New Zealand-bred gelding Im Stealthy is green, inexperienced and has a lot to learn. But champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr predicts the three-year-old is capable of becoming a star performer.
“It will take a good one to beat him in the WA Derby,” said Hall after driving Im Stealthy to an easy victory in the 2130m Demolition Services Perth Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He can beat D Mac if he draws inside him in the Derby (the $200,000 classic on October 30).”
On the surface that sounds rather like an ambitious forecast, considering that D Mac, driven by Hall, is unbeaten at his two WA appearances last September when he scored decisive victories in a prelude and the final of the prestigious Golden Slipper, races in which Im Stealthy finished third in the prelude and fifth in the final.
D Mac and Im Stealthy are prepared by Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr and they are both by American sire Downbytheseaside. D Mac has already accumulated $101,288 from his two wins and one second placing (in New Zealand) while Im Stealthy has earned $33,900.
“There is not much between the two horses,” said Hall jnr. “But Im Stealthy still has much to learn. I haven’t got much nice to say about Im Stealthy at the moment, and it is lucky he is so good.
“He is winning but is not doing much else right. When he won first-up at Pinjarra (11 days earlier) he travelled strongly (and won by three lengths at a 1.55.2 rate over 2185m). Tonight, he was lazier and had a good look around.
“I could have stoked him up a bit more in the run. I’m trying to teach him, and he’s making that difficult by not concentrating.”
On Friday night Im Stealthy, the $1.04 favourite from barrier three, hung out at the start before getting to the front after 450m. After a slow lead time of 38sec. and a dawdling opening quarter of 31.2sec. Im Stealthy covered the final three 400m sections in 29.9sec., 28.7sec. and 27.9sec. to win by just over two lengths from $31 chance Chugach, who led early and then enjoyed a perfect trip behind the pacemaker. The winner rated 1.57.6.
Im Stealthy has a lot to live up to. He is the seventh foal out of Bay Jet, whose first foal is Wildwest, who won at his first seven starts in WA for the Hall stable in 2019 and went on to score a thrilling last-stride victory over Miracle Moose in the 2936m WA Pacing Cup in February 2022, with Chicago Bull finishing third, Magnificent Storm fourth and Minstrel fifth.
