Miller’s joy brightens wintry night
The sheer joy of veteran Warawrup owner-trainer Daryl Miller brightened a miserable, wet and windswept Gloucester Park on Friday night as he celebrated his first metropolitan-class success in 45 years as a trainer.
The 64-year-old Miller, a salt of the earth country character, was delighted when his 27-year-old son Mitch brought $37.70 outsider Imahero home with a spirited burst to snatch a neck victory over $23 chance Valhalla Angel in the $25,000 Etch Coatings Western Crown listed classic for two-year-old fillies.
Daryl Miller admitted that over the years he had rarely had a pacer good enough to race at Gloucester Park, but such is his love of harness racing that he has never lost his enthusiasm for the sport.
His fervour, passion, undying optimism and remarkable perseverance is revealed in that he simply refused to discard any of his horses, who did the bulk of their racing on far-flung country tracks throughout the state.
Just an example of his faith and his disposition to hope for the best is aptly illustrated in the following statistical record of some of his pacers --- Fair Ozzi (124 starts for no wins and 12 placings), Swift Rajah (129 starts for two wins), Lifes White Star (98 starts for two wins), Cyclone North (88 starts for three wins), Cherokee Chance (72 starts for three wins), Homebush Hero (184 starts for four wins), Gateway Express (86 starts for four wins) and Liaurie (151 starts for five wins).
Even now, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Miller, who was setting Imahero for the $50,000 group 2 APG Gold Bullion in April but had to abandon his plans when Imahero was kicked in the face by another two-year-old, leaving a gaping hole in the side of her jaw.
The Gold Bullion event attracted two runners in the qualifying heat, with Flametree leading and winning easily from Dream Control. The result of the two-horse final was the same. Third prizemoney of $3500 in the final went begging.
“Imahero is a nice horse, but I’ve had a lot of trouble with her, with problems about her getting around the Gloucester Park track,” said Miller. “Before tonight I had started her three times here, and she has broken up every time. The idea tonight was to sit back (on the pegs) and follow a helmet.”
Mitch Miller followed these instructions perfectly as he kept Imahero in fifth position, three back on the pegs, while his brother Dean set the pace with $8 chance Ekara Navajo.
The $1.50 favourite Between Two Thorns began from the outside in the field of seven, and she raced roughly out three wide early before Aiden de Campo sent her forward to race in the breeze 1050m from home.
Between Two Thorns dashed to the front with 220m to travel and looked certain to win. But she raced greenly, hung out and went roughly approaching the home turn. She lost ground and Callan Suvaljko sent Valhalla Angel to the front. Mitch Miller eased Imahero off the inside and took her three wide before she finished solidly to overhaul Valhalla Angel in the final few strides.
Mitch Miller, who was driving Imahero for the first time, said that the filly had shown glimpses of her ability but had failed to do things right in her races.
The filly’s break-through victory at tote odds of $37.70 at her eighth race start completed a purple eight-day patch for her reinsman, Long-shot Miller, who was successful at Gloucester Park the previous Friday with $39 outsider Vivere Damore before winning with $19 chance Call To Arms at Pinjarra on Monday and $61 rank outsider Go Widgie at Bunbury on Tuesday.
Daryl Miller extended the family budget when he outlaid $20,000 to buy Imahero at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale. The filly now has earned $19,828 and is being set for upcoming feature events for two-year-olds, including the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 19.
Imahero is by American stallion Hes Watching and is the fifth foal out of the Live Or Die mare I Am Special, who earned $74,744 from six wins and 11 placings from 46 starts, with the highlight of her career being her victory over Ruby Dazzler in the group 3 WASBA Breeders Stakes at Gloucester Park in May 2009.
“I picked her out at the sale mainly because I liked the way she looked, the way I Am Special raced and the form of her first two foals Dior Mia More (ten wins) and Girlfromdandalup (four wins),” said Daryl Miller.
Ezana bred to be a star
Highly-promising New Zealand-bred pacer Ezana enhanced his reputation and showed that he would be a leading contender for the rich classics for four-year-olds in the summer when he scored a superb victory in the $30,000 group 3 Simmonds Steel Im Themightyquinn Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Bettors Delight gelding is bred to be a star. He is the first foal out of handy mare Hartofdixie, who won at six of her 25 starts for stakes of $50,299. Ezana has inherited much of the ability of Hartofdixie’s half-sister Our Splendour, the dam of rising WA superstar pacer Magnificent Storm and his full-brother Stamford, a talented four-year-old who finished powerfully from last in the middle stages to be an eye-catching fourth behind Ezana on Friday night.
Ezana, the $5 second favourite, was driven with extreme confidence by Emily Suvaljko, who settled the gelding down in ninth position in the one-wide line while Iamthefirecracker ($5.50) was setting the pace from Socrates ($6) in the breeze and the $4.20 favourite Markham Eye trailing the pacemaker.
Socrates led by a half-length, out four wide, in the early stages. But he was unable to cross to the front, with the fast lead time of 35.8sec.
Suvaljko sent Ezana forward, three wide, to be sixth at the bell, and soon after that the gelding surged into second place, outside Socrates, who had forged to the front 650m from home. Ezana finally burst to the front half way down in the home straight and drew away to win by two lengths from $21 chance Moonlite Drive, who followed Ezana over the final 1000m. Socrates fought on gamely to finish third.
Iamthefirecracker wilted to finish twelfth and last, with Markham Eyre finishing an unlucky ninth after being shuffled back behind the tiring pacemaker in the final circuit.
Ezana has now earned $71,330 from ten wins and five placings from 22 starts. He won once from nine starts in New Zealand, and his record in WA for Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams is nine wins and two seconds from 13 starts. Suvaljko did not rest on her laurels. She travelled to Kellerberrin on Sunday and landed a treble, winning with Love To Fly, Lets Rock Tonight and Tux And Tails.
Magnificent Storm shines, first-up
Astute Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams gave further proof of his skill in producing pacers in wonderful condition after a spell when champion pacer Magnificent Storm scored a thrilling victory in the $30,000 Etch Coatings Professional Powder Coating Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Magnificent Storm was the $2.60 favourite from the No. 2 barrier at his reappearance after a 19-week absence, and he revealed all of his brilliant natural speed and his outstanding competitive nature to score a head victory over the pacemaker While They Pray ($16).
Gary Hall jnr got While They Pray away to a flying start from barrier five in the field of six, and the six-year-old coasted through the opening quarters of the final mile in 31sec. and 29.7sec. before lifting the tempo with the final 400m sections being covered in 27.7sec. and 28.5sec.
The race was run in Indian file until Dylan Egerton-Green eased $3.10 chance To Fast To Serious away from last into the one-wide line with 1050m to travel. Magnificent Storm raced in third position on the pegs before Aiden de Campo moved him off the pegs to gain the trail behind To Fast To Serious 900m from home.
Magnificent Storm then raced alongside While They Pray in the final lap before he took a narrow lead on the home turn. The two horses then raced locked together all the way up the straight, with Magnificent Storm retaining his advantage to gain the verdict by a head.
This improved Magnificent Storm’s record to 27 starts for 20 wins and three placings for stakes of $385,542. It also gave Williams the first leg of a double. Thirty minutes later the Williams-trained Ezana scored an effortless victory in the Im Themightyquinn Pace.
Typhoon Banner in hot form
Typhoon Banner, a son of unraced New Zealand mare When You’re Hot, maintained his hot form and notched his fourth win from his past five starts when he gave a bold frontrunning display to score a decisive victory in the 2130m Simmonds Steel And Mining Fabrication Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He keeps ticking all the boxes and is getting better all the time,” said trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green after driving the $2.50 second fancy Typhoon Banner to an impressive win over $101 chance Miss Limelight and the $1.90 favourite Ragazzo Mach. “His gate speed is a good asset.”
Ragazzo Mach began from barrier two and led for the first 200m before Egerton-Green sent Typhoon Banner to the front after the Bettors Delight five-year-old had begun fast from the No. 5 barrier.
After a slow opening quarter of the final mile in 31.5sec., Typhoon Banner gave his rivals little chance of threatening his ascendancy by dashing over the final three 400m sections in 28.8sec., 29.5sec. and 28.2sec.
Typhoon Banner, owned by Rob Tomlinson’s Oz-West Pacing syndicate and Damian Keating, raced twice in New Zealand as a three-year-old in November 2019 for a win at Manawatu before arriving in Western Australia. He now has earned $149,730 from 14 wins and ten placings from 38 starts.
His dam When You’re Hot is a half-sister to seven winners, including Flaming Flutter, who amassed $878,819 from 29 wins and 51 placings from 150 starts. A highlight of his career was his second to Beautide in the final of the Interdominion championship at Menangle in March 2015.
Tiny mare is too speedy
Diminutive but well muscled mare Fifty Five Reborn took full advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier to bounce back to top form with an all-the-way victory in the 2130m Etch Coatings Mobile Sandblasting Pace --- after finishing 11TH, eighth and ninth at odds of $81, $101 and $51 at her three previous outings after resuming from a spell.
“The barrier definitely helped,” said Dylan Egerton-Green after driving the Colin Brown-trained Fifty Five Reborn, the $3.20 second fancy, to her easy win by more than two lengths over Sahara Storm ($12), with Fifty Five Reborn’s stablemate American Arma ($10) a half-length farther back in third place.
“She got away with what she had to (a slow lead time of 38.2sec. and opening quarters of 31.4sec. and 30sec.) before running away from her rivals (with smart final 400m sections of 27.7sec. and 28.2sec.).”
The win ended a losing sequence of eleven and improved Fifty Five Reborn’s record to 53 starts for 15 wins, six placings and stakes of $208,525.
Master Publisher ends lengthy drought
Master Publisher’s career has been disrupted by several niggling problems over the past year or so, and he ended a 17-month drought when he was untroubled to lead throughout in the 2130m Etch Coatings Commercial Spray Painting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was only his third appearance after a 15-month absence, and the New Zealand-bred five-year-old trained by Gary Hall snr, was a strong $1.50 favourite from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
Gary Hall jnr took full advantage of the draw and he sent Master Publisher straight to the front, and after a slow lead time of 38.3sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.5sec. and 30.8sec., he dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.9sec. and 21.9sec. to win by 19 metres from the $7 second fancy Tiger Royal, who fought on gamely after racing in the breeze all the way. Pocket The Cash ($7.50) improved from sixth at the bell to be 17m farther back in third place.
Master Publisher is a five-year-old gelding by A Rocknroll Dance and is the eighth foal out of the unraced Badlands Hanover mare Neverland Franco, whose full-sister Nearea Franco was a star performer in New Zealand where she won the $200,000 Four-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in May 2008 and the group 1 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park in December 2008. She retired with earnings of $441,405 from 11 wins and 11 placings from 34 starts.
Master Publisher raced three times in New Zealand for unplaced efforts in group 2 and 3 feature events early in 2019 before arriving in WA. He now has a record of 26 starts for eight wins and three placings for $56,391 in prizemoney.
Dominus Factum resumes in fine style
Smart four-year-old Dominus Factum resumed racing after a spell in excellent fashion with a dashing all-the-way victory in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Fencing And Gates Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Capel trainer Aiden de Campo got the $3.90 favourite away speedily from barrier three, and the American Ideal gelding forged to the front after 200m, and he went on to win comfortably from Medieval Man ($4.60) and Whoswhointhezoo ($4.60).
Dominus Factum, who was reappearing after a 19-week absence, appears likely to develop into an excellent candidate for the rich feature events for four-year-olds in the summer months.
He has earned $93,664 from 13 wins and ten placings from 38 starts and is proving to be a good investment after being purchased at the 2019 APG Melbourne yearling sale for $20,000 by Andrew de Campo.
“Dad went to the Melbourne sale in 2019 and came home with Dominus Factum and Gods Plan,” said Aiden de Campo. “He bought Dominus Factum because he is a real big fan of American Ideal.” Dominus Factum was syndicated and has a large group of owners, including Paul Poli, Vince Vinciullo, Kyra Yuill, Geoff Lawler’s B and S group, several relatives and close family friends of the de Campos.
“I wasn’t overly confident, first-up, tonight,” admitted Aiden de Campo. “I thought he would need a run or two to bring him to his top, judged on his trackwork.
“He did a bit of work out of the gate but didn’t break the clock on the wet track. He has blistering gate speed, and that helps him a lot. He has matched it with the better three-year-olds last season, and we will wait and see how he progresses before making plans for the big races for four-year-olds.”
Indeed, Dominus Factum has the ability to develop into a strong candidate for the Four-Year-Old Championship and the Golden Nugget in the summer. He finished second to star pacer Lavra Joe in the Caduceus Club Championship in March last year when he also finished fourth behind that pacer in the Western Gateway Pace and the Battle Of Bunbury.
Texas Tara likes the stands
A win and a second placing from back marks in stands at Northam in recent weeks proved the ideal preparation for Texas Tara to contest the $20,250 Simmonds Steel Decorative Screens Handicap, a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old was good value at $12.90 and was driven confidently by his part-owner and trainer Luke Edwards when he was successful by a nose in an exciting photo finish, holding on to defeat $61 outsider The Verandah, who flew home, out six wide.
Yankee Lincoln, the $2.50 favourite, set a solid pace after establishing a five-length lead over his nearest rival, Texas Tara, 400m after the start. Glenledi Chief, the 40m backmarker, sustained a strong burst from the rear to move to second at the 300m, but it was Texas Tara, getting off the pegs and keeping Glenledi Chief out wide, who got to the front on the home turn. Glenledi Chief battled on manfully to finish third.
Edwards said that he was quite happy to let Yankee Lincoln establish, and maintain, his considerable lead. “Sometimes Texas Tara needs time to find his feet and go through his gears,” he said. “It was probably a combination of keeping him comfortable and not doing too much work early, as well.
“Ideally, I wanted to be on a helmet, but you’ve got to keep Texas Tara in his gear as well. He’s not the easiest horse to drive. He went through a stage when he wouldn’t get away in stands. So, we went to mobiles before going back to stands off back marks in the country when he was getting away a lot better. He has had really bad feet problems, but they are not affecting him now.”
Texas Tara had two starts (both in stands) in New Zealand for one win, and he now has won four stands in WA. He is owned by Edwards in partnership with his main stable client Mel King and Bernard Mrozewski, and he now has raced 38 times for nine wins, nine placings and $61,564 in prizemoney.
His win on Friday night was his first in a metropolitan-class event. His half-brother Tango Tara was a winner at Mildura the previous Friday night which improved his record to 58 starts for 12 wins, 22 placings and stakes of $238,390.
In The Spotlight is set for the Oaks
New Zealand-bred filly In The Spotlight remained unbeaten as a three-year-old when she notched her fourth win in her current campaign by proving too classy for her five WA-bred rivals in the 2130m Simmonds Steel Laser And Tube Cutting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
In The Spotlight, owned by Team Bond and trained by Greg and Skye Bond, is emerging as a strong contender for the $150,000 WA Oaks over 2536m at Gloucester Park on October 14.
Starting the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, In The Spotlight was not extended in setting the pace and winning by just under a length from the $5.50 second fancy Dontbesillychilli, who trailed her throughout.
After a slow lead time of 39.2sec. and easy opening quarters of 31.2sec. and 30.6sec., In The Spotlight, driven by Ryan Warwick, increased the tempo with final 400m sections of 29.2sec. and 28.8sec.
“She was pretty good tonight,” said Warwick. “She’s not a speedy miler; she’s more of a strong filly and the Oaks is the sort of race that will suit her.”
In The Spotlight is by Bettors Delight and is the second foal out of Goodlookingbabe, who won at three of her 14 starts before being retired to stud. In The Spotlight has earned $103,764 from seven wins and three placings from 12 starts. Her dam is a half-sister to former champion youngster Elle Mac, whose 12 wins and ten placings from 32 starts included six victories in group 1 feature events as a two, three and four-year-old.
Hotly Pursued relieves the pain
Banjup trainer Murray Lindau has joyful memories of preparing and driving gift pacer Besos Baci between 2012 and 2015 when the mare raced 57 times for eight wins and 14 placings for stakes of $53,397.
But then it was far from a bed of roses for Lindau when the first two foals he and his partner Claire McNaughton bred from Besos Baci died in separate paddock accidents before they were able to start a racing career.
The colts were by American Ideal and Alta Christiano, and Lindau and McNaughton were full of hope that they would develop into successful performers.
The third of Besos Baci’s foals is Hotly Pursued, a two-year-old gelding by American sire Huntsville who is revealing the potential to develop into a star juvenile pacer.
Hotly Pursued took his record to five starts for three wins, two placings and stakes of $34,254 when Kyle Harper drove him to an effortless all-the-way victory in the Simmonds Steel Western Crown, a listed classic for colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hotly Pursued, the $1.10 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier, was not extended and barely raised a sweat when he set a dawdling early pace with a lead time of 8.5sec. and opening quarters of 34sec. and 31.7sec. before increasing the tempo with final 400m sections of 29.9sec. and 28.2sec.
He won by a length and a half from the $7 second fancy Fess Up, rating a pedestrian 2.3 over the 1730m journey.
“I like him a lot,” said Lindau. “What impresses me is his explosive turn of foot. When you pull him out, he gets to top speed very quickly.”
Harper agreed, saying: “He’s got that sort of speed. You can’t give it to them. They’ve either got it, or they don’t, and he’s got it. He’s got strings to his bow; he can come out of the gate and lead, and he can sit up and sprint home. He can do it at both ends, and he got away with murder tonight.”
Lindau revealed that ace trainer Colin Brown and Liam O’Connor had purchased the New South Wales-bred Besos Baci, a Blissfull Hall filly, as an unraced youngster. But they were disappointed with the way she worked and decided to give her to Lindau as a gift.
“Besos Baci was not very big, but she was nuggetty and strong,” said Lindau, who drove her to four of her eight wins. “And now I must give credit to Trevor Lindsay for recommending Huntsville as a sire. The service fee was quite affordable; I think it was about $4500.”
Huntsville, who has left Australia and has returned to America, earned $1.8 million from his 15 wins, eight seconds and one third placing from 25 starts.
“Hotly Pursued will now go to the paddock before I bring him back to get ready for the two-year-old Pearl (a $100,000 classic to be run on August 26),” said Lindau.
After the Pearl, the $225,000 Westbred Classic on September 16 and the $125,000 Golden Slipper on September 30 look ideal targets for the most impressive Hotly Pursued.
