Magnificent Storm delivers the goods
Champion pacer Magnificent Storm, remarkable value at $3.70 (and $4 on the fixed market), answered his doubters in emphatic fashion when he did all the work in the breeze before surging away from his five rivals and scoring a superb victory in the $30,000 Members Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“It was a super win,” said veteran trainer Ray Williams. “I was hoping he would win but listening to all the talk (regarding the prospects of the $1.50 favourite Jumpingjackmac), I thought maybe he won’t win. I don’t know why I doubted him, because he has never let me down.”
Magnificent Storm, driven by Aiden de Campo, began fast from barrier four and made an unsuccessful bid for the early lead, with Jumpingjackmac holding up from the No. 1 barrier.
De Campo then restrained Magnificent Storm, and the five-year-old relaxed in the breeze after a quick lead time of 36.5sec. After opening quarters of 30.4sec. and 29.7sec. Jumpingjackmac sped over the following 400m section in 27.5sec.
Magnificent Storm dashed to the front 300m from home and won at a 1.55.2 rate over the 2130m, beating $8 chance Diego, who finished solidly after trailing the pacemaker all the way. Veteran superstar Chicago Bull, a $26 chance from the outside barrier, raced in fifth position before finishing gamely, out wide, to be third, with Jumpingjackmac wilting to fifth.
“That was one of Magnificent Storm’s better wins,” said Williams. “It seems that he likes that style of racing. We decided to have a go for the lead, and the good thing about him is that you can light him up, and if he can’t cross to the front, he will come back to you.”
Williams said that he would confer with managing part-owner Rob Tomlinson to map out the New Zealand-bred gelding’s racing program.
“He might have another couple of runs before having a spell and then coming back to be prepared for the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups early in the New Year,” said Williams. “At the moment my main aim is for him to run in those big Cup races.
“He is improving with age and should be a better horse than he was when he contested those big races last summer (finishing ninth behind Minstrel in the Fremantle Cup and fourth behind Wildwest in the WA Pacing Cup).
“To me, he is not an Interdominion horse yet, but if he keeps improving then, naturally, we will consider the Inters.”
Magnificent Storm, who was an odds-on fancy at 21 of his 26 WA starts before Friday night’s race, now has amassed $404,742 in prizemoney from 21 wins and three placings from 28 starts.
Blitzembye is a good buy
Four-year-old Blitzembye, described by his owner Jim Giumelli as a bargain buy, caused an upset when he beat his better credentialled stablemate and $1.12 favourite Ragazzo Mach in the $22,000 Follow @Gloucesterpark On Twitter Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Blitzembye, trained by Mike Reed and driven for the first time by Gary Hall jnr, was the $7 second fancy from barrier two, and he trailed the pacemaking Ragazzo Mach until Hall eased him off the pegs with 220m to travel.
After a 28.6sec. third quarter, Ragazzo Mach, driven by Shannon Suvaljko, increased the tempo with a final 400m of 27.5sec., but he failed to hold out the fast-finishing Blitzembye, who got to the front in the final 10m and won by a neck at a 1.57.8 rate over the 2130m journey.
Giumelli paid a substantial price for Ragazzo Mach in February last year, and he and Reed went to New Zealand four months later to watch him contest the rich group 1 Emerald at Cambridge on June 6.
Two nights before the big race Reed and Giumelli were at the meetings at Auckland’s Alexandra Park where they were advised to keep an eye on Blitzembye in a 2200m event.
“A bloke told me that Blitzembye would be worth buying, and that we should watch him race,” said Reed. “Blitzembye galloped at the start and lost about 50 metres before he caught up and went three wide racing into the bell and three wide down the back straight before he finished strongly to be a close second to Captain Nemo (with the final 800m off the front being covered in 56.3sec.).
“The next morning Jim and I had a coffee and rang the owner, telling him we would be prepared to pay $120,000 for Blitzembye, and after some thought the owner agreed to sell him.”
The deal went through, and Giumelli said: “It was a steal.” Blitzembye now has raced 15 times for Giumelli’s Swandoo Harness Racing syndicate for nine wins, two placings and $70,484 in stakes, after having had eight starts in New Zealand for two wins and two placings.
Blitzembye is by Bettors Delight and is out of the unraced mare Falcon’s Flybye, who is a daughter of Fleet’s Pocket, the dam of former wonderful performer Mighty Flying Thomas, who retired after contesting 226 races for 24 wins, 56 placings and stakes of $354,622. His final 18 wins were in WA for trainer Peter Anderson.
Blitzembye, a small, nuggetty pacer, has given Reed no problems about his New Zealand habit of galloping at the start, and he and Ragazzo Mach will be aimed at the rich classics for four-year-olds later this year, including the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic and the $200,000 Golden Nugget.
Giumelli and Reed agree that Ragazzo Mach is a more talented pacer than Blitzembye, with Reed saying: “Ragazzo Mach needs more racing to get to his top. If I had to rate them out of a hundred, I’d rate Ragazzo Mach a hundred and Blitzembye eighty.”
It’s easy for Platinum Sparkle
Victorian-bred four-year-old Platinum Sparkle made an auspicious Gloucester Park debut on Friday night when she was not extended in setting the pace and winning the 2130m group 3 $30,000 Lombardo Pace for mares.
After a slow lead time of 39.4sec. and ambling opening quarters of 32sec. and 29.8sec. Platinum Sparkle, the $1.04 favourite from barrier one, sped over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 28.7sec. to beat $61 outsider Areu Talkin by just under two lengths.
Trained at Boyanup by Justin Prentice and driven by Gary Hall jnr, Platinum Sparkle had shown excellent promise at her first two appearances in WA, both at Bunbury, when she raced in the breeze before winning by a head from Major Freeway, and then finishing fourth behind Rascal when she ruined her chances by hanging badly.
“Her first-up win at Bunbury was enormous,” said Prentice. “But at her next start I pretty well couldn’t steer her. She raced one-out and one-back, and when I pulled her out, she couldn’t go because she was hanging down badly. Hanging wasn’t an issue tonight when she was on the rail, and, hopefully, we can get on top of her hanging.”
Prentice said that Adam Wilkinson, the Victorian part-owner of Platinum Sparkle, had contacted him out of the blue and asked him if he would train the mare.
“I expect her to be competitive against the good mares here,” said Prentice. “The aim at this stage is for her to run in the Norms Daughter Classic and the $125,000 Mares Classic in November.”
Platinum Sparkle is by Bettors Delight and is the second foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Bollinger Baby, who earned $67,256 from ten wins and 12 placings from 56 starts. Eight of her wins were in WA between 2010 and 2013 for trainer Andrew de Campo.
Bollinger Baby is a full-sister to Chancellor Cullen, who raced 74 times for 22 wins, 17 placings and $411,821 in prizemoney. Chancellor Cullen won the group 1 McInerney Ford Classic in November 2012 when he defeated Bronze Seeker by a half-head.
Platinum Sparkle now has had 32 starts for ten wins, 11 placings and stakes of $118,640.
Imahero does it again
It took veteran horseman Daryl Miller more than 45 years to land his first metropolitan-class winner as a trainer when Imahero scored as a $37.70 outsider at Gloucester Park last Friday week, but it took him only another seven days to notch his second city-class success when Imahero exploded with a sizzling late burst to win the $20,250 TAB Radio Pace for two-year-old fillies on Friday night.
Imahero, the fourth favourite at $8.70, was driven patiently by Miller’s son Mitch, who settled the filly down in last position in the field of eight before following the $5.50 chance Spiritofanangel to enjoy the perfect one-out, one-back trail as the $3.50 chance Valhalla Angel set a slow pace, with a lead time of 38.4sec. and opening quarters of 34.4sec. and 32.4sec.
Spiritofanangel took a narrow lead 90m from the post before Imahero flew home with a four-wide burst to win by a head. Valhalla Angel was a length farther back in third place.
Imahero, purchased by Miller for $20,000 at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale, now has earned $32,068 from two wins and three placings from nine starts.
Twenty minutes after Imahero’s victory Miller celebrated another victory, with his three-year-old colt Rellim (Miller spelt backwards) charging home to score a runaway win in a $5000 event at Wagin to give Madeliene Young her fourth win on the program. Rellim is trained by Miller’s son Dean.
Imahero will now be set for feature events for two-year-olds this winter, including the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 19.
Medieval Man loves to lead
WA-bred five-year-old Medieval Man was unplaced at the first five starts in his current campaign when he was the victim of wide barriers and back-row draws. But the noted frontrunner has relished favourable draws at his past two appearances.
He followed his fighting second to Dominus Factum last Friday week when he began from barrier two and fought on grandly after racing without cover all the way.
Then the noted frontrunner drew the prized No. 1 barrier and was the $1.40 favourite in the 2130m Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. The gelding, part-owned and trained by Kiara Davies, gave Emily Suvaljko an armchair drive, setting a dawdling early pace before sprinting home in fine style to win by more than a length from $13 chance Valbonne, who was sixth at the bell before finishing strongly, out four wide.
After a crawling through the lead time in 40.4sec. and the opening quarters in 32.8sec. and 30.8sec. Medieval man dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.2sec.
The win boosted Medieval Man’s earnings to $131,371 from 15 wins and 17 placings from 81 starts.
“His form before his past two starts related pretty much to bad barriers,” said Davies. “He is a pleasure to train, and nothing worries him. He will race again next week.”
Moonlite Drive set for the Higgins
Outstanding young trainer Michael Young will set New Zealand-bred pacer Moonlite Drive for the $30,000 John Higgins Memorial on July 29 after the five-year-old was untroubled to score an easy victory in the 2536m Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Moonlite Drive, the $1.30 favourite, gave an excellent frontrunning performance to beat $17 chance Stamford, who fought on gamely after racing in the breeze, with the winner dashing over the final 800m in 55.9sec.
Moonlite Drive, a winner at one of his four starts in New Zealand and a winner of four races in Victoria, gave star reinsman Gary Hall jnr the first leg of a driving treble, and it improved the gelding’s WA record to nine starts for three wins and four seconds.
By Bettors Delight, Moonlite Drive is bred to be a good winner. He is the third foal out of Christian Cullen mare Miss Moonlite, who earned $184,249 from 13 wins and 14 placings from 67 starts. His five wins in Victoria included the group 1 Breeders Crown for four-year-old mares at Melton in August 2012.
Miss Moonlite’s dam Dancingonmoonlight retired after racing 100 times for 19 wins, 34 placings and $402,832 in prizemoney. Her feature wins included the New South Wales Oaks at Harold Park and the Breeders Crown for three-year-old fillies at Moonee Valley in 2000, and then the group 2 Ladyship Cup at Moonee Valley in May 2001.
“Moonlight Drive should do a good job like Vespa, just that one step below Free-For-Alls,” said Young. Moonlite Drive’s half-brother, the Art Major four-year-old Serious Moonlite is showing good promise in New Zealand where he recently notched his fourth win.
Suvaljko applies the pressure
Emily Suvaljko’s bold tactics of keeping the pacemaker and last-start winner Regal Cheval under pressure paid dividends when Angel In White revealed splendid fighting qualities and strength to win the 2536m Xmas In July Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Angel In White, an eight-year-old mare and a $4.60 chance from barrier four, was driven forward at the start and Suvaljko gave Regal Cheval, the $3.20 second fancy, little chance to relax in front, with the quarters of the final mile being run in 30.2sec., 29.7sec., 28.8sec. and 28.3sec.
Angel In White, owned and trained by Shane Tognolini, eventually got to the front 300m from home, and she went on to beat $3.50 chance Shadow Roll, who fought on doggedly after trailing the pacemaker throughout.
Possibly the result could have been different, with Regal Cheval’s winning prospects being ruined by a punctured off-side sulky wheel which resulted in the deflated tube being forced off the rim of the wheel. Regal Cheval’s tyre was punctured with a lap to travel when Shadow Roll accidentally hit that pacer’s wheel.
Regal Cheval managed to retain the lead until being passed at the 300m mark. He then dropped back to finish an unlucky seventh and last.
This was Angel In White’s fifth win this season, and she now boasts an excellent record of 75 starts for 14 wins, 17 placings and $158,392 in prizemoney.
Ideal Charm ends losing sequence of 55
Veteran Victorian-bred mare Ideal Charm ended a losing sequence of 55 and a 30-month drought when her stand-in trainer Hayden Charles drove her to victory in the $18,500 Allwood Stud Farm Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ideal Charm, owned by Charles’s father Kevin and mother Annette, was the rank outsider at $86.70 on the tote and $126 on the fixed odds market.
The 39-year-old Hayden Charles was left in charge of the family training establishment while his parents were enjoying a brief holiday in Singapore, and he had the rare distinction of landing a double as the deputy trainer --- with Shannon Suvaljko driving $21.60 chance Whos The Dad to victory in the opening event before Ideal Charm was successful in the tenth and final event.
Hayden Charles got Ideal Charm away quickly from barrier No. 3 and the seven-year-old mare slotted into the ideal one-out, one-back position as Suvaljko was setting the pace with the $3.30 chance Twoandahalf Tigers, with the $2.65 favourite Athabascan in the breeze after failing in an early bid for the lead.
Charles switched Ideal Charm three wide with 250m to travel and the mare finished strongly, out wide, to hit the front in the final few strides before holding on to win by a neck from the $6.50 chance Disco Under Fire, who was ninth and last at the 50m mark before flying home, out six wide.
“It was an even field, and I gave Ideal Charm a chance,” said Charles. “We landed in a perfect spot and then she travelled strongly, and I thought she was going to win easily until Disco Under Fire flashed home.
“Ideal Charm impressed me during the week. She usually pulls very hard, and she wears a lot of gear to help cure that problem. We have recently made a change in her training regime and this week we had her settled and were able to work her the way we wanted to. We had been disappointed with her recent unplaced runs on wet tracks. Tonight, she appreciated a dry track.”
Ideal Charm, who boosted her earnings to $74,771 from eight wins and 18 placings from 97 starts, is a half-sister to Art Major geldings Charming Major (120 starts for 18 wins, 37 placings and $103,160) and Montana Chief (144 starts for 20 wins, 50 placings and $159,524).
Ideal Charm’s win revived memories of one of Charles’s early long-shot winners --- when he drove Mile High Heat to victory at Northam on July 22, 2006, for owner-trainer Francesco Vitanza.
Padbergs make a wise choice
Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg and her husband John are keen judges of horseflesh, and they have no regrets that they outlaid $20,000 to purchase handy New South Wales pacer Bracken Sky in September 2019.
The Padbergs race Bracken Sky in partnership with long-time stable clients Don and Adele Simmons, and the seven-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding relished a significant drop in class at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he began speedily from barrier six and was untroubled to set a solid pace for Shannon Suvaljko and score an easy victory in the 2130m TABtouch Pace.
Bracken Sky, a winner of ten races in NSW, has proved a wonderful buy for his WA owners, now having had 90 starts in the State for eight wins, 22 placings and $173,570 in prizemoney.
Bracken Sky went into Friday night’s event with a losing sequence of 23, but he was popular with punters and was the $3.60 second favourite from barrier No. 6, with smart frontrunner Regal Aura the $3.40 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Suvaljko stole a march when he got Bracken Sky away speedily, and the gelding burst past Regal Aura to take the lead after 60m. Graham Cox eased Regal Aura off the pegs and into the breeze after 550m.
Bracken Sky gave his rivals little chance of winning when he dashed over the final 800m in 56.7sec. He was not extended in winning by 8m at a 1.58.2 rate from $18 chance Steam Punk, who fought on from fifth (on the pegs) at the bell. Rupert Of Lincoln ($3.90) improved from sixth at the bell to finish third.
“He has been amazing,” said Mrs Padberg. “He is a little horse who tries hard.”
Bracken Sky is a half-brother to five winners, including Absolution, who raced 166 times for 25 wins, 58 placings and stakes of $147,778. Five of his wins were in WA (four at Gloucester Park and one at Northam) when he was trained by Mrs Padberg.
Bracken Sky and Absolution’s dam, the Live Or Die mare Redemption, who had 27 starts for ten wins, six placings and stakes of $60,768. After winning twice in New Zealand Redemption won at his first eight starts in New South Wales in 2008 and 2009.
Whos The Dad can measure up
Promising black gelding Whos The Dad produced a sample of his ability when he finished strongly to score an easy victory in the 2130m Beau Rivage Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He is capable of measuring up to the State’s good three-year-olds,” declared an optimistic stand-in trainer Hayden Charles after Shannon Suvaljko had driven Whos Your Dad three back on the pegs in fifth position before easing the gelding off the pegs with 550m to travel and bringing him home with a powerful burst four-wide burst to hit the front at the 60m mark on his way to beating the pacemaker and $2.10 favourite Paul Edward by almost two lengths, with Goodfellaz ($2.65) a close-up third.
Charles, deputising for his father, Hopeland trainer Kevin Charles, said that Whos The Dad had shown plenty of early promise which saw him set the pace and win a heat of the two-year-old Pearl from The Miki Taker 12 months ago before drawing the back line and finishing an unlucky seventh behind the classy The Miki Taker in the $100,000 final of the Pearl.
“Whos The Dad worked very well on Tuesday, and we expected a good showing tonight,” said Charles, who was deputising as the trainer of the gelding while his father was enjoying a holiday in Singapore.
Kevin Charles and his wife Annette bred and own Whos The Dad, who was passed in at the 2020 APG Perth yearling sale after failing to reach his reserve price of $25,000. The gelding is by American stallion Betting Line and is out of the New South Wales-bred Rock N Roll Heaven mare Glenferrie Clan, and he now has earned $42,541 from five wins and eight placings from 26 starts.
The unraced Glenferrie Clan is a daughter of former star pacing mare Tupelo Rose, who retired with a fine record of 101 starts for 35 wins, 25 placings and stakes of $879,867.
