Inexperienced three-year-old Boy Blue gave an impressive example of his class with an excellent victory in the $23,000 Gary Hall Junior Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and his trainer-reinsman Chris Voak has no hesitation in predicting the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding will develop into a leading candidate for the rich Golden Nugget in 12 months’ time.
Boy Blue, the $1.40 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, was surprisingly beaten out by $41 chance Heez Good As Gold and Off the Charts ($21) before Voak moved him off the pegs after 320m and burst to the front to defy speedy four-year-old Sweet Pins ($5.50) from gaining the lead.
After a swift lead time of 36.5sec. the New Zealand-bred Boy Blue reeled off smart sections of 28.3sec., 29.8sec., 28.4sec. and 29.8sec. to win by a length from $12 chance Sugar Street, who finished strongly from three back on the pegs.
The winner rated a smart 1.55.4 and took his record to nine starts for four wins, one second and $32,232. He is the fourth foal out of Bettors Delight mare Lulli Midfrew, who is an elder sister of former star mare Libertybelle Midfrew, who amassed $640,497 from 19 wins (including the WA Oaks and Golden Nugget in 2014) and eleven placings from 51 starts.
Lulli Midfrew had 24 starts for six wins, two placings and $35,237, and her first three foals were fillies who did not race.
Voak is excited at the potential of Boy Blue, saying: “He is going to be an elite horse, and he is now half the horse he is going to be in six months. And I’m very disappointed he didn’t get a start in the Derby tonight.
“He won very comfortably tonight. Before the race I was a bit on the fence regarding how strong he is, and I didn’t expect him to beat Sweet Pins as easily as he did. He exceeded what I thought he would do, leading, and considering the pressure he was under (from Sweet Pins) I wouldn’t have been took disappointed if he had faded and finished fifth.
“I am so happy with the way he is going. He is the most expensive horse I’ve bought. He cost $70,000 and was a $90,000 purchase when landed. We can now see that he is worth every penny we paid for him.”
Boy Blue is raced by Voak’s wife Asha in partnership with Ric Giometti, Mike Maxwell, Anthony Moujalli, Dennis (Ginger) Roche, brothers Tony and Tim Sutton and Ed Burchill.
“Ric (a Sydney accountant) found him after watching a video of him in a workout, and I rang Chris Butt in New Zealand asked him to work him on the track and give us his opinion.,” said Voak. “Chris said that he knew the horse very well, explaining that he and his cousin Bob Butt broke him in --- and that he is very fast.”
