A notable first for Queen Shenandoah
Speedy pacer mare Queen Shenandoah set a record when she became the first mare in the 15-year history of The West Australian Nights of Thunder to win the group 2 sprint with a fast-finishing victory in the $50,000 event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Third favourite at $6.40, Queen Shenandoah gave Shannon Suvaljko his first win in the event, with his first drive behind the New Zealand-bred six-year-old.
It was Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri’s second win in the event, after his triumph with Davisons Destiny in 2009.
Davisons Destiny was owned by Merv and Meg Butterworth, who race Queen Shenandoah in partnership with New Zealand’s legendary Hall of Fame trainer Graeme Rogerson, and Friday night’s win brought back happy memories for Olivieri, who trained pacer Super Estate for Rogerson while he (Olivieri) was plying his trade in New Zealand in 1989.
Rogerson, who prepares a big team of thoroughbreds at his magnificent training establishment in Tuhikaramea, near Hamilton in New Zealand’s north island, has also trained pacers and trotters during his illustrious career. However, he is much better known as a trainer of gallopers and has prepared more winners in New Zealand than any other person.
Highlights of his remarkable career include the 2003 Golden Slipper with Polar Success at Rosehill, the 2004 Cox Plate with Savabeel at Moonee Valley, the 2006 Victoria Derby with Efficient at Flemington and the 2007 Melbourne Cup with Efficient at Flemington.
Rogerson is also well known as the breeder and owner of Vegas Showgirl, dam of champion thoroughbred mare Winx.
Queen Shenandoah, a fast-finishing heat winner a week earlier, started from the No. 2 barrier in the final on Friday night and Suvaljko quickly angled the mare across to the inside to take the trail behind the pacemaker Infatuation, the second fancy at $4 from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Suvaljko gained the chance drive behind Queen Shenandoah when leading reinsman Chris Voak opted to handle Thats Perfect, who rated a sparkling 1.52.1 in scoring an effortless victory in a qualifying heat.
Thats Perfect, a hot $1.60 favourite, began speedily from the No. 5 barrier and the six-year-old began to overrace badly on the outside of Infatuation, with the first 400m section of the final mile whizzing by in a sparkling 27.2sec, followed by the next quarter in 28.2sec.
After a third quarter of 29.2sec., Infatuation and Thats Perfect began to wilt and were sitting shots for late swoopers. Suvaljko eased Queen Shenandoah off the pegs 300m from home and then switched the mare three wide with 225m to travel. Queen Shenandoah then burst to the front at the 100m and won by one and a half lengths from the strong-finishing $20 chance Im Rocknroll Magic, with Tellmetoattack ($91) running home solidly to be third. Infatuation faded to fifth and Thats Perfect finished sixth in the field of nine.
The final quarter was run in a comparatively slow 30.1sec. and the winner’s mile rate was 1.53.7.
“The race didn’t turn out the way we anticipated,” said Olivieri. “We thought that Thats Perfect would win, but that didn’t happen.”
Queen Shenandoah, by American stallion Somebeachsomewhere, is the first foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Asajah, who managed just one three placings from seven starts before being retired to stud.
Queen Shenandoah had 18 starts in New Zealand for one win and eight placings. Rogerson trained her for her final seven runs in New Zealand for three seconds. After that, Queen Shenandoah raced nine times in Victoria for four wins and four seconds and then had four starts in South Australia for three wins.
Her 33 West Australian starts for Olivieri have produced six wins and eight placings to take her career record to 64 starts for 14 wins, 20 placings and $206,726 in prizemoney.
Adelaide trainer Les Harding told Olivieri that Queen Shenandoah was a better mare than Crystal Sparkles, a pacer he had prepared for 16 wins before she was sent to Olivieri, who gave her 20 starts for five wins and seven placings in 2019.
“We didn’t think Queen Shenandoah was as good as Crystal Sparkles, but now it seems that maybe Harding was right,” said Olivieri.
Minstrel stakes his claim
Minstrel, who had finished last at his two previous outings, beaten by a combined total of 750 metres (or the equivalent of 250 lengths), burst back into the limelight and staked a claim for a start in next Friday night’s $125,000 Simmonds Steel Four-Year-Old Classic with an impressive victory in the 2130m The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The lightly-raced Rocknroll Hanover gelding had ruined his chances by breaking in running at his two previous starts when tailed off behind Diego over 1730m at Gloucester Park and Howard Hughes over 2185m at Pinjarra. He then paced faultlessly when an easy winner in a Byford trial.
On Friday night Minstrel was a $7.50 chance from the outside barrier in a field of nine. His stablemate See Ya Write, an $11 chance from barrier eight, raced fiercely after a false start and burst to the front after 250m. Minstrel dashed forward to quickly move into the breeze position.
The $1.55 favourite Pocket The Cash was beaten for speed early when $91 outsider Carramar Arapaho surged to the front 100m after the start before surrendering the lead 150m later to See Ya Write.
Minstrel got to the front on the home turn and went on to win by just under a length from See Ya Write, rating 1.56.1, with final quarters of 28.6sec. and 26.9sec. Boom Time ($31) ran on from sixth at the bell to finish third, with Pocket The Cash flashing home, out five wide, to be an unlucky fourth. He was in sixth position and badly blocked for a run approaching the home turn before Dylan Egerton-Green was able to ease him into the clear with about 130m to travel.
Star reinsman Ryan Warwick now has driven Minstrel three times for three wins. Minstrel raced ten times in New Zealand for four wins and five placings and he has won at three of his five starts in WA. He gave a sample of his class when he was first out from barrier four and then raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly from sixth at the 300m to be third behind Copy That in a group 2 event for three-year-olds at Addington last March.
Patronus Star on song for classics
Brilliant New Zealand-bred pacer Patronus Star earned many admirers for the $125,000 Simmonds Steel Four-Year-Old Classic next Friday night and the $200,000 Retravision Golden Nugget a fortnight later with a stylish win in the 2536m Ray Duffy Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A hot $1.50 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, Patronus Star gave ace reinsman Ryan Warwick an armchair drive as he set a moderate early pace before sprinting over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 26.8sec. to win by 4m from Bracken Sky ($15), with a neck to $23 chance Stroke Of Luck.
Patronus Star, who rated 1.57.3, won the WA Derby last April and now boasts a fine record of 19 starts for 11 wins, five placings and stakes of $271,341. He raced seven times in New Zealand for two wins and three placings.
Patronus Star’s talented stablemate Howard Hughes, who went into the race with a record of 12 wins from 16 starts, was second fancy at $6.50 from the No. 5 barrier. He raced three wide early and then in the breeze before breaking into a bad gallop about 230m from home.
Patronus Star is by American Ideal and is the sixth foal out of the unraced In The Pocket mare Star Command, whose half-brother Anvil’s Star amassed $444,705 from 15 wins and 27 placings from 91 starts.
Chumani has a mind of his own
Eight years ago, Wonnerup trainer Terry Ferguson and Ron Groves, a retired professor in psychiatry, outlaid $13,000 at the Melbourne autumn sale to acquire Storm Cat, a filly by American stallion Mister Big, with high hopes that she had the strong pedigree to become a successful pacing broodmare.
They were greatly heartened two years later when Storm Cat’s half-brother The Storm Inside (by Rocknroll Hanover) was sold as a yearling for $60,000 and a year later was named Australian Two-Year-Old of the 2015-16 season after being unbeaten at six starts, including victories in the group 2 Fitzpatrick Memorial at Menangle and the group 1 $322,000 Australian Pacing Gold at Melton.
The Storm Inside went on to win at his first 11 starts before he broke down and was retired after 16 wins and two placings for $311,125 in stakes from just 19 starts.
Storm Cat, trained by Ferguson, was a failure on the racetrack and was retired to stud after four seconds and one third from 18 starts for earnings of $7209. Her first foal, by champion pacing stallion Bettors Delight, was named Chumani and owners Ferguson, Groves and his son Aaron (the chief psychiatrist in Tasmania) were full of hope that he would develop into a star pacer.
However, much to their dismay, Chumani refused to pace as he preferred to trot.
“I tried him as a pacer but all he wanted to do was to trot,” said Ferguson. “He couldn’t pace to save himself.”
This was a setback for the hopeful owners, but it certainly hasn’t been a disaster. Chumani, now a four-year-old, is quickly developing into a very smart trotter, with his first 17 starts producing eight wins, four seconds and stakes of $45,208.
Chumani, favourite at $1.50 in the Business News Live At thewest.com.au Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night, gave a strong performance to race in the breeze before getting the upper hand over the pacemaker Taimate Angus ($21) approaching the home turn and going on to win convincingly by more than a length from the $5 second fancy Champagne Prince, who finished gamely after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
While Chumani is trotting in fine style, Firestorm Red, a half-brother to The Storm Inside, is maintaining is excellent form as a pacer, with his latest appearance producing a strong second to Alta Orlando in the 2240m group 3 Goulburn Cup on Sunday January 17 to improve his record to 68 starts for 17 wins, 21 placings and $159,375 in prizemoney.
Fifty Five Reborn is tough
Fifty Five Reborn, described by her trainer-reinsman Colin Brown as “a very honest little mare” notched her ninth win from 28 starts and took her earnings to $105,920 when she set the pace and won from Black Jack Zac and Shadow Roll in the 2536m WA News First In The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She is also pretty tough and has had some tough runs and fought it out right to the line,” said Brown. “We’ll keep pottering around with her. Her syndicate of owners enjoy watching her, and they have also got her full-brother Arma Einstein, who has won three races, and a full-sister, who was foaled last year.”
Happy members of the syndicate are Jim, Ron and Lisa Currie, Glen and Leisel Montague, Regan and Bob Farrant and Brown’s wife Lyn.
Fifty Five Reborn, bred by her owners, is the first foal out of the unraced mare Arma Fifty Five, who is a daughter of Arma Xceptional, who had ten starts for three wins and four placings.
Arma Xceptional is a half-sister to Arma Xpress, who was a brilliant two-year-old in 2012 when she won the group 1 Sales Classic, the group 1 Golden Slipper, group 2 events the Champagne Classic and Westbred Classic and the group 3 Golden Bracelet. She was retired after having just 18 starts for 12 wins and $279,890 in stakes.
Sweet Maddison loves to lead
New Zealand-bred mare Sweet Maddison relishes setting the pace in her races and she gave her rivals little hope of beating her when she led and beat Mileys Desire by a length in the 2536m Subscribe To The West Online Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She now has been the pacemaker in seven of her nine wins from 20 starts for earnings of $64,097.
Sweet Maddison, driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, covered the first two quarters of the final mile in 30.2sec. and 30sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.9sec. and 28.8sec. to record a solid mile rate of 1.58.5.
Trainer Michael Brennan declared that Sweet Maddison was certainly not just a frontrunner, saying: “She has won most of her races by leading, but we haven’t really driven her tough. The longer trips and high tempo races will suit her when she gets up in grade because she is quite strong.
“She has developed nicely and is now more sturdy and very strong. She is also starting to relax a lot more.”
Sweet Maddison is the first foal out of Maddison’s Delight, whose second foal is smart colt American Dealer, who has had 16 starts for seven wins, five placings and $177,105 in stakes.
American Dealer won the group 1 Sires Stakes final over 1700m at Alexandra Park last September and the group 2 Alabar Classic over 2200m at the same track in December.
Babyface Adda surprises Wallrodt
Boyanup trainer-reinsman Cody Wallrodt is enjoying his association with Babyface Adda, with the WA-bred five-year-old maintaining his excellent form by leading all the way and scoring an easy victory in the 2536m TheWest.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Wallrodt races Babyface Adda on lease from Peter Capararo and the gelding has had 13 starts for him for two wins, three seconds and three thirds.
Babyface Adda, a $3.10 chance ($3.60 on the fixed market), jumped straight to the front from the No. 2 barrier and set a fast pace, with quarters of the final mile in 29.3sec., 29.5sec., 28.5sec. and 28.6sec.
He was not extended in defeating $3.20 chance Miracle Moose, who was tenth at the bell and charged home, out six wide on the home turn. Bettor Be Oscar maintained his consistent form by running home solidly from sixth at the bell to be third.
“I was very pleased with the way Babyface Adda went,” said Wallrodt. “He was keen to stride out in front, so I let him roll. And I was a bit surprised at how easily he won. Now I’ll give him a few more runs before giving him a spell.”
Babyface Adda, by Rich And Spoilt, is the first foal out of Sonatina, an Art Major mare who had 12 starts for three wins, three placings and $16,806. Sonatina’s four appearances in WA in 2013 produced one third placing at Pinjarra.
However, Sonatina’s half-sister One Dream was an outstanding performer who amassed $846,467 from 18 wins and five placings from just 23 starts. She won at five of her seven starts in Australia, with her victories including the group 1 Australasian Breeders Crown in Ballarat in August 2006 and the group 1 Australian Oaks at Moonee Valley in July 2007.
Diego relishes drop in class
New Zealand-bred five-year-old Diego found life pretty tough when he was unplaced behind open-class pacers Bletchley Park and Vultan Tin in the group 2 Village Kid Sprint on January 8, and he relished a considerable drop in class when he scored an easy victory in the 2130m Get The Latest News At Thewest.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Maddison Brown sent the $1.50 favourite straight to the front from barrier two and the son of Bettors Delight was able to amble through the lead time in 38.7sec. and the opening quarters in 31.1sec. and 30.1sec. before he dashed over the final sections in 28.5sec. and 27.6sec.
Diego was untroubled to stroll to victory by just over a length from $8.50 third fancy Alta Rhett, who trailed the pacemaker throughout. Patrickthepiranha ($4.60) raced three back on the pegs before finishing a well-beaten third.
Diego, a full-brother to Mister Bushido (78 starts for 12 wins, 22 placings and $164,175), won at three of his 17 New Zealand starts before arriving in Western Australia, where he has won at five of his seven starts.
