Michael George congratulates driver Colin Brown following the win of Ohokas Bondy
Tough New Zealand-bred colt Ohokas Bondy continued the remarkable hoodoo that has dogged hot favourites in the Golden Slipper Stakes when he sat on the outside of the pacemaker and 6/4 on hot-pot Go West U Terror and outstayed him to win the $125,000 group 1 classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Not one favourite has been successful in the past ten Golden Slipper Classics, a prestigious event for two-year-olds which was sponsored this year by Premier Suzuki.
Ohokas Bondy’s superb victory in record time was a triumph for 21-year-old Michael George, who has been in charge of the powerful Greg Bond team of pacers at Forrestdale while Bond has been in the eastern States in recent weeks with Millwood Meg and Ima Rocket Star.
Also playing a major role in the victory was 51-year-old Colin Brown, who planned his tactics and drove accordingly to bring about the defeat of the brilliant Go West U Terror.
For Brown this was his second in a Golden Slipper. He drove the Noel Keiley-trained Western Apache when he beat Global Force by a nose in 2003.
Global Force was owned and trained by Bryan Cousins, the part-owner and trainer of Go West U Terror.
Go West U Terror, a stylish winner at his four previous outings, started from barrier five, with Ohokas Bondy at No. 7. Brown conceded that Go West U Terror would have the speed to get to an early lead and he planned to dash Ohokas Bondy, a heavily-supported 7/4 second favourite, forward at the start and to race on the outside of the favourite.
Gary Hall jun. revved up Go West U Terror at the start and the gelding was in front after 150m had been covered. Ohokas Bondy settled beautifully in the breeze and Go West U Terror had no answer to his challenge.
Ohokas Bondy surged to the front 250m from home, but Go West U Terror fought back in grand style to finish a gallant second, beaten only by a half-length. Miss Baypoint, one of two fillies in the race and a 140/1 outsider, raced in sixth position in the one-wide line before finishing gamely to be third, just ahead of Soho Dionysus, who had trailed the leader throughout.
Ohokas Bondy, owned by Greg and Skye Bond in partnership with New Zealanders Katie and Dave Carville and Fran and Glen Stapley, was placed at four of his ten starts in New Zealand and now has won at each of his three starts in Australia. His three wins in WA have netted the connections $98,045.
Ohokas Bondy sprinted the final 800m in 57.5sec. and rated 1.57.8 over the 2130m to smash the race record of 1.56.6 set by Disco Force in 2000. His time also broke the track record for two-year-olds, set by the ill-fated James Matthew, when he rated 1.59.1 in winning the Champagne Stakes in May 2008.
By American stallion Bettors Delight, Ohokas Bondy is out of the New Zealand-bred mare Asabella (by In The Pocket). Asabella is a daughter of Mio Bellisimo, whose seven winners include Black Flash (111 starts for 24 wins, 27 placings and stakes of $130,393), Torbello (104 starts for 23 wins, 22 placings and $141,687) and The Cavalier (45 starts for 12 wins, 11 placings and $204,552).
Asabella had two Australian starts, in a heat and the final of the Gold Tiara at Bathurst in March 2003. She finished second in a heat, being beaten by the Sam Torre-trained and Greg Bennett-driven Spicey Hot, who was driven to victory by Brown at each of her first four starts, all at Gloucester Park.
CHRIS LEWIS REACHES ANOTHER WONDERFUL MILESTONE
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis, fresh from landing his 4000th winner in a glittering career, when successful with Secret Interlude at Gloucester Park last Tuesday night, brought up his 2000th winner on WA metropolitan tracks when Has The Answers crushed his rivals in the Premier Suzuki We Survived the Hail Pace on Friday night.
And the 54-year-old Lewis has no thoughts about retirement as he hinted he was keen to set further records.
“I’ve had a fantastic career so far and hopefully I can continue a little bit further and hopefully there might be another little record there,” he said.
After thanking his wife Deb, the public and owners and trainers for their support over the years, he declared that he was “stoked” to have reached this milestone.
“I remember back when I was a kid in Adelaide and Dick Webster had got over a thousand winners and I thought ‘gee, how could anyone drive that many winners’ and then I remember Vic Frost, who drove a hundred winners in a season back in the early seventies …. And I thought ‘what a fantastic effort.’
“As the years go on records grow and they’re there to be broken, and no doubt over the years mine will be (broken) in West Australia at some stage.”
Lewis, who is the State’s leading reinsman this season with 194 winners, has been in the top five WA drivers for 27 consecutive years. He has landed 40 group 1 winners and his tally of 4000 winners includes successes in America and in Russia. Last season Lewis set a WA record of 242 winners in a season.
The only other Australians to have driven more than 4000 winners are Victorians Gavin Lang and Chris Alford.
The Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers, favourite at 10/1 on, gave Lewis an armchair drive on Friday night, beginning brilliantly from barrier seven and setting the pace before winning by five and a half lengths from Alzona, rating 1.57 over the 2130m.
Lewis had a tight hold on the seven-year-old in the first circuit and he did not ask the gelding for a special effort until the final stages when he sprinted over the last 400m in 27sec.
Has The Answers now has had 133 starts for 44 wins and 40 placings for stakes of $676,779.
Star 21-year-old reinsman Morgan Woodley notched his 499th winner when Auto Pilot flew home with a paralyzing late burst to snatch a thrilling last-stride victory in the Premier Suzuki SX4 Hatch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And then he landed winner No. 500 on Saturday night when was successful with lightly-raced two-year-old Shipwreck at Gloucester Park.
Shipwreck, a 9/4 chance trained at Bickley by Peter Anderson, gave Woodley his 114th winner for the season.
Woodley was successful at his first drive in a race when he guided Ultimate Sin, trained by Nigel Johns, to a two-length victory over Bella Lane in a 2410m stand at York on July 23, 2005.
He was also successful at his first drive in a metropolitan-class event --- when the Adam Kirke-trained Amaryllis Spirit beat Iam Clive by a head in a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park on February 3, 2006.
Woodley’s 499th and 500th winners had a special significance. Auto Pilot is part-owned and trained by Coolup horseman Frank Nafranac, who was the trainer of Luvmeluvme, who was Woodley’s second winner and his first at Gloucester Park (on August 16, 2005).
Woodley was successful with his first drive for Anderson when Morganator was successful at Gloucester Park on March 10, 2006 and then they were associated with the brilliant James Matthew when he won at his first ten starts as a two-year-old two seasons ago.
Auto Pilot was eighth at the bell in Friday night’s event and Woodley bided his time behind the seven-year-old Catch A Flight gelding. On All Fours set the pace, with Long Shot Lou on his outside, and Woodley sent Auto Pilot forward with a sparkling five-wide burst with 300m to travel. Auto Pilot thundered home, wide on the track, to get up in the final stride to beat On All Fours by a nose, rating 1.56.8 over 1730m, with the final 800m being covered in 57.5sec..
It was Woodley’s fourth win behind Auto Pilot, who was bred at Pinjarra by Phil Costello and now has earned $59,975 from his eight wins and 15 placings from 71 starts.
Auto Pilot is out of the New South Wales-bred mare Bien Ouef, who earned $44,100 from her 12 wins and 11 placings in NSW and Queensland from 72 starts.
Bien Ouef is also the dam of Whosyourdaddy, who won five races in a row in 2008 when driven by Woodley.
IM THEMIGHTYQUINN SMASHES STATE RECORD
Outstanding five-year-old Im Themightyquinn smashed the WA record for a 2503m stand when he scored an effortless victory over Christopher Three in the Premier Suzuki Swift Sport Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Im Themightyquinn, who is being set by leading trainer Gary Hall sen. for the rich Miracle Mile in Sydney in November, scorched over the final 800m in 57.7sec. and rated 1.57.9.
This eclipsed the record rate of 1.58.6 set by Mysta Magical Mach when he started from 40m and was successful at Gloucester Park on April 20, 2009.
Mysta Magical Mach, making his second appearance after an injured-enforced nine-month absence, started from 40m on Friday night and moved into seventh place at the bell before fading in the concluding stages to finish last.
Im Themightyquinn started from 30m and was favourite at 5/1 on. He was in tenth place after a lap before Gary Hall jun. sent him forward, three wide, with 1250m to travel. Im Themightyquinn challenged Conte Centovalli for the lead at the bell, but Adam Mellsop resisted the challenge, keeping his rival in the breeze until the 500m mark when he forged to the front.
Im Themightyquinn then dashed clear of his rivals and coasted to the post 8m in front of 33/1 chance Christopher Three, who had enjoyed an ideal trail in the one-wide line for most of the journey.
Our Mercurio, who raced without cover in the middle stages, battled on doggedly into third place, just ahead of Conte Centovalli.
THREE FROM FIVE IS BURCH’S CITY-CLASS RECORD
Promising driver Courtney Burch maintained her tremendous strike rate in events for young drivers when she drove 7/4 on favourite Awesome Achiever to an easy all-the-way victory in the Premier Suzuki Young Drivers’ Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 20-year-old Burch her third win from only five drives in metropolitan-class events.
Her previous drives in city-class races resulted in a win with Nunganungastein on February 19 this year, a victory with Zed in the $25,000 Rising Stars Invitation Pace on March 12 this year and unplaced efforts behind Coalmine Creek on March 19 and April 30.
Awesome Achiever gave his supporters little cause for anxiety after Burch was able to withstand a spirited early challenge for the lead issued by Nat Serling (Chris Butt). After dawdling through the first 400m section of the final mile in 33.1sec., Awesome Achiever ran the next three sections in 30.7sec., 29.4sec. and 29sec. and won by a length from Star of Dalvey (Justin Prentice), with Pacific Idol (Morgan Woodley) finishing strongly on the inside from ninth on the pegs at the bell to be third.
Burch was having her 97th drive in a race on Friday night and she kept up the good work when she drove Aussie Reactor to a neck victory over the pacemaker Barney O’Shanessy in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park on Saturday night.
In the following event Burch drove Coalmine Creek, who finished ninth behind Partywiththedevil. That was her 99th drive in a race and now she needs only one more drive to be able to apply for a licence to drive in metropolitan-class events, apart from just city-class events for junior drivers.
The new Zealand-bred Awesome Achiever, who is prepared at Hazelmere by Gary Hall sen., now has earned $52,691 from his 22 starts that have produced nine wins and eight placings. The four-year-old Courage Under Fire gelding has raced 17 times in WA for five wins and eight placings and looks set for many more wins.
SIZZLING ALL-THE-WAY WIN BY SHEER ROYALTY
Top-flight four-year-old Sheer Royalty boosted her earnings to $224,979 when she simply toyed with the opposition and recorded an effortless all-the-way victory in the Premier Suzuki Kizashi Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was her seventh win from only 23 starts and she should have little difficulty in carrying on her winnings ways.
Trainer Mike Reed declared before the race that Sheer Royalty, having her second start after a spell, was two or three runs off her peak. Therefore, he was delighted at her sizzling performance in rating a blistering 1.55.7 over 1730m.
However, there was a major scare for the supporters of the strongly-supported 3/1 second favourite. She paced roughly in the score-up behind the mobile barrier and became tangled with The Rocket Band, forcing the starter to declare a false start.
Sheer Royalty was on one rein and hanging in the early stages of the second score-up before she straightened out and began with great alacrity.
She set a brisk pace and had most of her rivals struggling to keep up after she sprinted the first 400m section of the final mile in 28.7sec. Then she dashed over the next sections in 29.9sec., 29.6sec. and 28.5sec. to go on and win by 7m from Nullabor Song.
Sheer Royalty, driven with great confidence by Mark Reed, was untouched and unextended in the final stages.
Another highly impressive victory was recorded by outstanding three-year-old colt Lombo Navigator, who raced three wide for much of the 2130m journey before winning the Premier Suzuki Swift Pace.
Driven by Matt White and starting at 5/2 on, the Andrew de Campo-trained Lombo Navigator moved into second place with a lap to go when Master Metallica dashed past the pacemaker Barn Burster.
Lombo Navigator overhauled Master Metallica 450m from home and then shook off a challenge from outsider Secret Stone before winning from Free The Man, who impressed in rattling home from last at the bell.
Lombo Navigator now has had 23 starts for 13 wins and four placings for stakes of $100,128.
IM GRANT LEA IS ON THE WAY UP
New Zealand-bred six-year-old Im Grant Lea, a half-brother of well-performed veteran pacer Spirit of Shard, is beginning to realise his potential.
His smart performance to beat Jazz Musician and Garvie Bay in the 2503m Premier Suzuki Vitara Prestige Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night showed that he should win more races in this campaign.
Trained by Gary Hall sen. and driven with confidence by Gary Hall jun., the Spirit of Zeus gelding now has earned $67,711 from his nine wins and ten placings from 49 starts. Eight-year-old Spirit of Shard, who is also trained by Hall sen., has been a wonderful performer, earning $256,204 in prizemoney from his 24 wins and 20 placings from 103 starts.
The prospects of Hall jun. completing a double in the following event were dashed when Michael George drove aggressively to land Pablito a splendid winner over 5/4 on favourite Truckers Ruffnut in the Premier Suzuki APV Pace.
From the No. 2 barrier, Pablito (11/4) took up the running and he retained the lead despite a spirited challenge from Truckers Ruffnut in the first lap.
Truckers Ruffnut got to a lead of almost three-quarters of a length 500m after the start of the 2130m event, but was unable to cross Pablito and get to the front.
Truckers Ruffnut worked hard in the breeze and was a spent force when George dashed Pablito to a three-length lead on the home turn. Truckers Ruffnut fought on gamely to finish second, two lengths from the winner, a Courage Under Fire five-year-old who has now had 32 starts in WA for ten wins and 14 placings after wining twice from five New Zealand starts.
REAL LIFE GIVES de CAMPO AND WHITE A DOUBLE
Capel trainer Andrew de Campo and his No. 1 stable driver Matt White completed a double when Real Life scored an upset victory in the Premier Suzuki Alto Claiming Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
They had combined earlier on the program to score with crack four-year-old Lombo Navigator.
Real Life, who is on the comeback trail, was a 26/1 outsider and he surprised when he finished powerfully to beat the 2/1 favourite and pacemaker Heeza Hudson.
Real Life started from the outside barrier on the front line and White eased him to the rear. The six-year-old Victorian-bred gelding (by Life Sign) was still last at the 1100m mark before he improved to ninth at the bell when he was following the three-wide runs of Touch me Toes and Tai Tara.
Touch Me Toes moved to second 250m from home, but both he and Heeza Hudson were swamped by Real Life, who finished dashingly.
Real Life, a winner of eight races in Victoria, now has had 19 starts in WA for five wins and five placings. He hit the high spot of his career when he won the Navy Cup for trainer Gary Hall sen. at Gloucester Park last November, beating star pacer Has The Answers.
His record now stands at 45 starts for 13 wins, 16 placings and stakes of $120,116.
