Mark Reed holding his son and joined by his mother Sue (right) connections of Bonavista Bay
Controversial Mark Reed, one of harness racing’s most colourful characters and one of the country’s finest reinsmen, capped a sensational comeback by winning the $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget Championship at Gloucester Park on Friday night with powerful stallion Bonavista Bay.
The 29-year-old Reed had the pacing fraternity abuzz when he announced on Thursday that he was quitting as a reinsman and he was replaced on all his drives at Friday night’s meeting.
But in a dramatic turnaround, Reed received a phone call on Friday afternoon from owner Bob Proberts asking him to handle Bonavista Bay in the group one classic for four-year-olds.
“I had gone to get my super out this morning and there was only about $385 in it, so I had to make a comeback,” joked a delighted Reed after guiding Bonavista Bay, a heavily-backed 13/8 favourite, to a commanding all-the-way victory over Captain Joy and Ima Rocket Star.
This gave Reed his second win in the classic. His previous success was with Tricky Vic, who beat Lombo Skyrider in the big race in December 2002. Lombo Skyrider was driven by ace Victorian Gavin Lang, who was in the sulky behind the runner-up Captain Joy on Friday night.
Reed answered the SOS to drive Bonavista Bay after the horse’s regular reinsman Chris Alford was stranded at Melbourne’s Tullarmarine Airport. When he discovered that his flight had been delayed by two hours, Alford telephoned Proberts to tell him that he would not be able to arrive in Perth in time to take the drive.
After Bonavista Bay’s brilliant victory, Reed explained that he had decided earlier in the week to take a break from driving in order to concentrate on preparing his team of gallopers, including Perth Cup hopeful Gondorff.
“I was never going to retire permanently,” he said. “I’ve got about 15 horses at home and I just wanted to concentrate on them. But when I got the call this afternoon I was more than happy to oblige.”
Bonavista Basy, backed from 11/4 to 13/8, started from the inside barrier and was beaten out at the start of the 2536m event by Ima Rocket Star (barrier two). But Ima Rocket Star, who got to a half-length lead early, was unable to cross to the front and then was forced to work hard without cover.
Lang settled Captain Joy in sixth place in the one-wide line before dashing him forward, three wide, to move to the breeze with 1100m to travel. But then Chris Lewis surged forward with In The Force to move outside the pacemaker at the 900m mark.
Ima Rocket Star was then shuffled back in the field and he had only a couple of horses behind him in the back straight before Colin Brown pulled him wide and he sprinted home fast to be an excellent third, with outsider Lukcon Lad (Morgan Woodley) finishing fourth after having the trail behind the leader throughout.
“The start was always going to tell the story and Bonavista Bay held up pretty well,” said Reed, who wielded his whip in a triumphant salute to the crowd over the final 25m. But Reed explained that he had far from an armchair drive.
“Once he led, he started to hit the wheels and overrace,” he said. ”It was the first time I had driven him and he was smashing the wheels. But he’s a class act.”
Bonavista Bay, who now boasts a fine record of 19 starts for 14 wins and three seconds for earnings of $307,137, will contest the $250,000 Stallion Station Fremantle Cup over 2902m at Gloucester Park next Friday night. Alford will resume as his driver, provided his flight from Melbourne to Perth leaves on schedule.
Proberts was thrilled at Bonavista Bay’s performance after the horse had suffered from dehydration and was a wilting sixth behind Ima Rocket Star the previous Friday night.
“It was fantastic to win a race like that, following horses like Sinbad Bay and Westburn Grant and other greats,” he said. “The horse came here with a big reputation and with big boots to fill because Adam Hamilton had made some statements, comparing him with Blacks A Fake. The win shows what a great horse he is to come back after his problems.”
Proberts also thanked travelling foreman Matthew Ablett and Reed’s parents, Mike and Sue Reed, who provided stabling for Bonavista Bay at their Hazelmere property. He also thanked Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, for their efforts in preparing the horse in Victoria.
HAS THE ANSWERS HAS WA PACING CUP IN HIS SIGHTS
Ace young reinsman Morgan Woodley, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Monday, is brimming with confidence about his prospects of winning the WA Pacing Cup on January 22 for the second successive year.
Woodley, who brought four-year-old Mysta Magical Mach home with a barnstorming burst to snatch a last-stride victory in the big race last January, will be driving seven-year-old Has The Answers in the $400,000 Cup this season.
Has The Answers is trained at Byford by veteran Tony Svilicich, who prepared Mysta Magical Mach for last season’s Pacing Cup triumph. Mysta Magical Mach is out of action with suspensory ligament problems and Svilicich and Woodley have Has The Answers well and truly on track for the rich Cup in January.
Has The Answers, backed from 9/4 to 7/4, upset 10/9 on favourite The Cavalier by unwinding a supercharged last-lap burst to cruise to the front 80m from the post and beat the pacemaking favourite by 4m at a 1.55.9 rate in the 1730m Barefoot Radler Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Before the Pacing Cup, Has The Answers will contest the $60,000 Celebrity Sprint at Gloucester Park next Friday week.
Woodley was full of praise for Has The Answers after his win on Friday night, saying: “I’m excited at the way he’s going. His mile rate tonight will be much quicker when he finds his way closer to the rail.
“This bloke has got a bit more improvement in him and he probably has more strength than Mysta Magical Mach and I can’t see why he won’t be right there in the big races this year.
“On terms of ability, Has The Answers is probably on terms with Mysta Magical Mach, who was the nicest horse I had previously driven. But Has The Answers probably has more strength.
“And everything didn’t go exactly to plan tonight. Tony wanted Has The Answers to keep going forward (from barrier eight) and try to get to the breeze as quickly as possible. But it doesn’t always work out.”
The Cavalier, as expected, was smartest into stride from barrier two and he was untroubled to lead. Has The Answers was trapped wide early before settling in last position. Woodley moved the gelding into ninth place at the bell and he then followed the three-wide run of Village Ruler.
The Cavalier led by two lengths 450m from home before Has The Answers moved menacingly into second place at the 400m mark. Has The Answers then exploded to the front 80m from the post to win easily, with the final 800m going by in 57.3sec. and the last 400m taking 28.1sec.
New Zealand-bred five-year-old Mister Veejays Fella graduated to an M4 mark and qualified for a start in the $250,000 Stallion Station Fremantle Cup over 2902m next Friday night with a smart all-the-way victory over Our Malabar and Alzona in the Tooheys Extra Dry Pace over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He’s a good beginner from the stand and is a pretty relaxed little fellow,” Chris Lewis said after Mister Veejays Fella had sprinted the final 400m in 28.8sec. and held on to win by a nose from Our Malabar, who started from 20m and ran a great Fremantle Cup trial by finishing boldly from eighth in the middle stages.
Lewis said that Mister Veejays Fella, the 2/1 favourite trained at Forrestdale by Skye Bond, had not felt as though he was in top gear at any stage of the race. “He was star gazing and wasn’t really concentrating when he had his ears pricked going to the line.”
Mister Veejays Fella won one race in New Zealand before coming to Australia where he won three races in Victoria and two in South Australia. He has blossomed since arriving in WA in June. His first 14 WA starts have produced nine wins and three seconds.
Of Mister Veejays Fella’s previous seven wins in WA, six had been in mobiles. But he looks an ideal standing-start performer and will be suited in the Fremantle Cup.
Waroona trainer Bob Mellsop has New Zealand-bred six-year-old Our Malabar in sparkling form and he will be a leading prospect in the Fremantle Cup. Another Cup hope, Alzona, trained by Gary Hall jun., raced without cover in the first lap before gaining an ideal trail, one-out and one-back. He finished solidly to be a close third.
THE CURTAIN FALLS ON GLOBAL FORCE
Grand old campaigner Global Force has, sadly, run his final race. The nine-year-old bled after finishing ninth behind Mister Veejays Fella in the Tooheys Extra Dry Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and has received a life ban.
The strongly-built stout-hearted performer had bled at his previous start, last February, and will now enjoy a well-deserved, relaxing retirement with breeder Bryan Cousins.
Global Force, trained for his final ten starts by Peter Anderson, bows out after a distinguished 103-start career which produced 18 wins, 31 placings and stakes of $302,685.
The Walton Hanover gelding, inclined to be a bit single-minded and pernickety, always gave of his best. He won twice at Gloucester Park as a two-year-old, and in the following season he won the $50,000 WA Sales Classic, the $30,000 Western Gateway Pace and the $100,000 WA Derby (beating Ulrich by a nose).
Then, as a four-year-old, he finished third behind Tartary Gladiator and Adams Mate in the Golden Nugget Championship. As a seven-year-old he won the Navy Cup, beating Fac Et Spiro by a nose.
His final success came at Gloucester Park 12 months ago when Morgan Woodley drove him to victory at a 1.57.4 rate over 1730m.
GRINJARO SHOWS GREAT WA DERBY POTENTIAL
Up-and-coming colt Grinjaro made a superb return to racing at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he thundered home from a seemingly impossible position in the final circuit to score an effortless victory in the Swan Draught Pace.
His impressive victory over Elslick and Barn Burster showed that he should develop into a leading candidate for the $200,000 Sky Channel WA Derby next April.
Bred by Steve Johnson and owned and trained by octogenarian Ken White, Grinjaro started from the back line and Chris Lewis was content to give the Grinfromeartoear colt plenty of time to find his feet.
Elite Angel, backed from 3/1 to 9/4, set the pace from Elslick (5/1) in the breeze and supporters of Grinjaro, favourite at 6/4, were somewhat concerned when he was eighth with 500m to travel. But Lewis switched Grinjaro four wide at the 300m mark and the colt sprinted fast to burst to the front 60m from the post.
Grinjaro is out of Sokys Atom mare At Melrose Place, who has produced other winners in Fletcher Christian (ten wins), Forty Two Grand (14 wins and $105,059 in stakes), Barry Brock and Bonnie Patricia.
Grinjaro won three times over 1730m (rating 2.0.5, 1.58.3 and 1.57.8) as a two-year-old and his first-up win as a three-year-old was full of merit.
Grinjaro’s win gave Lewis the first leg of a treble. He was also successful with Mister Veejays Fella and Arma Harris.
The six-year-old Arma Harris, a winner of nine races in Victoria, won for the third time from three starts in WA when Lewis drove him to an all-the-way win over Deep Tempest and Waikawa Bay in the 2902m James Squire Pace. This followed all-the-way Pinjarra wins over 2609m and 2100m.
“He does like to relax and makes me work fairly hard to keep his mind on the job,” Lewis said. “But once he gets a bit of competition on his outside of him he works well.
“He’s a good stand horse who is going to win a few races and be a good earner. He’s got a bit of versatility and strength and I’m sure he’ll go well in mobiles as well.”
OUR GENT OVERCOMES AN UNUSUAL DISTURBANCE
Crashing into --- and killing --- two seagulls moments after the start of the XXXX Gold Golden Nugget Consolation at Gloucester Park on Friday night failed to prevent Our Gent from scoring a runaway victory.
A flock of seagulls swooped low as the mobile barrier sent the field of 11 on its way, and most unfortunately two seagulls were killed instantly when they crashed into Our Gent.
An attentive track attendant dashed 100m down the home straight to pick up the seagulls and place them on the grass on the inside of the track. This prevented the distinct possibility of horses breaking into a gallop when turning into the home straight and being distracted by birds on the track.
Reinsman Kyle Condipodero said that he had planned to lead from barrier two, but hitting the seagulls had foiled this option.
“We wanted to lead and maybe we would have held out the other one (6/4 favourite Smoking Again from barrier four),” said Condipodero. “But we hit two seagulls. However, it must take a bit to knock Our Gent out of his gear because he just didn’t put in a rough one at all.”
Smoking Again bowled along in front before wilting over the final 250m to finish fourth. Our Gent, who had enjoyed the run of the race behind the pacemaker, burst to the front on the home turn and dashed away to win by four lengths, with the 26-year-old Condipodero jubilantly saluting with a flourish of the whip.
Our Gent, owned and trained by Ian Davie, was well supported from 5/1 to 7/2 and his victory boosted his record to 32 starts for eight wins, 11 placings and earnings of $69,256.
Our Gent is out of Our Heiress, a mare who managed one win and $3531 in stakes from 18 starts. Davie was in the spider for her solitary win, in Kalgoorlie in September 2000.
Our Heiress is out of former top-flight mare Whitby Heritage, who had 66 starts for 22 wins, 18 placings and earnings of $201,758. She is out of grand brood mare Remit, whose eight winners included the brilliant Whitby Timer ($314,899 from 23 wins and eight placings from 44 starts).
GIFT HORSE MISTER GANDOLFINI A SPLENDID MONEYSPINNER
Rejuvenated seven-year-old Mister Gandolfini is proving a wonderful moneyspinner for 20-year-old Port Kennedy trainer Prue Willis.
Driven by Gary Hall jun., Mister Gandolfini (7/2) gave a bold frontrunning display to win the James Boag Premium Claiming Pace from All In Teck and Jacobs Well at Gloucester Park on Friday night to record his second victory in the space of five days.
Mister Gandolfini is a gift horse, given to Willis a year ago by Sydney owner George Paltos. In the time she has owned Mister Gandolfini, the gelding has won five races and $25,859.
Mister Gandolfini started from barrier five and urged forward by Hall he quickly dashed to the front. “I didn’t think we’d find the front from the start and I was just hoping to get to the one-wide line,” Hall said. “Once in front he was always comfortable.
“About five runs ago he was not going all that well and Prue said ‘what do we do now?’ I suggested putting him in claimers. They’re not the strongest fields, but the way he won tonight he’s going to win a couple more.”
Willis gives Mister Gandolfini no trackwork and the gelding’s preparation is restricted to saddle work in the bush at Port Kennedy. “Light works suits him and it helps to keep the weight on,” she said.
Willis is now training three pacers, the others being Tealsby Karita and Falcons Dragon.
Tealsby Karita, now a ten-year-old, is on the comeback trail after being laid low by tendon injuries. He has earned $322,735 from his 25 wins and 23 placings from 79 starts. The Victorian-bred pacer has had 14 starts in WA for eight wins and two placings. He scored a magnificent victory over Flashing Red in the $250,000 WA Pacing Cup in March 2007.
Tealsby Karita last appeared when unplaced in the Mount Eden Sprint in October 2008 after winning at his two previous starts. Willis has had the gelding in work for five weeks and she reported that he is showing no problems with his troublesome nearside tendon.
The New Zealand-bred Falcons Dragon is the winner of eight races and $84,301 from 69 starts.
Hall completed a double when he was successful with 7/4 on favourite Tai Tara, who set the pace and beat Not Bad Johnnie and the fast-finishing Jayares Lad in the Hahn Super Dry Pace.
HARPER TIMES ARGENT TREASURE’S RUN TO PERFECTION
Teenager Kyle Harper made the most of the opportunity to drive star pacer Argent Treasure when he brought the flashy grey home with a well-timed burst to beat pacemaker Heeza Hudson by a nose in the Tooheys New White Stage Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trainer Ross Olivieri engaged the 19-year-old Harper to drive Argent Treasure to make use of Harper’s concession and enable the M2-assessed pacer to contest a race restricted to M1-class horses.
Argent Treasure started from barrier nine and settled at the rear before Harper took him forward, three wide, approaching the bell. The grey then sustained a solid burst to hit the front 15m from the post.
“It’s always a pleasure to drive a horse like this,” Harper said. “He’s a beautiful horse to drive, though he actually didn’t fill me with too much confidence going down the back. He did it easy, but he just feels likes there’s nothing there.
“But when you ask him for an effort he just says ‘no worries’ and gets going and does it all on his own at the end. They went very quickly early and I was happy to let him drop out and settle. When the pace slackened it was easy to get to the breeze.
“I didn’t push him down the back; I just saved him for the one sprint. Coming round the corner I pulled the plugs and he said ‘let’s go’ and it was too easy for him at the end.”
Argent Treasure now has won eight times from 27 starts and has earned $307,353 and will be set for feature events in the summer months.
SUNSETS WEST ENDS LOSING SEQUENCE OF 19
Consistent mare Sunsets West ended a losing sequence of 19 when Morgan Woodley produced a perfect frontrunning drive to win the Hahn Premium Light Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Backed from 2/1 to favouritism at 7/4, Sunsets West led from barrier one and sprinted home in grand style to cover the final 800m in 57.6sec., with the last 400m taking 28.2sec.
Woodley was acutely aware that his chief rival Parsonemby (9/4) was travelling smoothly behind him and he did not dash away in the final lap in order to keep her hemmed in.
Woodley finally gave Sunsets West her head and she dashed away in the final stages to win by just over a length. Parsonemby got clear with 50m to travel, but the bird had well and truly flown.
Sunsets West, bred and owned by Geoff Scott, was produced in fine fettle by Wanneroo trainer Colin Cummins. By Pacific Fella, Sunsets West is out of Midnight Moves, a Classic Garry mare who had only nine starts for two wins in minor events, at Globe Derby Park and Kapunda in 1997.
Sunsets West gave Woodley the first leg of a double. He was successful later in the program with Has The Answers.
