Golden moment for Roberts
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts notched her maiden group 1 victory when she guided Vegas Strip to a decisive win in the $150,000 Channel 7 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and she is now looking forward to achieving her next goal --- driving 200 winners in a season for the first time.
Her season’s tally stands at 154, and if she maintains her current strike rate, she will meet her target in late December.
Roberts, who celebrated her 28TH birthday the previous weekend, has blossomed this year after gaining the position as the No. 1 stable driver for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond. She has seized this heaven-sent opportunity with both hands and her skill and great professionalism has enabled her to be ranked in the top shelf of WA’s best drivers.
She made full use of Vegas Strike’s excellent gate speed by dashing the inexperienced two-year-old gelding straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier and then was able to get him to relax and coast through the lead time in 37.4sec. and the opening quarters in 31.1sec. and 30.6sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.3sec. to win by a length and a half from $12 chance Brought To Light.
Brought To Life, driven by Chris Vak, trailed Vegas Strip all the way and fought on gamely to give Busselton trainer Katie Howlett the distinction of preparing a group 1 placegetter with the first pacer she has started in a race.
Vegas Strip was the $1.70 favourite, and he now has earned $110,134 from three wins and two placings from six starts. He was bred in New Zealand by Les and Barbara Pettifer, who race the American Ideal gelding in partnership with the Bonds and Victorians Liz and Graham Williams.
Friday night’s victory gave the Bond camp its third success in the prestigious Golden Slipper, following the wins of Hookahs Bondy in 2010 and Mitch Maguire in 2016.
Vegas Strip is out of Vegas Delight, who raced 36 times for five wins, 14 placings and $48,071 in prizemoney. He is a full-brother to Double Up and a half-brother to I’m Themightylucy.
Double Up, a winner of two races in New Zealand and 13 races in WA for the Bonds in 2021 and 2022, is now racing in America. His record stands at 59 starts for 16 wins, 17 placings and $199,289. Im Themightylucy has had 27 starts for eight wins, four placings and $68,000.
“Vegas Strip has plenty of high speed and a bit of bottom to him, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he comes back as a three-year-old next year after he has a spell,” said Greg Bond.
“This is his last run as a two-year-old, and he should develop into a WA Derby horse next year. Skye liked him from the very start. His gate speed helped him tonight to get to the front comfortably.”
Bond was also delighted with the performance of $19 chance Thelittle Master, who settled down in ninth position before sustaining a spirited three-wide burst to finish third behind Vegas Strip.
“His was a great run, to lead up the three-wide line from the bell when they ran home in 56.4sec.,” said Bond. “His final 800m would have been in the 55s.”
Grevis, the $7.50 third favourite, was an unlucky fourth. He started rom the inside of the back line, raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs, and was hampered for room in the final circuit.
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, attempting to win the Golden Slipper for the fourth year in a row, was delighted with the performance of his runner, Manhattan Moon, who was eighth in the one-wide line at the bell and 11TH at the 100m mark before running home fast, out wide, to finish fifth.
Soho Seraphine sparkles
Victorian filly Soho Seraphine made a brilliant West Australian debut and showed that she will take a power of beating in the $150,000 WA Oaks next Friday night when she scored a runaway win in the 2130m Sunday Times Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven in fine style by Kyle Harper, Soho Seraphine, the $1.20 favourite, was smartest to begin from out wide at barrier eight and took the lead after 120m, set the pace and strolled to victory by three and a half lengths from the $9 second fancy Purest Copper, who trailed her throughout.
Soho Seraphine coasted through the opening quarters in 31.5sec. and 29.9sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 27.8sec. to record a 1.56.9 mile rate.
Experienced Victorian trainer Ian Stanley, father of Soho Seraphine’s trainer Mick Stanley, declared that the filly was cherry ripe for a tilt at the WA Oaks over 2536m.
“Michael will arrive in Perth next Friday and will drive Soho Seraphine in the Oaks,” he said.
Mick Stanley remained in Melbourne on Friday to drive Rock N Roll Doo in the Kilmore Cup after that pacer had won at his two previous starts --- in the group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle and the Maryborough Gold Cup. Rock N Roll Doo, winner of the 2022 Kilmore Cup, was last in the field of twelve at the bell in Friday night’s race before finishing strongly to be fifth behind Better Eclipse.
“Soho Seraphine has good gate speed and is a very well gaited filly,” said Ian Stanley. “The 2536m of the Oaks will suit her. Last February she won a heat of New South Wales Oaks at Menangle before she led in the final and finished second after being run down late by a filly who had the sit on her.
“She has settled in perfectly after arriving here and has not missed a grain. She is drinking well, is relaxed and is enjoying everything.”
Soho Seraphine is by Betting Line and is the first foal out of the Mach Three mare Angel Bromac, who raced 14 times for four wins, five placings and stakes of $56,500.
Ambitious plan for Faster Than Dad
“The WA Pacing Cup is definitely not out of the question,” said trainer Michael George after five-year-old Faster Than Dad outclassed his rivals in the $23,000 Perth Now Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Resuming racing after an absence of almost three months, Faster Than Dad, driven by Stuart McDonald, was the $4.20 second fancy behind the $3.30 favourite Soho Dow Jones.
He began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and McDonald quickly had him poised to pounce from the one-out, one-back position behind Simply Shaz in the breeze while Soho Dow Jones was setting a solid pace after resisting an early challenge for the lead from Talks Up A Storm.
Faster Than Dad sprinted fast to burst to the front 220m from home and he raced away to win by five lengths from $31 chance Rocknroll Elliot, who ran on from sixth at the bell. Simply Shaz ($7.50) fought on to finish third after the final quarters were run in 28.9sec. and 28.4sec. The winner rated 1.56.3.
This was Faster Than Dad’s first appearance since he led and won narrowly from Paul Edward at Gloucester Park on July 7.
“He had a little cold after that, and I was changing stables (from Coolup to Pinjarra) so I thought it was the perfect time to give him a short let-up and bring him back to see if he could face up for the Pacing Cup,” said George.
“Without being too ambitious, the Pacing Cup is not out of the question. If he gets a lot of luck along the way and performs well in the $100,000 lead-up races before the Cup, he could get a start in the big race. If he gets a start in those races, I have no doubt that he will keep up and play a part. He is very fast, can run speed and finish with a quick quarter.”
Faster Than Dad has raced 40 times for 13 wins, nine placings and $125,023. He is an older full-brother to quality mare Acharne Girl (22 starts for nine wins, five placings and $133,565) and is also a full-brother to While They Pray (39 starts for 16 wins, 12 placings and $170,788), while his half-brother Slick Artist earned $370,303 from 29 wins and 50 placings from 143 starts.
McDonald has enjoyed a wonderful association with Faster Than Dad, having driven the Alta Christiano gelding 15 times for six wins and five placings.
George also is looking forward to contesting the $200,000 Golden Nugget on December 15 with Victorian pacer Rubins Plight, who has just entered his stables.
Rubins Plight has impressed with his 20 starts producing ten wins, five placings and $88,990 in stakes. He is a full-brother to Kimble, who has been sold to American interests to continue his career in the United States after earning $249,569 from 14 wins and 20 placings from 61 starts, including seven wins in WA.
Rubins Plight’s past six runs have resulted in four wins and two seconds, including a last-start second to Solesseo Matuca in the $150,000 group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for four-year-olds at Melton on September 16 after finishing second to that pacer in a semi-final the previous week.
“Rubins Plight probably will have his first run in WA in the $35,000 Pinjarra Four-Year-Old Classic on November 6,” said George.
New experience for Love On the Rocks
It was quite a new experience for New Zealand-bred pacer Love On The Rocks when he began from barrier six in the 1730m 7News Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Having his second start for trainer Gary Hall snr and his second run in Australia, Love On The Rocks was appearing in a mobile event for the first time for 18 months. His five starts in that period were all in stands --- for a win and four placings.
His previous run in a mobile was when he began from the outside of the front line in a 2400m event at Wairio on March 31, 2022, when he showed no early speed and raced in tenth position before surging home with a powerful late burst to finish second behind the pacemaker Tommy Waterhouse.
“We didn’t quite know much about his gate speed,” admitted reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “But it was pretty good, and he was able to get to an early lead, set the pace and win with a little bit to spare.”
Love On The Rocks, the $1.30 favourite, began speedily and was engaged in a spirited duel with $7 chance Per Ardua Ad Astra, who began fast from the outside of the front line before breaking into a gallop after about 120 metres.
Hall then sent Love On The Rocks to the front from $19 chance Ultimate Rocker about 250m later and the Terror To Love six-year-old gave a strong frontrunning display to win by a length from Ultimate Rocker, rating 1.57.1 after final quarters of 29.7sec. and 28sec.
Love On The Rocks, who is out of the unraced Badlands Hanover mare Uroc On, won at seven of his 37 New Zealand starts and now has a record of 39 starts for eight wins, eleven placings and $85,898 in stakes. His half-brother Chuckles earned $47,825 from eight wins and five placings from 35 starts.
My Prayer’s upset win
Experienced mare My Prayer made the most of a favourable barrier at No. 2 to cause an upset and win the 2130m The Game Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
My Prayer, a $20.20 chance for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, had won only once from her previous 36 starts, but had shown good recent form with placings behind Wonderful To Fly and Dontbesillychilli at two of her three previous outings.
She was driven patiently by Mitch Miller, who had her travelling comfortably in fifth position, three back on the pegs, while $12 chance Getn Wiggy Withit was setting a solid pace, with the $1.30 favourite Musztang racing in the breeze.
Miller received a most welcome bonus in the home straight, racing for the bell when Shannon Suvaljko eased Whos The Dad off the pegs from behind the pacemaker. This enabled Miller to urge My Prayer forward to get behind Getn Wiggy Withit.
Sahara Storm ($41) was enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, and Madeliene Young took her to a narrow lead 250m from home. This enabled My Prayer to get off the pegs and she burst to the front 70m from home to win by almost two lengths from $21 chance Thomson Bay, who was ninth at the bell before rattling home to finish an eye-catching second. The final 800m was in in 57.5sec. and My Prayer rated 1.57.1.
My Prayer is by Renaissance Man and is out of Mystery Oro, who managed one placing, a third at Kellerberrin, from eleven starts. However, My Prayer is related to several good pacers, including Bin Oro, who finished fourth behind champion Cardigan Bay in the final of the 1963 Interdominion Championship at Wayville.
My Prayer has proved an excellent performer for the Howlett family, having earned $207,401 from ten wins and 22 placings from 88 starts.
Turvey strikes twice
Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey drove Prince Sahara to an all-the-way win in a 1823m event at Narrogin on Friday night and 20 minutes later he struck again --- 195km away --- when his four-year-old mare Rocknroll Sass repeated the dose by setting the pace for Gary Hall jnr and winning the 2130m Up Late Pace at Gloucester Park.
Rocknroll Sass, owned and trained by Turvey, was the $2.70 favourite who was smartest to begin from barrier four and went on to win by a half-length from the $3 second fancy Beyond the Sea, rating 1.58.9 after final 400m sections of 27.7sec. and 29.2sec.
“She went super and was a lot better than she was the past couple of times I had driven her,” said Hall. “She held the opposition at bay very well.”
Rocknroll Sass is by American stallion Rock N Roll Heaven and is the third foal out of Armbro Operative mare Just A Bit Sassy, who raced 19 times in New South Wales for ten wins, three placings and $68,175.
Rocknroll Sass has raced 14 times in WA for three wins and five placings, taking her career record to 41 starts for ten wins, nine placings and $78,935 in stakes.
Watts Up Sunshine loves to lead
New South Wales-bred five-year-old Watts Up Sunshine is unbeatable when he leads, according to his trainer Michael Young, and he gave further proof of his frontrunning ability when he was untroubled to set the pace and score an easy victory in the 1730m The Countryman Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Seventeen of his 21 wins have been when he has set the pace, and he now boats a formidable record of 21 wins, 21 placings and stakes of $236,210 from 77 starts.
Watts Up Sunshine won ten times in New South Wales and six times in Queensland before arriving in Western Australia where his 18 starts have produced another five wins.
He was the $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and Gary Hall had a trouble-free run in front before the Sunshine Beach gelding won by a length and a half from the $8.50 second fancy Valentines Brook, who charged home from ninth and last at the bell.
The final 800m whizzed by in 56.2sec. and Watts Up Sunshine rated 1.54.1. Hillview Bondi ($31) did well to fight on and finish a head away in third place after beginning speedily and then racing without cover.
“Every time Watts Up Sunshine has led, he has won,” said Young. “Tonight, was the first time he had drawn barrier one for me. He might end up in the United States, eventually.”
Scootin Around’s priceless asset
Victorian-bred square gaiter Scootin Around won for the third time from five WA starts when he set the pace for Deni Roberts and fought on grimly to score a narrow victory in the 2130m Chris Lewis 6000 Wins Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“His gate speed is his biggest asset,” said trainer Bob Mellsop. “It’s priceless here at Gloucester Park. But you’ve got to cuddle him and can’t hit him with the whip. However, he definitely tries.
“He has won two stands for me, and he should be suited in the Trotters Cup (a $50,000 2503m stand at Gloucester Park on February 2), even though he did things wrong when he galloped two starts ago --- just to remind me that he’s a trotter.”
On Friday night Scootin Around was third favourite at $4.50, with Tricky Ric, at his second appearance after a seven-month absence, the $2.30 favourite from out wide at barrier seven. Tricky Ric went forward in the early stages and raced in the breeze before he took a narrow lead with 70m to travel. But Scootin Around fought back and won by a half-head at a 2.0.7 rate.
“Tricky Ric’s fitness just gave out,” said Gary Hall jnr. “His run was good.”
Scootin Around completed a memorable night for Roberts, who had been successful earlier in the program with Tenzing Bromac in the Past President’s Cup and Vegas Strip in the Golden Slipper.
Scootin Around is by American sire Bacardi Lindy and is the first foal out of Redneck, who raced three times in South Australia as a two-year-old in 2013 for one third placing. Scootin Around has earned $85,501 from ten wins and 19 placings from 64 starts.
Breeze no problem for Nase Vira
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green was planning a soft trip for Nase Vira in the 2130m The West Australian Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night. But when she was left racing without cover, he wasn’t particularly concerned.
“I didn’t want to be in the breeze, but I wasn’t worried when we were there,” he said. “I wanted to sit her up and show how quickly she can finish off. But things didn’t eventuate that way.
“She had won from the breeze before (beating Copy Cat Queen at Narrogin) and she had run fourth from the breeze in good company.”
Copy Cat Queen, the $1.80 favourite, began well from barrier four and she took up the running from the polemarker Philthejug after 120m, leaving Nase Vira in the breeze.
Nase Vira, the $2.90 second fancy, dashed to the front with 250m to travel and raced away to win by two lengths from $14 chance Manea, who finished solidly after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Nase Vira is by Alta Christiano and is the second foal out of New Zealand-bred mare Sovereign Faith, who raced 75 times for 15 wins, 24 placings and stakes of $132,719, including four wins in WA in 2015-16. Sovereign Faith’s first foal is Champagne Everyone, who has had 25 starts for five wins, seven placings and $52,261.
Nase Vira has earned $40,107 from her three wins from eight starts. “She and Grand Couteau will now go for a spell before coming back as three-year-olds next year,” said Egerton-Green.
McDonald is on Cloud Nine
When Stuart McDonald emigrated from Christchurch to Perth in 2011 to further his career in harness racing, he was quizzed regarding which team he followed in the AFL competition.
“I decided to go for the team which wears black and white,” he said after driving a double with Faster Than Dad and Cloud Nine at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“The only time I had seen an AFL team make the (television) news in New Zealand was in 2010 when Collingwood drew with St Kilda in the grand final before they won easily in the re-match.”
When McDonald removed his racing colours after scoring an impressive win with Cloud Nine in the 1730m 7Plus Pace it revealed a black and white Collingwood jumper.
“The previous time I had worn the footy jumper to drive at the trots was in 2018 when Collingwood lost to the Eagles in the 2018 grand final,” he said.
McDonald had better luck this year when Collingwood narrowly defeated the Brisbane Lions in a pulsating grand final on Saturday.
Cloud Nine, the $3.60 second fancy from the No. 1 barrier in race nine on Friday night, sat behind the tearaway pacemaker and $71 outsider Diamondsonthebeach before McDonald eased the Bettors Delight gelding off the pegs with 900m to travel.
High Price, the $1.45. favourite, had a tough run in the breeze before Gary Hall jnr sent him to the front 550m from home. Cloud Nine then sustained a strong three-wide burst to hit the front at the 300m before winning by a length from $7 chance Bellezza Nera, who finished solidly after racing three back on the pegs. High Price wilted to finish seventh.
“Things worked out better than I anticipated,” said the 28-year-old McDonald. “I didn’t think I could lead and was expecting to sit behind High Price. But that didn’t work out, with Diamondsonthebeach racing to the front.
“So, I was happy to take the sit behind Diamondsonthebeach, and with the speed on it was nice and easy to get off the pegs and into a good position (about 900m from home) --- and from there I expected to be hard to beat.”
This was Cloud Nine’s first appearance for four weeks. “I gave him a week off after he had finished at the rear behind Kimble a month ago,” said McDonald. “He had had a few runs in a row when I wasn’t a hundred percent happy with him. So, I gave him a freshen-up, and it has worked out well. His work on Tuesday was super and I was pretty confident.”
Cloud Nine, a New Zealand-bred six-year-old, has had 61 starts for nine wins, 16 seconds and one third placing for earnings of $113,851. His 14 WA starts have resulted in two wins and four seconds.
Cloud Nine’s half-brother Hit the Sky has earned $113,034 from 12 wins and 30 placings from 84 starts. He had 19 starts in WA in 2021 for Amber Sparks and Also Cortopassi for four wins and eight placings.
High praise for Tenzing Bromac
Tenzing Bromac is lightly raced and has enormous potential, and his co-trainer Greg Bond is supremely confident the New Zealand-bred five-year-old will continue to improve and will be extremely hard to beat in the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup on November 10.
Tenzing Bromac, owned by Team Bond and prepared by Bond and his wife Skye, impressed with the ease in which he won the $31,000 Streamer.com.au Past President’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $2 favourite from barrier No. 1 and he set a solid pace for Deni Roberts before sprinting home over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 28.6sec. to win by a half-length from the fast-finishing $4.20 chance Pinny Tiger, who raced in fifth position three back on the pegs before finishing with a fast burst. Prince Of Pleasure ($3.30) was a length farther back in third place after trailing the pacemaker throughout.
“Deni didn’t drive him to his strength from the point of view that he is a roller, but she had to hold him up to keep Prince Of Pleasure locked away,” said Bond.
“When Pinny Tiger came, she had to give Tenzing Bromac his head, and he put in a couple of roughies. But he was doing good on the line.
“Tenzing Bromac is probably the best horse in Western Australia at the moment. I can’t compare him with Never Ending, because he is a three-year-old. Tenzing Bromac is developing and is a progressive type, and I think he will be a real major player in the Cup.
“In saying he’s the best horse, I’m not saying he is an Im Themightyquinn. But he can mix it with any horse in WA.”
Tenzing Bromac, who has had only 29 starts for 16 wins, nine placings and $202,676 in prizemoney, will contest --- along with several Cup-bound stablemates --- the $100,000 James Brennan Memorial over 2536m next Friday week and the $100,000 J. P. Stratton Cup over 2130m a fortnight later.
