Cups program for Vultan Tin
Evergreen millionaire pacer Vultan Tin is far from a spent force. He provided emphatic proof of that when he crushed his younger rivals in the $30,000 Thank You Cruz, Love Noah Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The ten-year-old will line up for his 209TH start when he contests the $50,000 August Cup next Friday week, with long-range plans centred on the $300,000 Fremantle Cup and the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup in January.
“He missed the WA Pacing Cup last summer when he didn’t have enough form after unplaced runs from wide barriers,” said Phil Costello, who bred and owns the hardy gelding with his wife Denise.
Vultan Tin gave a sample of his ability when he finished fourth behind Lazarus in the Interdominion Championship final in December 2017, and again when he won the WA Pacing Cup from Chicago Bull in December 2020.
“The Pacing Cup over 2936m is his forte,” said Costello. “And we’re looking forward to running in the big race again next January.”
Vultan Tin now has raced 208 times for 32 wins, 53 placings and stakes of $1,047,884, and he is showing no signs of slowing down or losing his competitive spirit.
Costello said that the secret of Vultan Tin’s longevity was quite simple. “It’s just a lot of care; we look after every aspect of his body,” he said. “We look after his nutrition, and we spend a lot of time and patience with him.
“We have never had an ounce of trouble with him. We look after his legs, and he always wears Back On Track gear on his front legs, which keeps them warm and helps his circulation.”
Vultan Tin, trained by Costello’s son Dan, was a $15.40 chance from the No. 1 barrier in the six-horse field on Friday night, with the nine-year-old superstar Chicago Bull the $1.90 favourite from the No. 2 barrier.
Vultan Tin was driven with commendable aggression by Mitch Miller, who gave the oldtimer’s rivals little chance by setting a fast pace in the 2536m event. Chicago Bull raced in the breeze before fading to finish last.
“Mitch is a very underrated driver who drives horses to their ability,” said Phil Costello. “The plan tonight was to lead and go hard all the way. That’s how Vultan Tin runs; he can run hard all the way.”
He sped over the 400m sections of the final mile in 29.5sec., 28.5sec., 28.2sec. and 28.7sec. and he rated 1.56.5 in beating $5 chance Lavra Joe by two lengths. Lavra Joe performed strongly in finishing solidly from last at the bell, while Jumpingjackmac ($5.50) was third after enjoying the one-out, one-back trail.
Himself set for the big time
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred pacer Himself is destined for stardom, and he is showing that he is sure to prove a formidable opponent to pacers of the calibre of Lavra Joe, Jumpingjackmac, Mighty Ronaldo, Finvarra, Stamford, Ragazzo Mach, Mr Fantastic, Ezana and others in feature events for four-year-olds later this year.
Himself, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, and driven with confidence by Ryan Warwick, was the $1.30 favourite in the $30,000 Marathon Handicap, a group 3 feature event over 3309 metres at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He notched his fourth win from five starts in WA when he began from the No. 2 barrier on the front mark and was not seriously challenged on his way to scoring a decisive one-length victory over the $4.20 second fancy Cooper.
“All I wanted to do was to make sure that Himself got away safely,” said Warwick, who did not urge Himself forward at the start. Instead, Himself stepped away smoothly and settled down in third place while Cooper dashed straight to the front.
Warwick seized the initiative by dashing Himself past Cooper and into the lead 300m after the start.
The race then developed into a single file affair until Chris Voak made the first move by sending $51 chance Major Mucha forward from fifth into the breeze with 1150m to travel.
Warwick increased the tempo approaching the bell and Himself sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 28.1sec. to win impressively at a 2.5.6 rate.
Himself, a Sportswriter gelding, has earned $83,767 from seven wins and five placings from 16 starts.
Young Lauds Eighteen Carat
Outstanding young trainer Michael Young is unable to hide his admiration for five-year-old Eighteen Carat, who he declares is one of the smartest mares in Western Australia.
“The $150,000 Mares Classic on November 25 is the main aim for Eighteen Carat, and I think she can give it a shake,” he said after Gary Hall jnr had driven the $1.30 favourite to an effortless victory in the $30,000 WASBA Four And Five-Year-Old Mares Pace, a group 3 event over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“There’s another $30,000 race for mares next Friday night, and after that she might have one more start before a break and then being freshened up for the Mares Classic,” said Young.
Eighteen Carat began from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night when Hall sent her straight to the front. After a slow lead time of 38.4sec. and modest opening quarters of 32sec. and 30.8sec., she sped over the final 400m sections in 29sec. and 27.8sec. to win by just over a length from the $8.50 equal second fancy Sunshine Swift, rating 1.59.4.
Sunshine Swift enjoyed the run of the race behind Eighteen Carat, who finished two lengths clear of the third placegetter Sahara Storm ($8.50), who raced three back on the pegs all the way.
Eighteen Carat, a Mach Three mare and a winner of five races in New Zealand, has been most impressive in WA with her four starts in the State producing three wins and a third placing. She now has earned $97,931. Friday night’s victory completed a double for Young and Hall, who had combined to win with Plutonium earlier in the night.
Boom Time is a classy customer
Boom Time, an easy all-the-way winner of the 2130m Durrant Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, was described by trainer Ross Olivieri as a classy customer, capable of winning in better-class company.
“He can do even better in stronger company,” said Olivieri after Chris Voak had guided the eight-year-old and $1.60 favourite to victory by just over a length from the consistent Euphoria ($11), who fought on doggedly after racing without cover throughout.
“He is a classy customer, and in better company with a cold sit he would be dangerous. When he is fully wound up, he is a dangerous commodity.”
Boom Time, having his fourth start in his current campaign after being off the scene for six months, ended a losing sequence of ten which included placings behind Alta Rhett and Will I Rocknroll at his two previous outings.
A winner at two of his five New Zealand starts and at three of his seven starts in Victoria, Boom Time has been a splendid performer for Olivieri in WA where his 44 starts have produced ten wins and 15 placings.
“Boom Time came to WA in early 2020 after spending a lot of time in a paddock in Victoria, with a problem,” said Olivieri as he explained why the Gotta Go Cullect gelding’s first start in WA came after an absence of 23 months. Boom Time, owned by Merv Butterworth’s Butterworth Racing Syndicate, has earned $159,638 from 15 wins and 18 placings from 56 starts.
Bracken Sky exceeds all expectations
Veteran pacer Bracken Sky boosted his earnings past a quarter of a million dollars when he gave a typical solid frontrunning display to win the 2130m Noah George Race Night Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Delighted trainer and part-owner Debbie Padberg said that the versatile New South Wales-bred seven-year-old had exceeded all her expectations and those of her husband John and part-owners Don and Adele Simmons, who outlaid $20,000 to purchase the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding three years ago.
Bracken Sky, the $1.50 favourite in Friday night’s race, set the pace for reinsman Shannon Suvaljko, who took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier by driving the gelding to an all-the-way win over $11 chance Ideal Charm, who trailed the leader throughout and finished solidly along the inside.
This took Bracken Sky’s earnings for his new owners to $188,851 from nine wins and 23 placings from 97 WA starts --- an excellent return for a $20,000 bargain. Bracken Sky now boasts an overall record of 142 starts for 19 wins, 37 placings and stakes of $259,580.
“We first became interested in buying Bracken Sky after he had won a semi-final of a group 3 feature event for three-year-olds at Bathurst in July 2018,” said Mrs Padberg. “We told trainer-reinsman Blake Fitzpatrick to let us know if and when Bracken Sky was on the market. When the horse was about to be advertised for sale, we snapped him up for $20,000.”
Bracken Sky had to be driven out by Suvaljko to win on Friday night, with Mrs Padberg explaining “he was a bit flat tonight, and I’m going to give him a week off in the paddock before bringing him back in about three weeks.
“A week earlier he went forward from barrier seven in a 2536m event but was unable to get to the front and then was dragged back. I think that, combined with the wet weather, had taken a bit out of him.
“He has always been a sound horse, with perfect legs and just a joy to train. We’ve had offers from America, but we don’t want to sell him. He’s our pet.”
Plutonium has come back better
Plutonium’s future was in the balance when he damaged his nearside fore tendon when he finished strongly to win from Alta Engen at Gloucester Park in July 2021.
But he has made a wonderful recovery and has scored decisive wins at his first two starts after resuming after a 13-month absence.
“It looks as though he has come back better,” said trainer Michael Young. “If you told me six months ago when I got him out of the paddock that he was going to come back and win two metro-class races straight away --- after it took me about ten starts in his previous preparation to get a win, I would have said you’re dreaming.”
Plutonium, a first-up fast-finishing winner last Friday week, was the $1.10 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Now Book It Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Gary Hall jnr guided him to an easy all-the-way victory over $31 chance Rockaball, rating 1.56.5.
Rockaball, appearing first-up after a spell, raced in eighth position in the one-wide line before Micheal Ferguson set him alight in the back straight in the final circuit to challenge Plutonium 350m from home. Plutonium withstood the spirited challenge and surged away to beat Rockaball by just under two lengths.
Plutonium, a New Zealand-bred gelding by Auckland Reactor, has now earned $82,370 from ten wins and seven placings from 34 starts.
“He is still lowly assessed, so we will just keep rolling him through in these lower-class races,” said Young. “He’s coming back off that injury, so who knows how long he will stand up.”
Gee Smith succeeds in a mobile
Victorian-bred pacer Gee Smith, regarded in Western Australia as a standing-start specialist, showed his ability as a mobile performer when he gave a spirited performance to win the Emily And Elise Stampalia Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“We haven’t had a lot of luck in recent stands, and his form had dropped off a little bit, so we thought we would try the mobile,” said trainer Matt Scott, who races the five-year-old Sportswriter gelding in partnership with Tony Maguire.
“It was a good drive by Shannon Suvaljko,” said Scott. “He drove him positively --- and got the money. He was dropping in class, and he was probably going to finish midfield in the San Simeon Classic a week earlier. But broken gear knocked him out of the race.”
Gee Smith was a $4.80 chance from the No. 5 barrier. He raced three wide for the first 500m and then in the breeze before Sameplace Sametime dashed forward in an unsuccessful challenge for the lead after a lap, thus giving Gee Smith an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Suvaljko sent Gee Smith forward, with a three-wide burst at the bell, and the gelding sustained a strong effort to get to the front about 50m from the post to win by a half-length from $17 chance Texas Tara, who finished powerfully from the rear at the bell.
Maguire bought Gee Smith for $10,000 about 15 months ago after the gelding had won at four of his 23 Victorian starts, all in mobiles. Gee Smith’s win on Friday night took his WA record to 35 starts for seven wins, 16 placings and stakes of $76,136 to improve his career record to 58 starts for 11 wins, 19 placings and $99,050 in prizemoney.
Friday night’s win was some compensation for Maguire, who purchased a three-year-old thoroughbred filly about a fortnight ago, only to lose her last Thursday when an operation to an eye resulted in her death.
Gee Smith, a four-time winner and a 16-time placegetter in stands in WA, is out of Our Burning Desire, a mare who earned $81,250 from 13 wins, 11 seconds and one third from 50 starts.
Suvaljko puts the pressure on
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko had a plan to beat Dominus Factum in the 2130m Magnificent Storm Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and it succeeded.
She was driving the polemarker and $1.60 favourite Angel In White, and her aggression paid dividends when she applied considerable pressure to the frontrunning Dominus Factum.
Dominus Factum, the $2.30 second fancy, began fast from barrier four in the field of five and burst straight past Angel In White as he forged to the front.
Instead of enjoying the trail behind Dominus Factum Suvaljko immediately eased Angel In White off the pegs to race in the breeze on the outside of the pacemaker. Suvaljko kept the pressure on the leader, and after middle quarters of the final mile in 29sec. and 27.9sec., Dominus Factum began to wilt, and Angel In White shot to the front 300m from home and the mare dashed over the final 400m in 28.6sec. to win by four lengths from $21 chance Whatabro, rating 1.56.7. Dominus Factum faded to finish fourth.
Angel In White’s owner-trainer Shane Tognolini discussed tactics with Suvaljko, who said: “In Shane’s words, he’s sick and tired of people going 32sec. quarters. And he said that if Angel In White was crossed at the start, he wanted me to just go outside that horse and pull the whip.
“I didn’t quite do that. But I knew that there was no point in just sitting there (behind the leader), so I decided to come off and into the breeze because Angel In White is a better roller who will run all day.
“I considered that she had been recording better times than Dominus Factum. Angel In White went 1.55.9 two starts ago when she raced in the breeze and finished second to Eighteen Carat. She is a quality mare, and I didn’t want the leader to go too slow. I knew that I had the fittest horse in the race. She backs up week after week, and does it tough, and still brings her best the following week.”
Angel In White, an eight-year-old New Zealand-bred mare by American sire Santanna Blue Chip, is enjoying her best season, with her 30 starts this year producing seven wins, eight seconds and three thirds.
Suvaljko continued her winning ways, scoring with Batavia Streamline ($9) at Narrogin on Saturday night and Mary Joe ($2.15) at Kellerberrin on Sunday.
Advantage looks a Golden Slipper hope
Two-year-old pacer Advantage arrived in Western Australia five weeks ago, and he made a wonderful debut when he scored an impressive victory in the $20,250 Ora Foods Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The gelding, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was handled in fine style by Ryan Warwick, who was content to drive him conservatively from barrier two and relax behind the pacemaker Wanea before easing him off the pegs 500m from home.
Advantage, the $1.50 favourite, then took a narrow lead at the 300m before surging away in the final stages to win by 5m from $11 chance Your Grace, who ran on from fifth at the bell. The final 400m sections were covered in 28.8sec. and 29.6sec. and the winner rated 1.57.3.
Warwick said that he hoped that Advantage would improve with racing and become a candidate for the $150,000 Golden Slipper on September 30.
Advantage is by the American sire Hes Watching and is the ninth foal out of the New Zealand-bred Holmes Hanover mare Pascale Bromac, who earned $96,193 from six wins and nine placings from 44 starts.
Pascale Bromac won a group 2 2000m Nevele R Stakes for two-year-old fillies in March 2003 before finishing third in a group 1 feature event at Alexandra Park two months later. Then, as a three-year-old she finished second in the Great Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park in December 2003.
Eight in a row for Wonderful To Fly
Exciting filly Wonderful To Fly continued her meteoric rise to fame and notched her eighth successive victory when she outclassed her rivals in the $20,250 Dulux Accredited Painters Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She was always in control of the race,” said part owner and trainer-reinsman Shane Young, who added that she was on target to contest the $30,000 Country Oaks at Bunbury on Wednesday week.
Wonderful To Fly, the $1.20 favourite from barrier five, burst straight to the front and was not extended in coasting to victory, beating the $4.80 second fancy Im Themightylucy by a length and a half, rating 1.57.6 over the 2130m journey.
After a modest lead time of 37.7sec. and opening quarters of 32sec. and 30.3sec., Wonderful To Fly simply flew over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.2sec.
“Her gate speed was really good,” said Young. “She is an exceptionally good filly who has all the strings to her bow. Apart from her gate speed she has strength and good manners. She can do what the other fillies can’t.
“After the Country Oaks I might give her another run before she starts in the $100,000 Westbred Classic on September 9.”
Then Wonderful To Fly would be set for the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic on September 23 and the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 14.
Wonderful To Fly now has amassed $333,783 in prizemoney from 19 wins and six placings from 29 starts. She is certainly proving to be the best pacer trained by Young, exceeding the performances of Rosies Ideal and Roadless Travelled.
Rosies Ideal won three in a row twice during her 49-start career of 14 wins, ten placings and stakes of $234,274 and Roadless Travelled won four in a row once and three in a row twice during his 94-start career of 22 wins, 26 placings and $183,666 in stakes.
