Ima Rocket Star The Horse To Beat In Nugget

22 November 2009
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Smiles all round following the win of Ima Rocket Star in the Ross North Homes 4yo Championship

Smiles all round following the win of Ima Rocket Star in the Ross North Homes 4yo Championship

 

Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred pacer Ima Rocket Star emerged as the horse to beat in next week’s $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget Championship when he gave a bold frontrunning display to triumph in the $50,000 Ross North Homes Four-Year-Old Championship at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was his fifth successive victory for Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond, who is full of confidence that the stallion will continue his winning ways in the 2536m Nugget next Friday night.
“It was a fantastic lead-up to the Nugget,” enthused part-owner Rob Gartrell. Reinsman Colin Brown shared this optimism when he declared that Ima Rocket Star had gone “super.”
Ima Rocket Star, backed from 3/1 to 9/4 second favouritism, simply ran his rivals ragged over the 2130m before revealing splendid fighting qualities to stave off a determined late challenge from star pacer and last season’s triple Derby winner Captain Joy.
Captain Joy (15/4), driven by Gavin Lang, took off three wide with 950m to travel and surged home from eighth at the bell to finish a wonderful second, just 1m from the winner who rated 1.58.1 and covered the final 800m in 58.1sec.
Lombo Crusader, who raced without cover early and then enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, finished solidly to be third, with In The Force, a stablemate of the winner, running on well from seventh at the bell to be fourth, just ahead of New Zealand invader Stunin Cullen, who came from 12th and last at the bell.
The shock of the race was the failure of 5/4 favourite Bonavista Bay, who wilted after a tough run to be a disappointing sixth.
Ima Rocket Star started from the No. 1 barrier and was beaten for early pace by Definitely Maybe. But Brown urged Ima Rocket Star forward in the early stages and the horse was able to kick up on the inside of Definitely Maybe and settle down in front after 180m had been covered.
Bonavista Bay settled down in seventh position and Chris Alford vacated his spot in the one-wide line to dash forward after 650m to move alongside the leader at the 1200m mark. But he began to wilt leaving the back straight in the final circuit.
“The big fella was a bit disappointing,” Alford said. “He never quickened when I wanted him to. But I’m sure they’ll sort him out before next Friday.”
The stewards ordered a veterinary examination of the powerful stallion. The vet. found that nothing was amiss.
Brown said that he had a few worries at the start, but was full of praise at Ima Rocket Star’s performance. “We were jammed up a little bit at the start and I tapped him up a bit in the first couple of hundred metres,” he said. “He did overrace a bit early, but he’s a smart horse and he settled down and did the job.”
INDIAN GIVER REVEALS SPLENDID STAYING ABILITY
Indian Giver, generally regarded as a brilliant sprinter, particularly after his dashing all-the-way victories in fast time over 1730m at his first two Australian starts at Gloucester Park last January, showed excellent staying potential when he scored a stylish victory in the 2902m Ross North Minara Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He overcame a bad start and was handled with tremendous assurance by 20-year-old Morgan Woodley, who was driving the six-year-old for the first time for leading trainer Gary Hall sen.
Indian Giver’s victory by a half-length over Report For Duty ended a losing sequence of eight and showed that he should be a leading candidate for the $250,000 Stallion Station Fremantle Cup over 2902m in a fortnight.
“He loved the long journey,” Woodley said. “I think a lot of Gary’s horses appreciate the longer trip. They’re trained to be really dour and this probably takes some of the sprint legs out of them.
“Getting the feel of him tonight, I think he’ll be pretty competitive in some of the bigger races.”
Indian Giver, a 7/1 chance who paid $10.60 on the tote, gave his backers a scare when he galloped from the 10m mark. But Woodley did not panic and quickly had the New Zealand-bred gelding into a pacing action after losing about three lengths.
Smooth Shift led for the first 250m before Greg Kersley sent Nickelmeldon to the front. Indian Giver settled in seventh position and Woodley sent him forward, three wide, after 450m.
Indian Giver then moved into the breeze and was still left without cover when Bob Mellsop sent 20m co-backmarker Our Malabar with a fast move to the front 900m after the start.
But then 20m marker Report For Duty surged forward to race outside the pacemaking Our Malabar. Report For Duty went past Our Malabar with 100m to travel, but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Indian Giver.
Alzona, favourite at 2/1, was prominent, one-out and one-back in the middle stages, before being shuffled back to eighth at the bell. He was hampered for room in the final circuit before getting clear and going five wide on the home turn. He finished solidly into fourth place.
Driving outsider Hes A Ruler to a surprise victory in the Westralian Auto Finance Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night rekindled fond memories for Victorian reinsman Chris Alford.
Nine-year-old Hes A Ruler, the 15th foal out of Maori Trump, is a half-brother to former star trotter Noopy Kiosk, who was trained and driven for much of his outstanding career by Alford’s father Barry.
Barry Alford drove Noopy Kiosk to victory at each of his first six starts as a two-year-old in Victoria. He was also in the sulky when Noopy Kiosk won 13 races as a three-year-old, including the group one Victoria Trotters Derby and the $60,000 Oceanic El Dorado at Moonee Valley in 1996.
Chris Alford also drove Noopy Kiosk 40 times for seven wins at Moonee Valley and a win at Harold Park.
Noopy Kiosk retired after a career of 103 starts for 34 wins, 12 placings and earnings of $320,999. He and Hes A Ruler, who has now earned $63,280 from 13 wins and 13 placings from 125 starts, are two of 11 winners out of the unraced Maori Trump.
Maori Trump, by Overtrick, is a half-sister to former sensational trotter Maori’s Idol, a winner of 40 races.
Hes A Ruler, owned by Debbie Prentice and her son Justin, is trained at Pinjarra by Kim Young, whose instructions to Alford were “jump him to the fence as quickly as you can.”
Alford followed the instructions to the letter and he had Hes A Ruler, a 20/1 chance who paid $32.60 on the tote, trailed the pacemaker Humphreys Mate for most of the 2503m journey before flying home to burst to the front 75m from the post and win easily from that trotter and fast-finishing 113/1 tote chance Melpark Sunset.
My Missindependent, the 2/1 on favourite, galloped badly at the start and settled down 90m from the leaders. She made up a lot of ground to finish sixth. Compressor (6/1) also galloped badly and finished at the rear. 
The well-fancied Apache Blue Jean broke into a gallop when being angled wide for a clear run about 250m from home. And soon after that, backmarker Nacokee (7/1) broke and dropped back to finish at the rear.
HALL LANDS TRAINING TREBLE
Honest New Zealand-bred mare Live To Fly, favourite at 7/4 on, gave her supporters plenty of anxious moments before she got to the front 250m from home and held on doggedly to win narrowly from Magiclittlepartner in the XXXX Gold Blokes Night Out Mares Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The victory completed a training treble for Gary Hall sen., who had been successful earlier on the program with Tai Tara and Indian Giver.
Live To Fly, a winner of four races in Victoria and one from her first eight WA starts, races at her best when she leads. But, from barrier four, she was easily beaten out by Panthers Reign and Gary Hall jun. was forced to do all the work in the breeze.
Hall wisely saved the five-year-old for a determined effort in the final stages and she responded gamely.
Magiclittlepartner (11/4) settled at the rear from her outside barrier and she was still eighth (and last) at the bell before she finished determinedly. Reinsman Ryan Warwick was fined $400 for improper use of the whip.
Tai Tara relished a return to mobile racing after being unplaced at his two previous starts in stands. Driven confidently by Hall jun., Tai Tara (9/4) was smartest to begin from barrier five and the New Zealand-bred five-year-old gave a strong frontrunning exhibition to win by 2m from Parsonemby (7/1 to 5/1), with Master Harley (6/1) sustaining a strong burst to be third.
GEORGE LANDS HIS FIRST CITY DOUBLE
Twenty-one-year-old Michael George continues to impress in the sulky and he landed his first metropolitan double when he drove Cuzin Judd and Columbus Cullen to victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Cuzin Judd, a noted frontrunner trained by Kate Hawkins, was backed from 7/4 to 5/4 and made the most of the advantage of drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in the Ross North Complete Living Young Drivers Pace.
George got Cuzin Judd straight to the front and the five-year-old was unextended in setting the pace and winning by just over two lengths from the 10/9 favourite Whitbys Beach, who was forced to work hard without cover throughout the 2130m event.
When Cuzin Judd was able to record a very leisurely lead time of 40.1sec. and then was able to stroll through the first two quarters of the final mile in 33.2sec. and 31.6sec. he was virtually unbeatable. He then sprinted the final 800m in 57.5sec. to give his opposition no realistic chance.
Cuzin Judd is the first foal out of Montana Jane (a winner of three races from only 11 starts). She is out of former star mare Whitbys Merit, who earned $168,598 from ten wins and two placings from 14 starts.
Driven by Rod Chambers, Whitbys Merit won two group one events as a two-year-old early in 1993, the $85,000 Pearl Classic and the $50,000 Golden Slipper Stakes. She also won the Champagne Stakes, Diamond Classic and Gold Bracelet Stakes.
George completed his double when he was successful with the Kade Howson-trained Columbus Cullen (15/4) in the Sizer Pace over 2130m.
Columbus Cullen started from the outside of the front line and George drove aggressively to dash the chestnut forward,  three wide, in the first circuit to move outside the pacemaker and 6/4 on favourite Smooth Hayley with 1300m to travel.
Columbus Cullen got his head in front 300m from home and he outstayed Smooth Hayley to score by just under a length, with Miss Shanley running  on to be third after trailing the pacemaker throughout.
Columbus Cullen has struck a purple patch and his past six starts have produced four wins and two placings.
SMOKING AGAIN SPARKLES AS A FRONTRUNNER
Inexperienced mare Smoking Again romped to victory in fast time in The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and part-owner and trainer Jim Currie still has hopes that she will gain a start in the $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget Championship to be run next Friday night.
Smoking Again, driven by Callan Suvaljko, was untroubled to set the pace from barrier one and score easily by just under two lengths from Star of Dalvey, with Its Karma fighting on into third place.
She recorded quick sections of 28.6sec., 31.2sec, 28.9sec. and 28.9sec. and recorded a slick mile rate of 1.56.8 in notching her fifth victory from only 11 starts.
“Jim wanted me to run some time,” Suvaljko explained. “He is still chasing a start in the big race next week. She ran three 28 quarters on this track, which is not over quick.
“She was always travelling well and the horse behind me (Star of Dalvey) was also travelling well, so I held her back until the corner. I then made her sprint down the straight. I’m sure if she had sprinted in the back straight she still would have sprinted home nicely.”
The win helped relieve some pain for Suvaljko, whose face was sore and swollen after having had a wisdom tooth removed on Thursday.
Smoking Again is the sixth foal out of Smoking Lady, a smart mare who earned $80,781 from her 13 wins and 16 placings from 57 starts.
MIXED FORTUNE FOR GRANT WILLIAMS
Karnup trainer Grant Williams experienced the good and bad at Gloucester Park on Friday night, driving ultra-consistent Winter Retreat to a smart win in the Ross North Developwest Pace after earning a suspension earlier in the program.
He was the driver of Watt A Getaway and pleaded guilty to causing interference to King of the Hill (Vance Stampalia) on the turn into the back straight in the first lap of The West Australian Pace. The stewards suspended his licence for 13 days.
Five-year-old Winter Retreat (5/1) ended a losing sequence of seven when he came from ninth in the middle stages and from sixth at the bell to win from 9/4 favourite Mister Veejays Fella in the 2503m stand.
Winter Retreat took the lead 250m from home and fought on grandly to hold out Mister Veejays Fella, who finished determinedly from ninth at the bell.
Winter Retreat has a splendid record of 38 starts for 12 wins, 20 placings and stakes of $98,828 and has graduated to an M2 mark.
“He went tonight like we think he can go,” Williams said. “He does have a bit of trouble winning races and, hopefully, he now can put a couple together. I always thought he’d go through to Free-For-Alls. But now another couple of wins will probably see him out.”
PARALYSER UPSTAGES HOT POTS
Most punters considered the Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night would develop into a duel between last-start winners Hussy Hoffa and Schinzig Buller and the five-year-olds dominated the betting.
Hussy Hoffa was a 6/4 second favourite behind record-breaking Narrogin Cup winner Shinzig Buller, whose price firmed from 6/4 to 5/4.
But, after staging a tremendous battle, these horses were upstaged by eight-year-old Paralyser, who unwound a powerful finishing burst to snatch a last-stride victory by a neck over Schinzig Buller, with Hussy Hoffa a close third.
Paralyser, an 8/1 chance, began speedily from barrier seven and Mark Reed always had the two hot fancies in his sights.
Hussy Hoffa dashed to an early lead and was joined on the outside after 500m by Schinzig Buller, who had started from the outside of the front line. Reed then had Paralyser pacing smoothly in the one-out, one-back position.
Schinzig Buller (Kade Howson) got his head in front with 600m to travel. But Hussy Hoffa (Gary Hall jun.) refused to surrender and he fought back tenaciously. However, just as Schinzig Buller was being hailed the winner, Paralyser stormed home to snatch victory.
Schinzig Buller lost some momentum when he broke into a gallop for two strides about 220m from home. Howson had to balance the gelding on the home turn before he finished resolutely.
“The barrier draw (No. 7) was a bit tricky and we were going to go back at the start,” Reed said. “But he felt so good behind the barrier that I decided to drive him out at the start.
“We then had the run of the race. They had me off the bit in the last lap. Down the back they got away from me, but they were always going to come back to me. On the corner Paralyser grabbed the bit again.”

 

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