty Conqueror ($6.50) moved into the breeze.
Warwick eased Galactic Star out three wide 250m from home and the New Zealand-bred gelding finished strongly to hit the front in the final 20 metres. The win improved Galactic Star’s record to 83 starts for 29 wins, 26 placings and stakes of $578,375. It also took the prizemoney earned by the Bond runners this season past the $3 million mark.
Braeview Bondi explodes from last to first
Trainer Michael Brennan was left shaking his head in disbelief after Braeview Bondi sprinted home brilliantly, out four and five wide, to come from last in a field of 12 with 400m to travel to burst to the front about 45m from the post and career away to win the 2130m Off The Track Pace by 10m from Dredlock Rockstar at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“It was mind-blowing, and I’m gobsmacked; they just don’t do it,” Brennan said. “I watched the race from up in the stand and half way down the back straight I thought he had no chance of winning. So, I started to come down the stairs.
“It was crazy, and it was a really impressive effort. He has been flying (with placings behind Vincenzo Peruggia and Jack Farthing at his past two runs) and for some strange reason he has struck top form. I haven’t changed anything, but in his two runs before tonight’s race he’s shown the speed that he revealed on the track but hadn’t been showing it in his races.
“He had been racing very dourly and at the times we have sat him up he hasn’t shown any speed. But for some reason tonight he has shown the speed that I know he has got. You just don’t see what he did tonight.”
The victory came as no great surprise to crack young reinsman Michael Grantham, who was left with the task of determining the tactics for the race. “It was Michael’s choice to go back at the start (from barrier No. 6),” Brennan said.
“So, I said ‘I’ll leave it up to you but I don’t really want to be in the running line’ and he said that he wouldn’t care if the horse settled five or six back on the pegs. He certainly showed a degree of confidence.
“When I first got Braeview Bondi, I thought he was a Cup horse, judging by the way he worked. But he didn’t transition that work into his races. However, now he really is, and he’s in a happy place. We had a few feet problems with him during his previous preparation, but it was nothing serious and he has well and truly got over the problems.
“The Pacing Cup (December 4) probably will come around too early for him this year. But I think he has earned a chance in Free-For-All company.”
Braeview Bondi, a winner of nine races in Victoria, looks set to improve on his West Australian record of seven wins and nine placings from 25 starts.
Savvy Bromac, small but spirited
Savvy Bromac arrived in Western Australia from New Zealand three months ago and has excelled under the care of Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey, with her first five WA starts producing two wins and three seconds.
The small and plain-looking filly was favourite at $2.40 in the 2130m Better Your Bet With TABtouch Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Owned by Broome businessman Karl Deiley, Savvy Bromac, a daughter of Mach Three, raced four times in New Zealand for a win and two placings. Turvey has enjoyed considerable success with the Deiley-owned Simba Bromac, with that New Zealand-bred pacer earning just over $200,000 in stakes from 23 wins and 17 placings from 55 WA starts.
Savvy Bromac started well from the No. 4 barrier and Chris Lewis sent her to the front after 100m. After a lead time of 37.5sec., Savvy Bromac had an easy time with modest opening 400m sections of the final mile of 31.5sec. and 31.4sec. before finishing with quarters of 28.3sec. and 28.9sec.
Fifty Five Reborn, who raced in the breeze, took a narrow lead 250m from home, but Savvy Bromac resisted the challenge and won by a half-length from $3 second fancy Star Fromthepalace, who sustained a strong three-wide burst. Nikasa ($26) followed Star Fromthepalace’s three-wide run to come from seventh at the bell to be third.
“The best is still to come for Savvy Bromac,” said Turvey. “After a break she should come back a bit better. I was disappointed tonight that she didn’t win by more. With the sectionals she got away with I thought she was entitled to win more easily.”
Savvy Bromac is the ninth foal out of the Victorian-bred Fake Left mare Zante Beach, who had 84 starts for 16 wins, 27 placings and $124,447 in stakes. Savvy Bromac’s win on Friday night gave Turvey his 50TH training success for the season.
Balcatherine sparkles, first-up
“She will be right in it for the big races for mares this summer,” declared champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr after driving the lightly-raced Balcatherine to an effortless first-up victory in the $22,000 Download The TABtouch App Today Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The four-year-old New Zealand-bred Balcatherine was a warm favourite at $1.90 for her first appearance for five months and she gave her supporters little cause for concern as she set a fast pace before romping away to win by four lengths from $41 chance Suzies Gem, rating a slick 1.55.1 over 2130m after final quarters of 27.6sec. and 27.7sec.
“I was pretty excited when she dashed away and kept going,” said Hall. “I was a bit worried when she got keen. Wainui Creek came up to her (in the first lap) and eyeballed her and was in front of her for a bit, and that fired Balcatherine up a bit.
“She has always been a good mare and I have no doubt she’s up to all of them. At home, she has shown she is probably a bit better than Fake News, who was racing superbly before breaking down recently.
“Apart from being a good frontrunner, Balcatherine is pretty good off a sit, as well.”
Champion trainer Gary Hall snr will be setting Balcatherine for the $50,000 Norms Daughter Classic on November 13 and the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic on November 27. Balcatherine, unbeaten at two appearances in New Zealand, now has raced just 14 times for seven wins, four placings and $83,652.
Tyler Brett delights his new fans
It was an exciting time for lessee owner Chloe Brown on Friday night when a group of her good friends visited Gloucester Park for the first time to watch her six-year-old pacer Tyler Brett contest the $20,000 Community TAB Pace.
Tyler Brett, trained and driven by Brown’s partner Dylan Egerton-Green, caused an upset and delighted his latest band of fans when he charged home to snatch victory as a $40.20 tote outsider.
Tyler Brett, raced on lease by Brown from breeder John Bell, has been a good moneyspinner, earning $132,071 from 15 wins and 15 placings from 49 starts.
After making an unsuccessful bid for the early lead, everything fell perfectly in place for Egerton-Green, who was able to angle Tyler Brett in behind the pacemaker and $1.55 favourite Im Soxy.
“I had no set plans,” said Egerton-Green. “I was just going to roll the gate and probably get a trail behind Vincenzo Peruggia. Tyler Brett’s gate speed is quite good, and some inside of us didn’t muster (early speed), so I kept going and had a crack for the lead.
“And when I failed to get to the front, I was able to take the sit behind Im Soxy.”
Book-end wins for Lewis
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis got punters away to a flying start by winning the opening event at Gloucester Park on Friday night with Savvy Bromac, and he sent his legion of followers home in good spirits by landing Quick Stride a fast-finishing winner at $6.30 in the final event, the 2130m WA TAB Pace.
Quick Stride’s success completed a double for trainer Ross Olivieri, who prepared Perfect Major for his victory in the Preux Chevalier Pace earlier in the program.
Quick Stride started from the inside of the back line and Lewis eased the five-year-old off the pegs and into the one-wide line soon after the start. Quick Stride was eighth at the bell and he followed the three-wide run of Alta Rhett in the final circuit before going four wide on the home turn and surging to the front 100m from the post before scoring by just under a length from $6.50 chance Thereugo, who began speedily from barrier nine and set the pace.
Quick Stride, bred and owned by Bob Fowler, has been a handy performer and has earned $80,309 from ten wins and eight placings from 45 starts.
Captain Kirk holds on
Noted frontrunner Captain Kirk was swamped by Jack William and McArdles Gem in the final few strides but he was able to hold on and win the 2130m Better Your Industry With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night by a short half-head in what was almost a rare triple dead-heat.
Jack William, who raced in the breeze, and McArdles Gem, who enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, fought on determinedly and dead-heated for second place behind the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Captain Kirk, the $2.25 favourite.
Captain Kirk, driven by Ryan Warwick, had the luxury of a moderate early pace, with opening quarters of 31.1sec. and 29.4sec. A fast third quarter of 27.9sec. then gave the horses back in the field virtually no hope of figuring in the finish.
Captain Kirk, a Mach Three gelding and winner at two of his 27 starts in New Zealand, now has had 24 starts in Western Australia for eight wins and seven placings. Six of those eight victories came after he had set the pace.
He is the sixth foal out of Gail Devers, who raced only 19 times for ten wins and two placings and $77,854 in stakes.
Flying Mister Ideal ends losing run of ten
New Zealand-bred five-year-old Flying Mister Ideal ended a losing sequence of ten when he started from the inside of the front line and set the pace before holding on to defeat the 50m backmarker As Happy As Larry by a head in the TABtouch Giddy Up Premium Form Pace over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the Greg and Skye Bond-trained pacer’s first success since he led and beat The Kraken by three lengths in a 2130m mobile event at Gloucester Park on May 5 this year.
Flying Mister Ideal, second favourite at $3.30, was rated perfectly in front by premier reinsman Ryan Warwick, who made life tough for his opponents by increasing the tempo and with Flying Mister Ideal responding with final quarters of 28sec. and 28.6sec.
Stablemate J B Mauney started off 10m and was a solid $1.90 favourite. He raced in eighth position before Deni Roberts sent him forward with a three-wide burst approaching the bell. He fought on gamely to finish third.
Flying Mister Ideal, a winner at three of his 13 New Zealand starts, has raced 19 times in Western Australia for four wins and seven placings.
Lord Rosco is too speedy
Lord Rosco notched his eleventh win from his past 13 starts when he began brilliantly, set the pace and sprinted over the final 400m in 27.3sec. to win the 2130m TABtouch Race Replays Pace in convincing fashion from Arma Indie and Rakasinc at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prepared in Bunbury by Stephen Reed, Lord Rosco, the $1.70 favourite, completed a driving double for Dylan Egerton-Green, who had won with Tyler Brett earlier in the night.
Fast beginner Rakasinc was second favourite at $3.10 from the prized No. 1 barrier. But he was unable to match Lord Rosco’s sparkling gate speed and Emily Suvaljko had to be content to take the sit behind the favourite. Rakasinc was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage in the final circuit and finished third.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old Lord Rosco has done all his racing in Western Australia and boasts a fine record of 32 starts for 15 wins, 12 placings and $87,461 in stakes.
By Bettors Delight, Lord Rosco is the first foal out of American Grace, who had 25 starts for just one win and one placing for stakes of $9356.
