Central Wheatbelt Harness Racing Club Photo by Photography by Jodie Hallows
Racing at the Central Wheatbelt is back for 2025 and although storms in the area caused a delay throughout the day, not even a little bit of rain could put a dampener on the day.
Trainer Hayden Reeves walked away with training honours with a training treble on the day, taking out three of the first four races of the season.
Son of former WA sire Follow The Stars, Tempt The Stars caused an upset in the first, winning at $14 odds after some early pace from the leaders saw those back in the field benefit from the speed.
All eyes were on reinsman Stuart McDonald who enjoyed success in three of the seven races of the day, coincidentally paired with the Reeves runners for the meeting.
The pair didn’t have long to wait for their next win, with Mister Kopa taking out race three on the card, again causing despair for favourite punters.
Mister Kopa, who’s last win was back in late January at Albany came from mid field to claim a 5.7m winning margin over the 2130m trip, bringing up the five-year-olds seventh career win from 57 starts.
Dee Jays Big Boy delivered them their final win on the day with the oversized pacer breaking a 16-start losing sequence and bringing up his first win since September 2023, which was coincidentally also at the Kellerberrin track.
The five-year-old was able to settle in the breeze to kick away to win by 10.4m on Sunday, in a winning mile rate if 2:03:6 over the 2130m trip.
Trainer Dylan Voak had his third training success on Sunday at Kellerberrin with Rocknroll Nugget taking out race two on the card.
Having just his second start for the new stable, the now six-year-old gelding has had four stable changes since making his way to WA in early 2024, with Sundays win his second in the state.
Initially taking on the gelding to help get his two-year-old to the track, his off coat saw trainer Dylan Voak take bloods on the horse and the results were surprising.
“I was looking for a horse to come in with my two-year-old and I run some bloods, and I discovered he can’t really internally control his body temperature that well, I treated him for that, and his coat went black, and I thought I might race him, and he surprised me.
“Wherever he went he was always getting a virus.”.
Only lightly raced, he’s had just 18 career starts for three wins and two placings and seven different trainers throughout his modest career, but Voak is hopeful he’s on top of the horse now.
“The drop in grade helps.”
Rising Spirit produced a win for the locals, with recently retired Peter Arthur brining up his first win for the season.
Driven by Callan Suvaljko, Rising Spirit was recently purchased by Arthur and was having just his second start for the stable, a sentiment that proved fruitful for a few on the day, with similar winning stories from Dee Jays Big Boy and Rocknroll Nugget.
Jane Steer’s stable is firing from all cylinders, and Sunday was no exception with Ya Bettor Followme getting the win in race six on the card.
Driven by Liam Elliott, the $2.30 favourite was able to lead from start to stop, staving off Bettor Have Faith NZ at the finish to win by a 1.7m margin.
Michael Young made the trip up the hill to Kellerberrin on Sunday with just the one horse in tow, but he walked away with a 100% winners to runners strike rate with newcomer to his stable Alexandra Thegreat claiming the last on the card.
The $1.50 favourite lead all the way from barrier one in the last for driver Emily Suvaljko, never looking in any danger when she won by 5.1m, giving the mare her seventh win from 97 starts.
Racing returns to Kellerberrin and the Central Wheatbelt Harness Racing Club in a fortnights time, Sunday April 27, with two feature races highlighting the card, the $8000 Cunderdin Cup and the $8000 Jock Coleman Memorial Dainty Daughters mares' race.
