Gino Monaco, Kevin Jeavons and Lindsay Severn with trainer/driver John McCarthy after Washakie's win on Friday night
Widely-travelled New Zealand-bred seven-year-old Washakie completed an unusual hat-trick of wins at Gloucester Park when he proved too good for his rivals in the 2506m Tabform Pace on Friday night.
He gave a perfect exhibition for trainer-reinsman John McCarthy to indicate that he will be at his peak for next Friday night’s Fremantle Cup and the WA Pacing Cup a week later.
Washakie, owned by Fremantle Harness Racing Club President Gino Monaco and FHRC committeeman Kevin Jeavons with their good friend Lindsay Severn, is on the doorstep of becoming a millionaire. He now has had 82 starts for 31 wins and 22 placings for earnings of $950,087.
Washakie, the 2/1 on favourite, gave his supporters a few anxious moments before he finished full of running to beat Ima Spicey Lombo (5/2) by 2m. He had been successful at his two previous appearances at Gloucester Park, in the WA Pacing Cup last January and in the Australian Pacing Championship 12 months earlier.
Starting from the prized No. 1 barrier, Washakie was surprisingly beaten for early speed and McCarthy had to be content to sit behind the freewheeling Can Return Fire, with Has The Answers in the breeze and keeping him in a pocket.
But the race changed complexion dramatically approaching the home bend racing for the bell when Chris Lewis, in a pre-emptive strike, vacated the one-out, one-back position with Ima Spicey Lombo and dashed her forward, three wide, to burst to the front at the winning post with a lap to travel.
McCarthy bided his time and brought Washakie home with a perfectly-timed burst to gain the upper hand in the final 25m. After the early hectic pace, Washakie needed only to cover the final two 400m sections in 30.1sec. and 29.3sec. to win at a 1.56.3 rate which equalled Ima Spicey Lombo’s track record.
Our Mercurio (16/1) ran on from sixth on the pegs to fill third place, with Can Return Fire fading badly to finish a distant last and Has The Answers wilting to eighth.
Washakie covered the 2506m in 3min. 1.1sec. which was considerably faster than Im Themightyquinn’s time of 3min. 3.9sec. in winning over the same journey 30 minutes later.
“He has pulled up good and he won’t do much in the coming week before the Fremantle Cup,” McCarthy said. “He usually gets a bit of a jog on the lead and has a bit of a canter. That’s all he needs.
“He’s got a great constitution and it doesn’t really matter where you take him. He keeps eating and travelling doesn’t seem to bother him. They are hard to find, those sort of horses.”
Washakie, who has raced in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and WA at his past seven starts, was generally expected to set the pace from barrier one on Friday night and it came as a surprise when Colin Brown got Can Return Fire away to a flyer to burst straight to the front from barrier two.
“Being beaten out probably worked out for the best,” McCarthy said. “It was probably my fault in that I was probably on the gate a little bit too soon. He got a bit keen on the gate and I had to check him off. It worked out well because if I had led I would have been the one getting smashed.”
IM THEMIGHTYQUINN READY FOR SECOND FREMANTLE CUP
Champion six-year-old Im Themightyquinn is firmly on target to win the $250,000 Stallion Station Fremantle Cup for the second successive season after scoring an easy victory in The Weekend West Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Im Themightyquinn wound up his preparation for the 2900m mobile event to be run next Friday night with yet another commanding performance.
Starting favourite at 2/1 on, Im Themightyquinn began speedily from barrier six, but failed in a bid to get top the front before Gary Hall jun. eased him into the one-wide line in sixth position before starting a three-wide move 780m from home.
Polemarker Mysta Magical Mach led for the first 1300m before Colin Brown sent Ima Rocket Star to the front. Im Themightyquinn sprinted quickly and zoomed past Ima Rocket Star to take the lead 430m from home. He went on to win, being eased down, by 2m from Mysta Magical Mach and Ima Rocket Star, rating a leisurely 1.58.1 over the 2506m journey. He sprinted the final 800m in 57.3sec.
Im Themightyquinn started from 10m and dashed to the front 1700m from home before winning the 2009-10 Fremantle Cup (a stand over 2902m) on December 4, 2009.
“It was good to see him sprint like that at the end and I expect him to improve,” Hall said after Friday night’s victory. “The biggest concern before the race was that he probably was going to be a bit fresh. And that’s why he came out of the gate so quickly.”
Im Themightyquinn, who was having his first start since his fast-finishing third behind Mr Feelgood in the Victoria Cup at Melton on November 18, boosted his earnings to $912,154. He has had 63 starts for 24 wins and 22 placings.
Mysta Magical Mach showed that he was close to returning to the winning list with his solid performance. He has not been successful since beating Spirit of Shard at Gloucester Park on July 17, 2009, but he now has been placed at four of his past six starts.
Ima Rocket Star gave a typically stout-hearted performance and Our Malabar enjoyed a perfect run on the pegs before finishing solidly from fifth at the bell to be fourth.
SUSPENDED GARY HALL TO MISS RICH CUP EVENTS
Star reinsman Gary Hall jun. has been suspended for six weeks and will be unable to drive champion pacer Im The Mightyquinn in the $400,000 SEW Eurodrive WA Pacing Cup on Friday week and in the $500,000 A. G. Hunter Cup at Melton next month.
The 28-year-old Hall pleaded guilty to carelessness in that he mistook the laps in the TABform Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was driving 8/1 chance Albert Jaccka and he mistook the laps when he eased the gelding off the pegs with 1100m to travel and dashed him forward approaching the home bend when racing for the bell in the 2506m event. He urged Albert Jaccka forward under the whip down the straight before realising that there was still another lap to travel.
Albert Jaccka finished sixth in the race won by Washakie. Hall explained to the stewards that he saw most of the opposition was under pressure after a hectic tempo down the back straight and that his instincts told him that the field was approaching the finish and that it was time to get going with Albert Jaccka.
Hall requested a stay of proceedings and was granted a stay to enable him to drive Im Themightyquinn in the $250,000 Fremantle Cup next Friday night. The maximum stay the stewards can grant a reinsman is nine days.
WHITE EXCELS BEHIND LOMBO NAVIGATOR
Young New Zealand reinsman Matt White gained his biggest success in WA when he gave a perfect cool exhibition in the sulky to land hot favourite Lombo Navigator a stylish winner of the $50,000 The West Australian Nights of Thunder final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lombo Navigator, a West Australian-bred four-year-old, was favourite at 5/2 on and he gave his supporters no cause for concern when he began speedily from the No. 1 barrier and set a solid pace before winning by just under a length from Falcons Medley, with Will It Matter a head away in third place.
Why Live Dangerously, second favourite at 3/1, trailed Lombo Navigator throughout, but was hopelessly hemmed in on the pegs when finishing an unlucky, close-up fourth for Gary Hall jun.
“He travelled beautifully, just bowling along in front,” said White. “I didn’t even have to pull the plugs or the pull-downs. I tried to keep Why Live Dangerously in a pocket and it worked out perfectly.”
Falcons Medley, the fastest qualifier, dashed forward from barrier six and worked hard in the breeze before fighting on gamely, while Will It Matter enjoyed a perfect trip, one-out and one-back.
Lombo Navigator, by Million To One, is trained at Capel by Andrew de Campo for Alec, Glen, Matthew and Jason Chapman. He now has had 32 starts for 16 wins, seven placings and stakes of $165,994. He looks set to quickly graduate to top-class company.
SCUSI DOCTOR ROMPS TO VICTORY IN TROTTERS CUP
Scusi Doctor, the least-experienced and worst-performed runner in the event, landed a plunge when he was backed from 7/1 to 3/1 and sprinted home brilliantly to win the $30,000 Trotters Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And 22-year-old Justin Prentice made the most of a chance drive as Scusi Doctor scored an impressive victory by a length over the pacemaker and 2/1 favourite Nicky Eileen.
Prentice replaced Scusi Doctor’s trainer Shannon Suvaljko in the sulky after Suvaljko was suspended from driving for ten days the previous week.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old Scusi Doctor went into the event with only three wins from 21 starts for earnings of $20,533, considerably smaller than that of all of his 11 rivals.
However, Suvaljko produced the gelding in tremendous shape and Prentice drove a flawless race, tracking the pacemaker Nicky Eileen throughout before easing off the pegs on the home turn. Scusi Doctor then unleashed a dazzling sprint to burst to the front in the final 25m to score by a length. Outsider Paddy Cullighan raced three back on the pegs and finished strongly to be third.
Scusi Doctor rated 2.5.3 in the 2503m stand and looks set for many more wins.
Suvaljko said that he was sceptical when his major stable client Steve Radalj told him that he wanted to buy a trotter. “I thought, oh gee, they’re a bit slow,” he said. “But this trotter can actually trot faster than all of my pacers.” He was, of course, exaggerating in the glow of victory. But he left no doubt that he was looking forward for bigger and better things from Scusi Doctor.
“Shannon said that the horse was spot on, and he was exactly right,” Prentice said. “Scusi Doctor was travelling well and all we needed was to get a run, and we got it. I don’t think I’ve had a trotter sprint that quickly before. I had the cords, the plugs and the dollies in each hand and I didn’t even get the chance to hit him with the whip. I just pulled both cords and he exploded.”
BROWN LABELS OHOKAS BONDY AS A STAR
Star New Zealand-bred colt Ohokas Bondy strolled to his eighth win in a row at Gloucester Park on Friday night and ace reinsman Colin Brown declared that the exciting three-year-old had the ability to become the best horse prepared by Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond.
“Potentially, I think he could be Greg’s best horse, and that includes Money Magnet, Richard Henry and Ima Rocket Star,” Brown said. “He’s certainly got the makings of being better than all Greg’s top horses.”
Ohokas Bondy, placed at four of his ten starts in New Zealand, has not been extended in winning at all of his eight starts in Australia and he looks an outstanding prospect for the WA Derby next April. Bond also is contemplating taking Ohokas Bondy to Melbourne to contest the Victoria Derby before the WA classic.
“He really hasn’t knuckled down and got serious yet,” Brown said. “He’s got a few strings to his bow. He’s not only tough, but he’s got a yard of speed as well. He’s a lot better than Richard Henry, who won the WA Derby in 2005.”
Bond also trained In The Force for his triumph in the 2009 WA Derby.
Ohokas Bondy, by Bettors Delight, was having his first start for almost seven weeks when he was sent out favourite at 20/1 on for the 2100m Wjobs Pace on Friday night.
Starting from barrier six in the six-horse field, Ohokas Bondy dashed to the front soon after the start and was unextended in setting the pace and winning by 10m from Blissfull Boy, with All The Way Emkay back in third place. He rated a slick 1.57.9.
Bond has prepared dozens of top-flight pacers, including Richard Henry (26 wins for earnings of $382,469), Money Magnet (26 wins, $306,123), Ima Rocket Star (16 wins, $276,714) and Millwood Meg (16 wins, $275,304), and it is high praise indeed when Brown declares that Ohokas Bondy (eight wins, $155,528) has the potential to be better than them all.
NOWUSEEME GIVES de CAMPO A WELCOME BACK PRESENT
Talented mare Nowuseeme gave Capel trainer Andrew de Campo a perfect welcome back to racing after serving a four-month term of disqualification when she scored a strong victory in the 2100m The Form Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Her victory over Parsonemby and Barleys Hope was the first leg of a training double for de Campo, who prepared Lombo Navigator for his win in the $50,000 Nights of Thunder final.
Nowuseeme was favourite at 6/4 on and 18-year-old Aiden de Campo (son of the trainer) was content to restrain the six-year-old to the rear after starting from the outside barrier (No. 9).
Miss Peggy Sue set the pace from Dee Em Diva in the breeze and when the pace slackened after a lap de Campo sent Nowuseeme forward. She went four wide at the 1100m mark before moving alongside the pacemaker at the bell. Nowuseeme then forged to the front 550m from home and she went on to win by 2m from the consistent Parsonemby (5/1).
This was Nowuseeme’s second run at Gloucester Park after returning from an unsuccessful campaign in Victoria where she had six starts between October and December for one placing, a first-up third behind star mare Make Mine Cullen at Melton.
Nowuseeme, bred and owned by Michael Spadaccini and Beryl Thomas, is the first foal out of New Zealand-bred mare Nowuseemenowudont, who was prepared for them by Andrew de Campo in a 65-start career which produced 16 wins and 20 placings for earnings of $116,931. Nowuseeme now has amassed $255,471 from her 21 wins and 22 placings from 76 starts.
JUMBO OPERATOR COMPLETES A TREBLE FOR HALL
Gary Hall jun. completed a treble and Byford horseman Ron Huston brought up a training double when Jumbo Operator gave a superb performance to win the West Business Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jumbo Operator, the 5/4 on favourite, started off the 20m mark and met with early interference which saw him more than 50m from the early pacemaker Outstandin.
Lees Approval dashed to the front after 400m and he paced strongly in front. Jumbo Operator gradually made up ground and Hall sent him forward to move to fourth (three wide) at the bell before getting into second place 520m from home.
Aldo Cortopassi then gave Lees Approval his head and he surged to what appeared to be a winning lead of more than two lengths at the 400m mark. Lees Approval was still travelling strongly and in command approaching the home turn before he faltered and broke for a couple of strides on the bend.
This enabled Jumbo Operator to close the gap and the five-year-old wore down Lees Approval in the straight to win by 1m. Legislate, came from sixth on the pegs at the bell to be third.
After the race it was discovered that Lees Approval had broken down in the near foreleg and was very sore. The gelding revealed wonderful courage to fight on grimly all the way up the home straight.
This is the second sad setback for Cortopassi, who had the misfortune to lose smart pacer Aussie Terror after he had broken down in the home straight when finishing third behind Falcons Medley in a race at Gloucester Park eight nights earlier. Aussie Terror then had to be destroyed, suffering from a fractured off hind cannon bone.
Hall described Jumbo Operator’s performance as “huge” after having lost contact with the main body of the field. “It took me a little while to let him know that he was in a race, and once he worked it out, it was all right. We were probably a bit fortunate on the last bend with Aldo’s horse going a bit rough.”
Jumbo Operator was driven for the first time by Hall, who replaced the suspended Shannon Suvaljko, who had driven the gelding at all his previous starts. The Armbro Operative five-year-old now boasts a tremendous record of 28 starts for 20 wins and six placings for earnings of $247,280. He has excelled in stands, with his five starts in stands producing four wins and a nose second to stablemate Jay Cee Ess.
Island Storm gave Huston the first leg of his double when Hall drove him to a convincing all-the-way victory over All Our Mac and Alby Albert in The West Australian Pace.
Island Storm, having his first start for Huston, was favourite at 5/2 on and he survived considerable pressure in the early stages before proving too strong for his rivals, rating a smart 1.56.2 over 1700m.
The Victorian-bred Island Storm, owned by Dan Malone, won 11 races in his home State and now has had 11 starts in WA for three wins and two placings. By Island Fantasy, he is out of Residual, who was unplaced at her three starts on Victorian country tracks.
Residual’s dam Jasmarilla earned $503,000 from her 50 wins and 68 placings from 216 starts.
ON ALL FOURS SHOWS PLENTY OF TOUGHNESS
Smart six-year-old On All Fours, resuming after a two-month absence, showed admirable toughness when he worked hard in the breeze before going on to win thewest.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
On All Fours, backed from 3/1 to 7/4 favouritism, was expected to lead from barrier two. But Harper and most punters were surprised when the polemarker Dark Sky (5/1, 4/1) revealed abundant early pace and made all the running.
Harper was content to allow On All Fours to settle in the breeze and the Amanda Suvaljko-trained gelding finally got his nose in front with 350m to travel. He then went on to win by a length from Omegarama, who sustained a strong three-wide burst from ninth at the bell.
Veteran Gary Bromac, a stablemate of On All Fours, fought on grandly into third place after having raced three wide in third position for most of the race.
On All Fours, who has earned $112,930 from his 16 wins and 12 placings from 52 starts, is out of New Zealand-bred mare Rock N Rules, who had ten starts for two wins (at Northam).
Rock N Rules is out of Rule The Roost, the dam of Make The Rules, a former smart performer for trainer Gary hall sen. who earned $220,075 from his 24 wins and 32 placings from 108 starts. Make The Rules finished a nose second to Countess Karla in a thrilling three-way photo finish to the Golden Nugget Championship at Gloucester Park in December 1999.
Rule The Roost has also produced Courage To Rule, a star New Zealand performer who won the $200,000 Victoria Derby last February before being placed in the New South Wales and Queensland Derbies.
PRENTICE MAKES EVERY POST A WINNER WITH BUBBLES AND BLING
Boyanup trainer Kim Prentice travelled to Perth with one horse on Friday and went home with a perfect record after driving aggressively to land Queensland-bred pacer Bubbles And Bling a strong winner of the $17,500 Nights of Thunder Consolation.
“I told the owners (Robert Watson, Sue Lyons, Joe Iemma and Paul Webster) that if he could cross to the lead he would prove very hard to beat,” a beaming Prentice said after Bubbles And Bling had defeated Big Town Drive and Aussie Reactor.
Bubbles And Bling, backed from 6/1 to 7/2, got away well from the No. 4 barrier and Prentice drove him hard to wrest the lead from Barachias (9/4 favourite) after 300m had been covered.
Bubbles And Bling sped over the first 400m of the final mile in 28.5sec. and then he covered the final 800m in 58.6sec. to win by a half-length at a 1.57.3 rate.
Barachias was kept under lock and key behind the pacemaker and he finished an unlucky sixth.
“Bubbles And Bling most probably didn’t look as though he won that convincingly on the line,” Prentice said. “But I had to really choke him between the two and the four (200m and 400m) and I think that did him a little bit of harm.
Prentice restrained Bubbles And Bling at that stage to ensure that Adam Mellsop was unable to get Barachias off the pegs. “He’s got the bug’s bunny and that’s the main thing,” Prentice said.
