Chicago Bull aimed at Brennan Memorial
Champion pacer Chicago Bull earned a few weeks on the easy list after he notched his sixth win in a row when he defeated the fast-finishing Bletchley Park in the August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall snr, who is setting the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old for the rich Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup at the end of the year, said that the little gelding would reappear in the $50,000 group 2 James Brennan Memorial on September 11.
Chicago Bull, who won the Brennan Memorial in 2017, was the $1.04 favourite on Friday night when he set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and was never in any danger of defeat before holding on to beat $17 second fancy Bletchley Park by a half-length. Bletchley Park had enjoyed the perfect trail behind Chicago Bull throughout the 2130m event.
“Junior (reinsman Gary Hall jnr) was a little bit disappointed with Chicago Bull,” said Hall snr. “But he pulled hard in front and I wasn’t disappointed with his run. Bully shuts off a bit and he never wins by a big margin.
“I haven’t done much with him recently, so he was probably a bit fresh. We don’t want to give him a long time off because it is too hard to get him back. It took a long time to get him back this time.”
Chicago Bull now has earned $1,898,531 from 54 wins, 13 seconds and nine thirds from 82 starts.
Blockjorg for South-West Derby
Talented filly Blockjorg will seek her third feature race victory when she runs in the $10,000 South-West Derby at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park next Sunday.
The winner of the group 2 Diamond Classic when she beat Double Expresso at Gloucester Park in May this year and successful in the Dainty’s Daughter Classic at Pinjarra in July, Blockjorg maintained her splendid form when Jocelyn Young brought her home with a well-timed burst from sixth at the bell to beat Star In Art by a neck in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Blockjorg was the $2.80 favourite and Young bided her time while $5.50 second fancy Rockin The Trend overraced fiercely in front and careered along seven and eight lengths ahead of her nearest rival Star In Art.
Blockjorg, who started from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, enjoyed a perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position, and after the fast lead time of 35.9sec. and opening quarters of 29.6sec. and 28sec., she needed to run the final 400m section in a modest 31.3sec. She rated a smart 1.56.6.
Vasse trainer Colin Reeves said that his main task in the next few days would be to select a driver for Blockjorg in next Sunday’s South-West Derby because Young was due to be in Exmouth on holidays.
The 68-year-old Reeves, who described Blockjorg as a really nice horse, has enjoyed great success in the past 40 years in the Country, South-West, Great Southern and North Eastern Derbies. “As a trainer and driver I have won these Derbies about 13 or 14 times,” he said.
Memorable among those successes include the Country Derby at Gloucester Park with Lindas Only in March 2007 and the South West Derby at Harvey and the Country Derby at Bunbury with Extreme Dreams in 2013.
Blockjorg’s victory on Friday night came as a welcome tonic for Reeves, who is making an excellent recovery from a second hip replacement. His wife Susan has filled in admirably as a substitute trainer since Reeves has undergone surgery on his hip.
Reeves, a former Denmark butcher, has enjoyed good success in the past year or two with Catastrophic Event, Gold Horseshoe and Blockjorg. He is also well known as the trainer of big striking chestnut pacer Shoab, who raced 183 times for 23 wins, 59 placings and $210,610 in prizemoney.
Shoab was raced by Laurie O’Neill, whose Clarina Racing Syndicate bred and owns Blockjorg, a filly by American stallion Hes Watching out of the Legacy of Power mare Toobee Three, who managed just two placings from 14 starts.
“Toobee Three’s career was cut short when she had the misfortune to crack a bone in a front leg,” said Reeves.
Blockjorg is named after O’Neill used the initials of his children and other members of his extended families to come up with the unusual name.
My Prayer exceeds expectations
Busselton owner-trainer Barry Howlett outlaid $7000 to purchase My Prayer as a yearling because the filly was a half-sister to Lovers Prayer, who won several races for him after he had bought her as a yearling, also for $7000.
Howlett certainly has no regrets that he bought My Prayer, who boosted her earnings to $116,242 when she won the group 3 WASBA Pace for four and five-year-old mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night. This took her record to 36 starts for six wins and 14 placings.
“My Prayer won the Country Oaks in Bunbury last season and she has exceeded our expectations,” said Howlett. “She was bred by Mike Hackett and is out of Mystery Oro, a mare out of Orogenic, who produced eight winners for breeder Cass Haese.”
Champion horseman Chris Lewis opted to drive the Ross Olivieri-trained Queen Shenandoah in Friday night’s event in preference to My Prayer --- and Howlett had no second thoughts about asking Colin Brown to handle My Prayer for the first time.
Brown enjoyed the challenge and he had My Prayer (fourth fancy at $7.90) in a position to strike throughout when she trailed the pacemaker Starlight Destiny ($6), with Queen Shenandoah, the $2.45 favourite, in the one-out, one-back position.
Brown eased My Prayer off the pegs 220m from home and the four-year-old finished determinedly to get up in the final couple of strides to defeat Starlight Destiny by a head, with $81 outsider Nowuseemesmile in third place, just ahead of Queen Shenandoah.
“Over the years, whenever Chris (Lewis) jumped off one of our horses I’d put Colin on --- and I don’t know how many races he’s won for us,” said Howlett. “More often than not, Colin would make the most of the opportunity and win for us.”
In important stable news, Howlett revealed that former superstar juvenile Jack Mac is back in work.
“He’s been in work for two weeks, jogging along slowly,” said Howlett. Jack Mac has not raced since he fractured a pedal bone in a race (a Golden Nugget prelude which he won at Gloucester Park in December 2018). It was a terrible break but has healed.”
Burning Rubber paying his way
Brett Smith, a father of three, is a busy man. He works full-time in his commercial air-conditioning and electrical business and enjoys preparing his team of five pacers.
He made a wise decision early this year to spend $10,000 and buy six-year-old Burning Rubber, who gave a strong frontrunning performance to win the Worldwide Printing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Burning Rubber, second favourite at $3.70, made the most of the prized No. 1 barrier, and after a smart lead time of 36.2sec. when he held out a challenge from $10 chance Jack William, he was able to relax with opening quarters of the final mile in 31.9sec. and 29.9sec. before covering the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 28.7sec.
He went on to beat Rocknroll Whitby ($17) and Jack William, rating 1.57.4 over the 2130m journey.
“I was looking for a horse early this year and saw that Robin Zec was advertising Burning Rubber for sale,” he said. “I think that Robin was planning an extended overseas holiday and I was able to buy Burning Rubber for $10,000,” said the 41-year-old Smith.
Burning Rubber, a winner of three races in New Zealand and another three in New South Wales, also won three times for Zec and now has had 23 starts for Middle Swan trainer Smith for three wins and two seconds for stakes of $26,257.
Burning Rubber is raced by Smith, his mother Jenny and a friend Alan Lawler. “This win gave Alan, who has a plumbing business, his first city winner,” said Smith.
“I was confident of winning. He won three starts ago, beating The Dali Express, and then he was hopelessly blocked for a run when unplaced at his next two starts.”
Bold tactics succeed for Lewis
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis was rewarded for his bold tactical initiative by driving $1.40 favourite Stroke of Luck to victory in the 2130m Catalano Truck And Equipment Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Stroke of Luck started from the No. 1 barrier but was unable to hold out noted speedy beginner Thereugo, who was sent to the front by Lindsay Harper after 100 metres.
Lewis immediately gave up the ideal trail behind the pacemaker and took Stroke of Luck into the breeze outside Thereugo.
Stroke of Luck got his head in front approaching the bell and maintained that advantage until he extended his lead to three-quarters of a length 250m from homer. He went on to win by a neck from $31 chance Destined To Rule, who finished boldly from sixth at the bell. Thereugo wilted to finish seventh.
“I told Chris not to sit behind Thereugo,” said Olivieri. “I said that if Stroke of Luck sat behind Thereugo he probably wouldn’t have got out or ever see daylight.”
Seven-year-old Stroke of Luck was performed strongly since arriving from Victoria just over two months ago, with his five Gloucester Park starts producing two wins and two second placings.
Wildwest triumphs despite hanging
Inexperienced but richly talented four-year-old Wildwest made a triumphant return to racing after an absence of eight and a half months when Gary Hall jnr drove him to an exciting victory over Kiwi Bloke in the Specialised Equipment Funding Solutions Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory as the easing $2.10 favourite, was greeted with quite some relief from trainer Gary Hall snr and reinsman Gary Hall jnr.
“Wildwest has untapped potential and could be anything if he could learn to go around the track,” said Hall snr. “That’s what I’ve got to work on, to get him to straighten up. Then he’d be a really good horse.
“Early, when he was in the running line, he went straight. But when the pace went on and when Gary pulled him out, he nearly ducked in. Gary and the horse did a good job to win. Now, I’ve got to go back to the drawing board in a bid to prevent him from hanging.”
Wildwest began from the 30m mark in the stand and was not bustled and driven conservatively in the early stages after settling down in last position in the field of eight, about 60m from the pacemaker and $3.40 chance Kiwi Bloke.
He sustained a spirited three-wide burst from last at the 600m to get to the front about 20m from the post and win by a neck from the pacemaker Kiwi Bloke, with a final 800m (off the front) in 56.7sec.
Wildwest, a winner in a stand at his only start in New Zealand, has had ten starts in WA for eight wins.
Madame Meilland ends lean spell
Six-year-old mare Madame Meilland broke a frustrating losing sequence of 32 and ended a 23-month drought when she was a $2.80 favourite and scored an effortless victory in the 2130m Intersport Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven perfectly by Mitch Miller, Madame Meilland, from the No. 2 barrier, took the lead 250m after the start and relished her pacemaking role to win by three and a half lengths from Happy As, rating 1.57.5 after dashing over the final three quarters in 28.8sec., 28.3sec. and 27.7sec.
“She has been out of form, but wasn’t going as bad as her forms showed,” said trainer Ross Olivieri. “She has broken through and now I expect her to be on the improve.”
Madame Meilland, who had managed three placings from her previous 23 starts, enjoyed her previous victory when Miller drove her to an all-the-way success over 2130m at Gloucester Park on September 4, 2018.
A winner of three races in Victoria, Madame Meilland has won nine times in WA, with Miller in the sulky for six of those wins. By McArdle, she is out of The Peace Rose, who earned $79,920 from nine wins (seven in New Zealand and two at Menangle in late 2011) and 19 placings.
Fake News upsets favourite
Champion trainer Gary Hall snr prepared New Zealand-bred mare Is She Talking for 11 wins (nine at Gloucester Park) and eight placings for stakes of $81,615 in 2013 and 2014, and now takes great pride in the performances of that mare’s second foal Fake News.
“Fake News has been outstanding,” said Hall. “We bred her and raised her on our property, and she’s won about $170,000. I reckon she is one of the better mares in the State.”
Fake News, third favourite at $4.40, caused a minor upset at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she won the 2130m Allwood Stud Farm Pace from the $2.65 favourite While They Pray.
Driven astutely by Stuart McDonald, Fake News was first out from the No. 1 barrier and led for the first 500m before surrendering the lead to While They Pray, who gave his rivals something to chase when he sped over the final quarters in27.4sec. and 27.5sec.
However, While They Pray was unable to hold the fast-finishing Fake News at bay and was relegated to second place, a half-length behind the mare, who rated 1.55 and improved her record to 37 starts for 13 wins, six seconds and one third for $164,113 in stakes. McDonald continued his strong association with Fake News, having now driven her ten times for five victories.
Patronus Star unbeaten in WA
Talented New Zealand-bred three-year-old Patronus Star gave further proof that he will be hard to beat in the rich classic events for four-year-olds early next year when he scored a comfortable victory in the 2130m Etch Coatings Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The American Ideal gelding, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, remains unbeaten in six starts in Western Australia after his seven New Zealand appearances netted him two wins and three placings.
Patronus Star, favourite at $1.05, raced without cover before leading reinsman Ryan Warwick sent him to the front after 500m. After leisurely opening quarters of the final mile in 30sec. and 342sec., Patronus Star dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 27.3sec. and beat Bracken Sky by a neck, with Gee Jay Kay three lengths farther back in third place. The winner rated a modest 1.58.5.
The win completed a double for the powerful Warwick and Bond combination which started the program with Captain Kirk ($2.75) winning the Westside Auto Wholesale Pace by a length from $6.50 chance Major Shard, who surged home from eighth at the bell.
Captain Kirk enjoyed the one-out and one-back trail before finishing strongly to hit the front 90m from the post. The Mach Three five-year-old, a winner at two of his 27 starts in New Zealand, now has raced 19 times in WA for seven wins and six placings. His dam Gail Devers raced only 19 times for ten wins, two seconds and $77,854 in stakes.
