Dasher VC set for clean sweep and the WA Pacing Cup

Brilliant New Zealand-bred gelding Dasher VC is poised to complete a clean sweep of this season’s four-year-old classics by continuing on his winning ways in the $125,000 McInerney Ford Classic at Gloucester Park next Friday night.

The magnificent partnership of trainer Ross Olivieri and reinsman Chris Lewis combined to record a superb triumph in the group 1 $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget Championship on Friday night, a week after Dasher VC had scored an effortless win in the $50,000 Ross North Homes Four-Year-Old Championship.

And the outstanding son of Washington VC has earned automatic qualification to contest the $400,000 WA Pacing Cup on January 21. Providing the gelding takes no harm from competing in the three four-year-old group events in the space of 15 days Olivieri will aim him for the Pacing Cup.

Friday night’s victory gave the Olivieri-Lewis combination its 382nd success on city tracks in WA. They combined to win the 1998 Golden Nugget with Saab, and Lewis also has driven other Nugget winners in Vero Prince (1987) and Flashing Star (1994).

Dasher VC, who started from the No. 1 barrier and was favourite at 6/4 on, led throughout and sprinted the final 400m in 27.8sec. to win by five lengths from 50/1 chance Why Live Dangerously, with Indomitable Saab (25/1) in third place.

Dasher VC rated 1.57.1 over the 2506m to lower the race record of 1.57.4, set by Flashing Star in 1994. A week earlier Dasher VC rated a dazzling 1.55.3 to set a WA record for 2100m.

Dasher VC, purchased for a high price in New Zealand by Paul and Tony Poli, now has had 15 starts for ten wins and two seconds for earnings of $201,402. The sky now seems the limit.

Friday night’s victory capped a memorable week for the 55-year-old Lewis, who the previous night was inducted into the WA racing industry’s Hall of Fame. He wore the colourful green and gold silks which were adorned with the stars of the Southern Cross and the Australian flags on the chest and sleeves. These are the colours he will wear when representing Australia at the World Drivers Championship in Canada next August.

In a typical understatement, Lewis declared after the win that “he’s a very nice horse and I think he could make something.”

Lewis went on to say: “He’s got a huge amount of depth and Ross has trained him to the minute. He was travelling beautifully all the way and it was nice to be in front and be able to run his own race. He is a wonderful horse who has come along in leaps and bounds.”

Olivieri thanked all his stable staff and said that it was a team effort that enabled Dasher VC to race at such a high level. He made special mention of Greg Kersley and Peter Tilbrook for their contribution in driving the gelding in his track workouts.

Motu Crusader, second favourite at 13/4, started from the No. 6 barrier and Andy McCarthy got the gelding away brilliantly to get about a length clear of his rivals soon after the mobile field sent the field of 12 on its way.

But Motu Crusader simply was unable to burst past Dasher VC who made the most of drawing the inside barrier, particularly with the first bend arriving 30m before it did in  previous 2536m events at Gloucester Park.

Motu Crusader then worked hard without cover for the rest of the race, with Chillin Dylan behind the pacemaker and Ella Sue in the one-out, one-back position. Crombie (barrier five) was trapped four wide for the first 300m and Morgan Woodley had no option but to restrain the horse back to the rear.

Chillin Dylan looked likely to finish second, but 550m from home Dasher VC rolled off the pegs and up the track. Trevor Warwick automatically followed Dasher VC. But then Dasher VC shifted back to the pegs and when Warwick tried to manoeuvre Chillin Dylan back to the inside he found that his position had been taken by Indomitable Saab, who had raced three back on the pegs all the way.

Indomitable Saab’s inside run was followed by Why Live Dangerously, who had been cleverly angled straight to the pegs by Kim Prentice after the gelding had started from the outside barrier (No. 9). Once off the pegs, Chillin Dylan began to race a bit ungenerously and he checked Motu Crusader, who was beginning to fade.

Indomitable Saab dashed into second place in the home straight, but conceded that spot to Why Live Dangerously, who finished with a determined burst. David Hercules, who had raced in seventh place in the one-wide line, fought on gamely into fourth place. The advantage of racing on the pegs was illustrated in the fact that the first three placegetters occupied the first three spots on the inside all the way.

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FAST-FINISHING FREE THE MAN LANDS GOOD BETS

Lightly-raced gelding Free The Man is continuing a splendid run of success enjoyed by his breeder-owner Joan Warwick.

Free The Man, trained by Joan’s son Brett, landed a plunge when he was supported from 7/1 to 4/1 and stormed home to snatch victory in the $23,000 Golden Nugget Consolation at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Free The Man, driven by Matt White, enjoyed an ideal passage in sixth place in the one-wide line before he surged home, six wide, from seventh on the home turn to get up and beat Wrongly Accused, who had been backed from, 4/1 to 5/2. Celtic Crusader (9/4 favourite) raced three back on the pegs and battled home doggedly into third place.

“He’s a funny horse to drive,” said White. “He’s on the bit and off the bit. Down the back I was just looking for a run, and once we got into the clear he sprinted home well.” Free The Man, an easy winner at Pinjarra last Monday, now has earned $48,389 from four wins and four seconds from only 12 starts.

Free The Man is by Northern Luck out of Only Choice, a mare bred and raced by Joan Warwick. Only Choice won two races at Northam in 2002 and earned $9977 from those wins and eight placings from 23 starts.

Only Choice is out of Mallanarge, a mare bred by Warwick who earned $8028 in the mid-1990s from four wins (two at Narrogin and two at Pinjarra) from 23 starts. Mallanarge produced two foals, Only Choice and Cams Legend, who won the Golden Slipper in July 2002 and retired after his 46 starts produced 15 wins, ten placings and stakes of $128,860.

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PADBERG AND SUVALJKO LAND LONG-PRICED DOUBLE

Veteran pacer Spirit of Shard caused a major upset when he sprinted home fast to win the Tooheys Extra Dry 5 Seeds Cider Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night to complete a long-priced double for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg and Byford reinsman Shannon Suvaljko.

The New Zealand-bred former Victorian nine-year-old was a 25/1 outsider who returned a straight-out dividend of $53.40.

Earlier in the program Suvaljko drove the Padberg-trained Xupan Three, an 8/1 chance, to victory in the Hahn Super Dry Pace.

These wins continued a great run of success by both Padberg and Suvaljko. After 12 weeks of the 2010-11 season Padberg has trained 15 winners (nine in the city) and Suvaljko is the leading State-wide driver with 53 wins and 64 placings from 243 drives. He has driven 20 city winners to be second to Chris Lewis (35).

Spirit of Shard started from 20m and Suvaljko wasted no time in getting him to the pegs while Bakerandthefatman led for the first 300m before Conte Centovalli dashed to the front and set a merry pace.

Talk To Me Courage (3/1) was most unlucky. After beginning smartly from 20m and moving into a commanding position he met with interference, broke into a gallop and lost 20m 300m after the start when his stablemate Davy Maguire contacted a wheel of Conte Centovalli’s sulky and raced roughly.

Kim Prentice got Talk To Me Courage going again and dashed him forward in the first lap before he gained the one-out, one-back position after the 5/4 favourite Rocket Reign surged forward to race in the breeze.

Rocket Reign took a narrow lead 500m from home before Talk To Me Courage charged to the front on the home turn, only to be overtaken in the final couple of strides by Spirit of Shard and Smart Cullen (5/1), who had galloped badly at the start and then finished powerfully from eighth at the bell.

“At 50/1 we had to drive him a bit quietly,” said Suvaljko. “He jumped away well and had a good run on the fence where he didn’t do anything while the others were running along. This suited him. He looked a million dollars and ran up to his looks. I was confident down the back where we just had to bide our time and wait for the last bit. And he showed that he can sprint quickly.”

Spirit of Shard’s victory vindicated the decision of Padberg’s husband John to claim the old gelding for $14,500 in mid-September. Spirit of Shard, now raced by Padberg and a few friends, has had three starts for his new owners and has earned $12,475 to take his career record to 113 starts for 25 wins, 23 placings and earnings of $275,599.

The New Zealand-bred Xupan Three is proving a wonderful buy for John and Debbie Padberg. After winning five times in New South Wales, Xupan Three has impressed greatly, with his first 16 starts for the Padberg’s in WA producing six wins and three placings.

After starting from barrier seven, Xupan Three settled down in tenth position and came home strongly from eighth at the bell to get up and win from Barnetts Secret and Artorius in Friday night’s 2100m event.

Suvaljko followed the three-wide run of Barnetts Secret in the final circuit and when Barnetts Secret charged home, out wide, to get to the front in the final 25m he looked the winner. But Xupan Three finished the better to take the lead 15m out. Artorius, 11th at the bell, flew home, six wide, to be a close third.

“He just needed a bit of luck, and tonight he got the right run,” Suvaljko said. “We had all the sit-and-kick horses (Artorius and Emjayem Grand) behind us, and Xupan Three can sit and kick just as quick as all the others.

“All the stayers had done all the work in the race and we just had to bide our time. I thought I had the leaders covered, but was just worried about Artorius, who was inside me. He can sprint really quick for 200m and we just had to hold him in a pocket for as long as possible.”

The only down side for Suvaljko was that the stewards fined him $400 for wielding the whip in the home straight with more than a wrist and elbow action.

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MON GEE ENDS 20-RUN DROUGHT AND BREAKS TRACK RECORD

Mon Gee, fit again after recovering from a serious leg injury, bounced back to top form and ended a losing sequence of 20 when he gave a bold frontrunning display to win the XXXX Gold Summer Bright Lager Pace over 1700m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mardella trainer Neil Llloyd produced the six-year-old in fine fettle for his fifth run after an absence of ten months and Chris Brew gave the opposition little hope by setting a brisk pace.

After covering the first 400m section of the final mile in 28.4sec. Mon Gee slackened the tempo with a 30.4sec. quarter before zooming over the final 800m in 57.3sec. to win by a half-length from 10/9 favourite Jumbo Operator, with Shoab (16/1) running on to be a good third.

Mon Gee, a 6/1 chance, returned odds of 16/1 on the tote. He jumped straight to the front from barrier two and his rate of 1.55.2 broke the track record for 1700m, set by The Accelerator in December 1999 when he recorded a mile rate of 1.55.5.

Jumbo Operator was gallant in defeat. He started from barrier seven and settled down in ninth position before Shannon Suvaljko sent him forward, three wide, at the 1100m mark. He was eighth at the bell and went four wide at the 700m before finishing with great determination.

Mighty McDana, a winner at each of his four previous starts, worked hard in the breeze and lost few admirers in fighting on to finish fourth.

“This horse has always had really good ability,” Brew said. “He raced against horses like Total Defiance as a two-year-old and held his own. He’s really hard to get over when he’s in front, especially in a sprint. All credit to Neil. The horse had a serious leg injury and now he’s at his peak.”

Mon Gee, whose previous win was at Gloucester Park in May 2009, won the group 3 WA Sales Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings in February 2008 when he beat Schinzig Buller.

By Kinney Hanover, Mon Gee is out of Merlene Muffett, who finished second to Tailamade Lombo in the 1998 WA Oaks. Merlene Muffett had 30 starts for seven wins and ten placings for earnings of $53,289.

Mon Gee, who has had 65 starts for 13 wins, 12 placings and stakes of $141,952, is related to former prolific winners Rombo Rambo (102 starts for 19 wins, 26 placings and $152,754) and Of Auld Aberdeen (279 starts for 40 wins, 63 placings and $235,201).

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HALLS OPEN AND CLOSE THE MEETING WITH STIRRING WINS

Hazelmere trainer Gary Hall sen. and his son Gary Hall jun. opened and closed the ten-event program at Gloucester Park in grand style with victories to well-supported six-year-olds Rigatoni and Ohoka Georgia.

Hall jun. was seen at his best in the sulky when Rigatoni, backed from 5/2 to 5/4 favouritism, won the opening event, the Swan Draught Pace, and again when Ohoka Georgia (5/2 to 2/1) gave a tough staying performance to win the Hahn Super Dry Pace.

The New South Wales-bred Rigatoni, owned by Victorians Tony Prochilo and Angelo Cammaroto, was making his second appearance after a spell and Hall gave the gelding plenty of time to settle down while Dav Ed Ash sped forward to wrest the lead from Too Bad after 400m.

Rigatoni settled well in fifth place in the one-wide line before Hall sent him forward approaching the bell. He charge to the front 650m from home and established a four-length lead with 300m to travel before going to the line in good style to win by just over a length from Too Bad.

“Rigatoni is not really a point-to-point horse and I planned to cruise up to the leaders,” Hall jun. said. “But he got there (into the breeze) pretty comfortably, so I just went on with it.

“There were a couple of good sit-and-kick horses like Gathering Gears caught up on the fence and I knew that if he (Rigatoni) got tired, they were definitely going to catch him. About the 300m I thought I was gone because they looked to be coming home strongly. But to his credit, he boxed on well.”

Rigatoni, a winner of three races in New South Wales and seven in Victoria, now has had 15 WA starts for four wins and two placings.

Ohoka Georgia improved his WA record to three wins from four starts when he started from 10m and sustained a solid burst from sixth in the middle stages to hit the front on the home turn and hold on gamely to defeat the fast-finishing Blissful Snag by 1m.

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COMPRESSOR IS A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

Eight-year-old Compressor enhanced his reputation as one of the State’s best trotters when he finished powerfully to win the James Squire Golden Ale Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

His victory at 8/1 saw the downfall of the 3/1 on favourite Our MacArthur Park, who was attempting to make his WA record four wins from four starts.

The Victorian-bred Compressor, trained at Waroona by Nigel Johns, owned by Nathan Woodley and driven expertly by his younger brother Morgan, surged home from seventh at the bell to win from Face Lift. It was Compressor’s 20th victory from 116 starts, with his WA record an impressive 56 starts for 15 wins and 21 placings.

“He was a cheap buy and has done a fantastic job,” said Morgan Woodley, who timed Compressor’s finishing burst to perfection.

Baby Jack (6/1) set the pace and looked the likely winner when he held a two-length lead over a struggling MacArthur Park in the breeze with 300m to travel. But Baby Jack began to pace (instead of maintaining his trotting gait) 120m from the finish. Then he broke gait and began to gallop with 70m to travel and finished third behind Compressor and Face Lift.

The stewards disqualified Baby Jack, deeming that he had gained an unfair advantage by pacing and then galloping, and elevated the fourth placegetter MacArthur Park from fourth to third, and Picasso Star from fifth to fourth.

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COOL McCARTHY WINS AGAIN WITH CAPTAIN BROMAC 

New Zealand-bred six-year-old Captain Bromac and visiting reinsman Andy McCarthy are proving a formidable combination.

McCarthy revealed great composure when he did not panic and remained extremely cool when Captain Bromac (5/2 to 7/2) was trapped three wide for the first lap of the James Boag Premium Claiming Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. He simply allowed Captain Bromac to pace easily, three wide, in last position before urging him forward at the 1200m mark.

And then Captain Bromac gained cover 950m from home when Singapore Johnny (Shannon Suvaljko) started a three-wide move, with the 5/4 favourite Sportivo bowling along in front.

Sportivo still led on the home turn, but he was unable to hold out Captain Bromac, who surged home, out wide on the track to hit the front in the final 25m. Singapore Johnny was a close third.

Captain Bromac, owned and trained by Alan Bell, gave McCarthy a winner at his first drive in WA when he finished boldly to beat the pacemaker Surfin Superstar in a claimer a fortnight earlier.

Trainer Ross Olivieri and reinsman Chris Lewis landed the first leg of a double on Friday night when 6/4 favourite Hirli Birli Lombo gave a powerful staying performance to win the Tooheys Extra Dry Pace over 2100m.

Hirli Birli Lombo started from barrier nine and Lewis sent him forward early before getting to the breeze outside Tex Bromac 1250m from home.

Hirli Birli Lombo relished working hard without cover and he burst to the front on the home turn and went on to win in good style from Barachias and Zed, rating 1.58.7.

Hirli Birli Lombo, placed twice from his first five starts, as a two-year-old in WA, then continued his career in the Eastern States where he won twice in New South Wales, once in Queensland and four times in Victoria before returning to WA earlier this year.

He has flourished since his return, with his 13 starts for Olivieri producing five wins, six seconds, a third and a fifth placing.