Gloucester Park Review 25th September 2020

29 September 2020 | Ken Casellas
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Shockwave set for Stratton Cup

Rising superstar Shockwave relishes racing and his trainer Ryan Bell plans to run him in the $50,000 Stratton Cup next Friday night when he is likely to clash with champion millionaire pacer Chicago Bull.

Bell was delighted with Shockwave’s effortless victory in the Media Guild Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the four-year-old led throughout and sped over the final 800m in 54.7sec. to beat Chiaroscuro by two and a half lengths at a 1.55.8 rate over the 2536m journey.

“It’s a bit freakish, the times he can run, and the scary part is that he is better racing from behind (with a sit),” said Bell.

Star reinsman Aiden de Campo sent Shockwave, the $1.04 favourite, straight to the front from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night and the handsome stallion relaxed and gave his rivals little chance of challenging him by setting a fast pace.

“Aiden said Shockwave got a bit keen, but he was able to control the horse who is still a little bit fresh (at his second appearance after a spell),” said Bell. “He began to pull when Bletchley Park moved to his outside in the last lap. He is really competitive.

“He’s a full seasoned horse now and I’ve got to get up him because he’s getting around like King Kong. I was a little worried going into tonight’s race because I’ve been a bit too easy on him. I might have to keep racing him (week by week) to get that sting out of him a bit.”

The much anticipated first clash between Shockwave and Mighty Conqueror, winner of the WA Pacing Cup last January, failed to eventuate, with Mighty Conqueror withdrawn, suffering from soreness in his off foreleg.

Shockwave, raced by Kevin Jeavons, his son Kyle and Howard King, now has had 39 starts for 16 wins, 12 placings and $423,480 in prizemoney. For Kevin Jeavons, this was his second win in a Media Guild Cup. He was a part-owner of Washakie, who led and won the event in 2008, easily beating the fast-finishing Franco Amon.

Soho Hamilton shows his class

Up-and-coming three-year-old Soho Hamilton gave a sample of his undoubted class when he gave a bold frontrunning performance to win the $30,000 group 3 The Warwick Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Starting favourite at $3.40, Soho Hamilton began speedily from the No. 4 barrier and quickly dashed to the front. He sprinted over the final two 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.5sec. and beat the strong-finishing $71 outsider Radiant Amber by a half-length at a 1.55.6 rate.

“$30,000 races don’t come along every day, and he’s done a good job against older and more experienced rivals,” said trainer-reinsman Kim Prentice. “This was the first time we’ve asked him to come out of the gate, and he showed really good gate speed.

“I was very happy with that. But he could have settled a bit better; he still wanted to hang and was a bit too keen in front. At the 400m I couldn’t hold him slow enough, but when I did say go, he just got to the line. But, in saying that, he ran the fastest time of the night.

“Hopefully, he will be able to improve on tonight’s run. Getting to the fence is ideal for him and he was a lot more tractable than he was last week (when second to Henrik Larsson).”

“There is little doubt that Soho Hamilton is still learning about racing. He has had only 14 starts for six wins, three placings and $89,393 in stakes.

Lavra Joe resumes in grand style

Powerful colt Lavra Joe, reappearing after a ten-week absence, caused an upset when he stormed home at remarkable odds of $23 to beat the $1.36 favourite Give Us A Wave, who had set a dawdling pace before sprinting home with final quarters of 28.3sec. and 27.1sec.

Punters surprisingly overlooked Lavra Joe in the field of five, despite his splendid form earlier in the season when he raced 15 times for six wins and four placings.

From the No. 3 barrier, champion reinsman Chris Lewis was content to settle Lavra Joe in third position in the Indian file affair before moving to the one-out, one-back position approaching the bell.

Lewis switched Lavra Joe three wide at the 250m mark and the colt responded grandly with a three-wide burst which saw him burst to the front 60m from the post on his way to a 4m victory at a modest 2.1.9, which was inevitable after the very slow lead time of 40.8sec. and leisurely opening quarters of the final mile of 33.1sec. and 32sec.

“He travelled nicely,” said Lewis. “He’s got a bit of point-to-point speed. Earlier in the season he was either leading or breezing. Tonight, he sat off the pace and was able to sprint home. And that showed that he has gained a bit of versatility, which is a good thing.”

Part-owner and trainer Ray Jones said that earlier in his brief career Lavra Joe would fire up in his races and was inclined to run too hard. “He’s a smart horse and if you teach him something he learns quickly,” he said. “I gave him the task of taking a sit before running home strongly in two recent trials. Normally, I don’t hopple my horses. The only time they are hoppled is when they go not the races.”

Lewis explained that he did not ask Lavra Joe for a special effort early in the race, saying: “With the slow first quarter of 33sec. I didn’t put him right up on the horse in front of him. I just kept him back a little bit, and he relaxed.”

Dredlock Rockstar ends losing run of 44

Veteran pacer Dredlock Rockstar ended a two-and-a-half year drought and broke a losing sequence of 44 when Capel trainer Ash Markham drove him to a decisive all-the-way victory in the 2130m The Friendly Eric Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This was the 11-year-old’s first success since he won a 2258m event at Albany on March 9, 2018.  

“He has been a good horse over time, but two and a half years is a long time between drinks,” said Markham who went into the race brimming with confidence.

“It wasn’t because we had drawn the No. 1 barrier. I don’t think it would have mattered what number came out. I think he is back to as good as he has been since I’ve had him. He got a nice lead time (38.2sec.)  and the middle section (31.5sec.) really helped.”

Markham pointed out that much earlier in his career Dredlock Rockstar was a very smart performer who raced extremely competitively against top-flight pacers of the calibre of Im Victorious, Bettors Fire, Sensational Gabby, Tricky Styyx and Cyamach.

He led and won the Parliamentarians Cup in November 2014, a month after he had finished second to Sensational Gabby in the Mount Eden Sprint and third to that brilliant mare in the Stratton Cup. Early in 2016 he finished second to Chief Thundercloud in the Governor’s Cup and third to Tricky Styx in the Pinjarra Cup.

Dredlock Rockstar was bred, owned and trained by Jamie Howlett before Markham purchased him on behalf of his father Phil and a few friends in October 2016. The Northern Luck gelding has raced 158 times for 21 wins, 45 placings and stakes of $261,251. For Markham, Dredlock Rockstar has earned $89,085 from six wins and 16 placings from 82 starts for earnings of $89,085.

Jimmy Mack is getting tougher

New Zealand-bred eight-year-old Jimmy Mack is his own worst enemy, according to his trainer Ross Olivieri, and that’s the reason when he has had only 40 starts.

And at Gloucester Park on Friday night Jimmy Mack revealed admirable fighting qualities when he scored an impressive victory over the fast-finishing Rock Me Over and the pacemaker Thereugo in the 2130m Community TAB Pace  

“He is a pretty nice horse, but he’s been his own worst enemy,” said Olivieri. “He has had a series of injuries; they’re not career threatening. When we got him, he kicked in the stalls and damaged bones in his feet. So, we switched to training him out of the paddock.

“This the first time he has not run last after racing in the breeze. Last week was the first time he was used early and was still there at the finish (when third behind Eloquent Mach). I have always felt that he is more of a speed horse than a strength horse.

“But I’ve got to say that in his past two runs he has shown admirable strength. Maybe, he is going to fulfil our initial predictions.”

Jimmy Mack is injury free and he is certainly capable of improving on his record of 40 starts for 14 wins and 17 placings for earnings of $123,203. He won at five of his ten starts in New Zealand and has raced 30 times in Western Australia for nine wins and 13 placings.

Always An Honour exceeds expectations

New Zealand-bred pacer Always An Honour made a triumphant return to racing after a spell when he produced a sparkling late burst to win the 2130m www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He came a long way in his previous preparation from racing from tough marks in stands at Bunbury to end up graduating to Free-For-All company,” said part-owner and trainer Justin Prentice.

“He did a lot better than we expected. He has always had ability, but he is a typical Art Major, a funny horse who is not overly brave. However, he seems to be getting stronger and stronger with every preparation. He’s super fast.”

Always An Honour, a winner of six stands, was ideally drawn at barrier No. 2 on Friday night and champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr did not bustle him early, preferring to let him race three back on the pegs in the small field of five runners, with Roman Aviator setting the pace

Patrickthepiranha, the $2.40 favourite, began speedily and got a half-length in front of the polemarker Roman Aviator but was unable to get to the front. Roman Aviator dawdled through the opening quarter of the final mile in 32.5sec. and after a second quarter in 30.2sec. Colin Brown eased Patrickthepiranha off the pegs and into the breeze at the bell.

Ryan Warwick then angled El Jacko ($2.45) into the one-out and one-back position. Patrickthepiranha took the lead 220m from home but was unable to stave off the fast-finishing Always An Honour, who went three wide on the home turn and burst to the front 40m from the post.

Despite his impressive record, Always An Honour was tremendous value at $14.50 on the tote and at $16 on the fixed market. He has raced 29 times (all in WA) for 13 wins, six placings and $112,194. He is a full-brother to nine-year-old Alleluia, who is still racing competitively in Queensland. Alleluia, who finished second to the brilliant Bling It On in the group 1 Queensland Derby in July 2014, has amassed $585,836 in prizemoney from 35 wins and 64 placings from 194 starts.

The win completed a double for Hall, who had driven a perfect race to land $2.70 favourite Mister Bushido a narrow winner in the Lugarno Gumby Punters Club Pace. Mister Bushido started from barrier two on the back line and Hall had the seven-year-old perfectly placed in the one-out, ne-back position immediately after the start. 

Jilliby Jake set the pace, with Jack William ($3.60) in the breeze. Emily Suvaljko sent Jack William top the front 380m from, home, but the gelding found Mister Bushido too strong in the closing stages.

Rakasinc shows fighting qualities

Speedy five-year-old gelding Rakasinc appeared destined to lower his colours to My Carbon Copy in the 2536m Mondo Doro Italian Fireworks Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the $2.05 favourite dashed past him 270m from home.

But Rakasinc ($4.70) revealed excellent fighting qualities to come back determinedly and regain the lead in the home straight before winning by a neck.

“He’s the type of horse who keeps on kicking when another horse comes outside of him,” said talented young driver Emily Suvaljko.

“I wasn’t quite sure whether Rakasinc would win once he was overtaken. But it is an advantage being on the pegs late and I knew he would keep on fighting.”

After a modest opening quarter of the final mile in 32.3sec. Rakasinc made life tough for the opposition by dashing over the next three quarters in 28.7sec., 27.8sec. and 28.6sec. He rated 1.57.4.

This was the Nathan Turvey-trained Rakasinc’s ninth win from 22 starts which has improved his career record to49 starts for 12 wins, 13 placings and $81,666.

J B Mauney likes stands

New Zealand-bred four-year-old J B Mauney is relishing contesting standing-start events and he caused a minor upset when Deni Roberts brought him home with a spirited late burst to get up beat stablemate and $2.40 favourite The Buckeye Bullet in the 2503m Beau Rivage Restaurant Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

J B Mauney, a $6.60 chance, was shuffled back to eighth in the field of nine and he was last at the 700m mark, with Roberts latching on to Im Rocknroll Magic’s three-wide burst. The Buckeye Bullet Ryan Warwick, who had moved The Buckeye Bullet, a 20m backmarker, to the breeze outside the pacemaker Kiwi Bloke 900m after the start, took the lead 550m from home. However, he was unable to withstand J B Mauney’s powerful finishing burst.

J B Mauney, by American Ideal, has inherited much of the ability of her dam, the New York Motoring mare Shortys Girl, who had 32 starts for 11 wins, eight placings and $223,276. J B Mauney, a winner at two of his six New Zealand starts, now has raced 12 times in WA for six wins and one second placing.

Talkerup salutes at $30

Tough seven-year-old New Zealand-bred mare Talkerup ended a losing sequence of 13 when she enjoyed her favourite role as pacemaker in the 2130m TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Talkerup, prepared by veteran horseman Tony Svilicich, was driven confidently by Emily Suvaljko, who made full use of her sparkling early speed to dash to the front from the No. 6 barrier soon after the start. 

Talkerup, a $30 outsider, kept the $1.32 favourite Our Alfie Romeo at bay after the Greg and Skye Bond-trained mare began speedily from the outside barrier (No. 8). Our Alfie Romeo then raced without cover and moved to be on terms with Talkerup 250m from home. But Our Alfie Romeo wilted and dropped back to finish sixth.

Queen Shenandoah and Miss Sangrial finished with powerful runs out wide to fill the minor placings. The winner dashed over the final 800m in 56.2sec. and rated 1.56.3.

Warwick’s run continues

Byford trainer Katja Warwick continued her recent run of successes with West Australian-bred fillies when Shannon Suvaljko drove Red Hot Lady to a convincing victory in the NYE At Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester park on Friday night.

Three-year-old Red Hot Lady, favourite at $1.70, began fast from the No. 5 barrier and relished her role as pacemaker before winning at a 1.57.7 rate from the fast-finishing second fancy Broadbeach ($3) and Star In Art, who led in the early stages before enjoying an ideal passage behind the leader.

 Red Hot Lady, raced by the Pacing WA syndicate, boosted her earnings to $52,000 from her seven wins and 13 placings from 33 starts. Her stablemate Askmeilltella maintained her sound form with a fighting fourth after working hard in the breeze.

 

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