Gath’s patience is rewarded
Patience is a virtue, and champion driver Kate Gath’s plan to opt out of the early speed battle in the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park on Friday night paid handsome dividends when Catch A Wave stormed home from the rear to score a thrilling victory in the group 1 feature event.
“It was a conscious decision not to get involved in the early speed,” said Gath. “When there was talk of a couple of horses aiming to lead it was easy enough for me to stay out and do as little as possible early, hoping that the race would be truly run.
“And it was, and Catch A Wave got his chance. It all fell into place, and it was exactly how I wanted the race to be run; it was just perfect.”
Catch A Wave possesses excellent gate speed and he had set the pace in 16 of his 36 starts for 13 wins, and it was, indeed, a wise decision to avoid the possibility of failing to get to the front from the No. 4 barrier and being left in the breeze or trapped three wide.
Catch A Wave, trained by Gath’s husband Andy, was fifth favourite at $7.30, and he raced in seventh position, one-out and three-back,win while the polemarker and $4.80 chance Spirit Of St Louis was setting the pace after easily winning the start from the $4 favourite Hot And Treacherous, with Never Ending ($5.50) enjoying a perfect trip behind the frontrunner.
Minstrel, a $6.50 chance from the outside of the front line of nine runners, was restrained back to last while Lavra Joe ($12) began speedily from out wide at barrier eight and charged forward in an unsuccessful bid for the early lead.
Cameron Hart was in no mood to surrender the breeze position to Lavra Joe, forcing Kyle Harper to restrain the powerful six-year-old back to last after racing three wide for the first circuit.
After a fast lead time of 65.4sec. the pace slackened with Spirit Of St Louis running the opening quarters of the final mile in 29.1sec. and 30.4sec. After a lap Deni Roberts set Minstrel alight, and the seven-year-old sprinted brilliantly to assume the breeze position, thus allowing Hot And Treacherous to gain the favourable one-out and one-back position.
With 950m to travel Kate Gath eased Catch A Wave three wide, and then Hart switched Hot And Treacherous three wide, enabling Catch A Wave to follow him in the final circuit which saw Spirit Of St Louis fading and Minstrel getting his nose in front with 420m to travel.
Minstrel turned for home in front but was unable to withstand the fast-finishing Catch A Wave, who gained the upper hand 75 metres from the post on his way to defeating Minstrel by a length after final 400m sections of 28.8sec. and 28.6sec.
Lavra Joe was tenth and last at the 300m before he surged home powerfully, three wide, to finish fourth. It was an outstanding performance.
Approaching the home turn Never Ending, Mighty Ronaldo, Jumpingjackmac and Blitzembye were tightened and lost valuable ground.
Catch A Wave, owned by Victorian Pauline Matthews and competing for slot holder Rob Tomlinson’s Regency Foods Australia company, rated 1.55.7 over the 2536m journey and he took his record to 37 starts for 21 wins (including the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile at Menangle early last year among his six group 1 victories).
Catch A Wave was purchased for $82,000 at the Melbourne 2020 APG yearling sale and he has now earned $2,042,088 in prizemoney. His win on Friday night gave Andy Gath his 58TH group 1 success, and it was Kate Gath’s 55TH group 1 win.
Catch A Wave has been trained by Andy Gath throughout his career, and Kate Gath has driven him in all his starts. “Now we have got a group 1 win in every State, and that’s something I’m pretty proud of,” said Kate Gath.
“I felt bad beating Minstrel (who is part-owned and trained by Greg and Skye Bond), and after the race I said ‘sorry’ to Deni. Catch A Wave has been at the Bond stable for the past couple of weeks, and Greg and Skye and Deni have looked after us so well.”
Catch A Wave will now be a leading candidate for the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup over 2936m next Friday night. “The Nullarbor was the main race we came over for but we’re looking forward to the Fremantle Cup, as well,” said Kate Gath.
Catch A Wave is by the American stallion Captaintreacheropus and is out of the New Zealand-bred mare Coppagoodone, a modest performer on the racetrack who had 18 starts for two wins, six placings and $13,423. Coppagoodone won at one of her eight New Zealand starts, finished second at two of her four Victorian appearances, and raced eight times at Menangle in New South Wales for one win and two placings.
Catch A Wave has inherited much of his tremendous ability from his maternal granddam Copper Beach, who had 37 starts for nine wins, including the group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Addington in May 2004, and the group 1 Victoria Oaks at Moonee Valley in July 2004. Catch A Wave also is related to former star pacer and successful sire Elsu, who amassed $2,083,352 from 27 wins and nine placings from 47 starts.
Pinny Tiger’s splendid Cup trial
Six-year-old Pinny Tiger warmed up for the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup next Friday night in grand style with a decisive win in the $31,000 TABtouch Parliamentarians Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Pinny Tiger is part-owned and trained by Michael Brennan, an Olympic gold medallist who was recently honoured with his induction into the Australian Hockey Hall Of Fame.
Pinny Tiger was third favourite at $5 when Chris Voak drove skilfully to land him the winner at a 1.55.6 rate, beating $16 chance Steel the Show by almost two lengths, with the $3.40 favourite Tenzing Bromac a half-head away in third place.
Pinny Tiger began smartly from out wide at barrier seven and he made life tough for his rivals with quarters of the final mile in 28.6sec., 28.3sec., 28.5sec. and 29.4sec. Diego ($3.70) was in the breeze early before Deni Roberts dashed Steel The Show forward in the first lap to assume that position, forcing Valentines Brook to be restrained from third (three wide) back to last.
Tenzing Bromac was ninth on settling down before Dylan Egerton-Green sent him forward, three wide, with 1450m to travel to move to the breeze.
Steel The Show and his stablemate Tenzing Bromac fought on determinedly but were no match for the free-flowing Pinny Tiger.
“From barrier seven it wasn’t the plan to lead,” explained Voak. “The plan was to time the start and let him begin comfy, using his natural speed. Then, after that, if he was in a position to get across to the rail, it was up to me to make that call. I just gave him a few cracks with the shillelagh after about a hundred metres, and we got across comfortably.
“He showed good stamina, and I was impressed with him. He won comfortably after I popped the plugs 50m from the line, and he found enough to pull away from the opposition.”
Voak said that Pinny Tiger was not just a frontrunner, explaining that the gelding had considerable strength and was a good horse when racing with a sit. “It is not easy to burn out from barrier seven and go on and win the way he did,” he said.
Brennan said that he was not concerned that the long distance of the Fremantle Cup would worry Pinny Tiger. “Everyone consider he is just a speed horse, but tonight he showed that he has a big heart. Any horse who can run 1.51.2 around Gloucester Park (like Pinny Tiger did when he won the 1730m Nights Of Thunder from Tenzing Bromac in January 2023) has got to be able to stay.”
Pinny Tiger has earned $294,506 from 18 wins, 12 seconds and one third from 48 starts.
Hall lauds Mister Smartee
The sky is the limit for lightly-raced New Zealand-bred four-year-old Mister Smartee according to Gary Hall jnr who drove the gelding to an effortless victory in the 2130m TABtouch Share My Bet Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He’s had a few behavioural issues we have needed to work on, and I think that when we get him doing everything we want him to do I’ve got no doubt that he’s a Cup horse,” said Hall.
Mister Smartee, trained by Gary Hall snr, was the $1.04 favourite in Friday night’s event in which he began from the No. 1 barrier and was untroubled to set the pace and win from Miki Jet ($13) and Solesseo Matuca ($51), last-start winners who are prepared by Hall jnr.
After a slow lead time of 39.3sec. and a dawdling opening quarter of 31.4sec. Mister Smarteee dashed over the final three 400m sections in 29.7sec., 28.8sec. and 27.4sec.
He rated 1.58.3 and improved his record to ten starts for eight wins and one placing for stakes of $109,670. He won at one of his two New Zealand starts, and his eight appearances in WA have produced seven victories.
Mister Smartee gives every indication that he will develop into a leading contender for the rich Golden Nugget later this year, as well as the other feature events for four-year-old pacers.
Five in a row for Water Lou
Brilliant filly Water Lou extended her winning sequence to five when Shannon Suvaljko drove her to an easy win in the 2130m TABtouch Sky Racing With Race Replays Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Mike Reed-trained pacer appears to have a stranglehold on the feature events for three-year-old fillies this year.
On the near horizon for Water Lou is the group 3 $50,000 Diamond Classic on May 17 on her path to contesting the rich WA Oaks later in the year.
Water Lou was the $1.20 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of eight on Friday night when Suvaljko dashed her to the front after 200m. The lead time was a smart 36.2sec. before Water Lou relaxed and dawdled through the opening 400m sections of the final mile in 32.5sec. and 31.5sec.
The third quarter was run in 29.5sec. before Waster Lou sped over the final section in 26.7sec. She rated 1.58.1 as she improved her career record to 18 starts for 14 wins, two seconds and $279,148 in prizemoney.
Im The Black Flash’s flying start
A flying start from the 10-metre line in the 2503m standing start TABtouch Supports Gloucester Park Handicap at headquarters on Friday night paved the way for the New Zealand-bred gelding’s victory.
“He flew away and he almost threw me out of the back of the cart the way he got away,” said reinsman Stuart McDonald.
“Once he got away faster than (stablemate) Skylou (the $2.35 favourite) I was confident that once he got to the top, he would be hard to beat.”
Jill Mach, a $91 outsider, led for the first 550m before McDonald sent Im the Black Flash to the front. Skylou lost his chance by galloping out and then having to avoid the galloping Mega Mach.
Skylou was sixth after a lap when Gary Hall jnr eased him off the pegs and sent him forward to eventually get to the breeze approaching the bell.
After modest opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 29.9sec. Im The Black Flash gave his rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 27.6sec. Skylou ran home determinedly to finish a half neck behind Im The Black Flash. Carana ($18) was slow to begin and did well to finish strongly into third place.
Im The Black Flash has earned $161,304 from ten wins and five placings from 21 starts and he will be one of the main contenders for the rich feature events for four-year-olds this year.
Eldaytona ends nine-month drought
WA-bred pacer Eldaytona caused a surprise when, at his first outing for seven weeks, he finished full of running to win the $21,000 TABtouch Scan My Bet Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory for part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper ended a losing sequence of eleven and a nine-month drought.
He was a $26.70 chance from the No. 3 barrier when he began speedily and was quickly slotted in by Harper behind the pacemaker and $10 chance Dominus Factum, with the polemarker and $3.30 second fancy Faster Than Dad beaten for early pace and settling down in fifth position on the pegs.
Jett Star, the $3 favourite from barrier No. 7, raced three wide for the first 500m before getting to the breeze. Jett Star then forged to the front with 270m to travel before being swamped by the fast-finishing Eldaytona 100m from the post.
Eldaytona, a six-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere, was unfancied after he had finished last, 81m behind the winner Regal Cheval over 2130m seven weeks before Friday night’s race.
Harper explained that it was discovered that after that failure Eldaytona had been affected by a virus. “And I thought he would be underdone and not fit enough tonight, but it certainly didn’t appear that way,” he said.
“I thought that if Eldaytona had led he would be an each-way chance. But when Dominus Factum crossed me at the start, I thought it would be much harder.
“In the back straight Eldaytona was bolting when he was following Jett Star.”
Eldaytona now has raced 65 times for 15 wins and 24 placings for stakes of $212,557.
One-act affair for Loucid Dreams
Promising five-year-old gelding Loucid Dreams showed that he should win many more races when he gave a splendid frontrunning display to outclass his rivals in the 2130m Download The TABtouch App Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven confidently by Maddison Brown for her father, trainer Colin Brown, Loucid Dreams, the $1.80 favourite, stamped his authority by bursting straight to the front from the No. 5 barrier.
After opening quarters of 30.2sec. and 29.2sec. Loucid Dreams sped over the final 800m in 56.6sec. to win by 10m from Feeling Aces ($6.50), who raced in seventh position, four back on the pegs, before being hampered for room in the final circuit. The winner rated a smart 1.55.7.
Loucid Dreams, purchased for $40,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, has now earned $96,296 from seven wins and 15 placings from 40 starts.
He is by American sire Sweet Lou and is the fourth foal out of Bettor Whitby, who was retired with her 76 starts producing seven wins on country tracks and 33 placings for stakes of $61,554.
El Chema gets a perfect trip
New Zealand-bred pacer El Chema, who races without hopples, was always going to win the 2130m TABtouch Place A Same Race Multi Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night after the $1.80 favourite Cowboys N Bandits contacted the arm of the mobile barrier and broke into a gallop, according to his driver Emily Suvaljko.
El Chema, the $2.50 second favourite, began from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and Suvaljko quickly had him in a perfect position, one-out and one-back, with Onesmartfella ($11) setting the pace from Paroquet ($51) in the breeze and October Reign ($9) behind the pacemaker.
“I was willing to put El Chema into the race, but I got some early help when Cowboys N Bandits broke at the start, and I managed to lob one-one,” said Suvaljko. “And I then considered that the race was all over.
“El Chema enjoyed a perfect run and was able to get the job done. He won easily and I didn’t have to pull the blinds or the ear plugs. He did it comfortably.”
Suvaljko bided her time before sending El Chema to the front with 250m to travel. The six-year-old coasted home to win by 5m from October Reign, rating 1.56.6. Cowboys N Bandits, who raced three back on the pegs in fifth place, fought on to finish third.
Padberg is in a State Of Heaven
Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg’s admiration for the progeny of American stallion Rock N Roll Heaven increased after her pacer State Of Heaven set the pace and won the $21,000 You’ve Got The Touch With TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She had just returned from Melbourne last Monday after purchasing three yearlings at the Nutrien sale last Sunday --- two of them by Rock N Roll Heaven, paying $30,000 for a colt and $7000 for a filly, as well as buying a Sweet Lou filly for $15,000.
State Of Heaven, a $5.20 chance from the coveted No. 1 barrier on Friday night, was driven with supreme confidence by Shannon Suvaljko, who urged the six-year-old to retain the early lead when being hotly challenged by the $1.75 favourite Magnus Victor.
State Of Heaven then held out Hes Never Been Beta ($12), who raced in the breeze before wilting to finish third. Magnus Victor, who raced in the one-out, one-back position, finished strongly to be a half-length second.
State Of Heaven, who is by Rock N Roll Heaven, dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.1sec. to take his record to 51 starts for nine wins, 24 placings and $95,552.
He was purchased in New Zealand by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, who raced the gelding 39 times for eight wins and 19 placings before selling him to Mrs Padberg, who has given the pacer eleven starts for Friday night’s win and four placings.
Before travelling to Melbourne for the yearling sale, Mrs Padberg transferred State Of Heaven to trainer Luke Edwards, who gave the gelding a start in a 2130m event last Friday week. State Of Heaven was the $1.90 favourite from the No.1 barrier when he raced roughly at the start and lost ground before racing in the one-out, one-back position and fighting on to finish third behind Ira Poole and Ideal Tomado.
A double and quinella for Padberg
Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg and her husband John made a wise decision to buy You Fly With Me, who made his first appearance for his new owners when he was successful in the 2130m TABtouch International Form Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old You Fly With Me was the $3.60 second fancy from the No. 1 barrier, with stablemate Name In Lights the $2.65 favourite from barrier No. 2.
Shannon Suvaljko sent Name In Lights straight to the front, with Chris Voak happy to take the sit behind the leader with You Fly With Me, a pacer he trained for 31 starts for five wins and ten placings before he was sold to the Padbergs.
Voak eased You Fly With Me off the pegs approaching the home turn, and the gelding got to the front 90m from the post and won by 2m from a wilting Name In Lights. Then winner rated 1.58.6 after final quarters of 28.5sec. and 28.8sec.
“I thought that which of the two horses who led would win,” said Mrs Padberg. “I expected the leader to be Name In Lights because he is quicker (at the start). But even though Name In Lights led, You Fly With Me went a bit better.
“Chris Voak bought You Fly With Me from New Zealand, and we had a small share in him before we bought the other owners out. I’ve had the horse for eight or nine weeks and this was his first start for me.”
You Fly With Me is by Somebeachsomewhere and is the sixth foal out of Flying Mrs Williams, who raced four times in New Zealand for two wins in minor events, earning $5810. You Fly With Me’s half-brother Flying Mister Ideal raced 49 times for seven wins, 12 placings and $77,861. His final four wins were in Western Australia in 2020.
Aardiebytheseaside is a star
Four-year-old New Zealand-bred mare Aardiebytheseaside, sold as a weanling for $1500, is destined to become one of harness racing’s greatest bargains.
She made an auspicious Australian debut when she won the group 2 $75,000 TABtouch Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night to boost her record to 22 starts for nine wins, six seconds, two thirds and $263,741 in prizemoney.
Aardiebytheseaside is owned by Canadian Mike Tanev, an Ontario businessman and keen harness racing enthusiast, who sold a half share to leading WA trainers Greg and Skye Bond’s Team Bond after her victory in the group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Addington in December.
Adding to the enjoyment of Tanev’s Gloucester Park triumph with his first runner in Western Australia even more memorable was the victory of another of his mares, Aardies Express in the group 3 Sibelia Stakes at Menangle on Saturday night when the five-year-old, trained and driven by Jack Trainor, put up a terrific performance at her first start in Australia.
Greg Bond said he had not met Tanev, who races pacers in Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia.
“He rang us to see if we were interested in training Aardiebytheseaside,” said Mrs Bond. “We said yes and bought half of her. He loves watching his horses race in New Zealand and Australia.
“Aardiebytheseaside will now be set for the feature events for mares and could even be a contender for the Golden Nugget. She is a big mare with a lot of depth. She is tough and strong, and running those (fast) sectionals tonight was right up her alley.
Aardiebytheseaside was the $3.10 second fancy from the No. 1 barrier in the Empress Stakes, with speedster Steno the $1.60 favourite from barrier four.
Aardiebytheseaside began well but was beaten for early speed by Steno, with Deni Roberts happy to take the sit behind that mare, who overraced and sped over the quarters of the final mile in 28.7sec., 27.7sec., 28.4sec. and 28.6sec.
Roberts eased Aardiebytheseaside off the pegs 250m from home and the mare sprinted strongly to hit the front 110m from the post to go on and win by a length from Steno, rating 1.54.6 over the 2536m to smash the race record of 1.56.5 set by Major Reality when she won by a length from Tricky Styx in February 2016.
“She is a big mare who wears hanging gear, and it’s always a query when a horse comes here for the first time,” said Roberts. “So, that’s why we took her for a trial at Byford to make sure we had everything all right with her.
“I thought we were always a chance to get crossed. She came out well and handled the track well, and I was happy with the way she went. She will get better.”
Greg Bond admitted that he thought he was going to the races two weeks early with Aardiebytheseaside, and was delighted with her performance, saying: “We’ve started off with a bang.”
Tanev races his pacers under the Aardie banner, explaining that this was his nickname when playing baseball in Canada.
Aardiebytheseaside is by American sire Downbytheseaside and is the eleventh foal out of the unraced Christian Cullen New Zealand mare Divine, whose younger full-brother Davy Maguire earned $285,948 from 23 wins and 30 placings from 159 starts, with 17 of those wins being at Gloucester Park between 2009 and 2014.
