ARGENT TREASURE BOUNCES BACK - HALL SUSPENDED

Flying grey gelding Argent Treasure bounced back to top form and emerged as a major prospect in the $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park on November 28 when he produced a spectacular finishing burst to win a prelude in dashing style at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

With Chris Lewis on the sidelines serving a term of suspension, Mark Reed, on his first night back after a suspension, made the most of the chance drive to extricate Argent Treasure from a seemingly impossible position in an exciting race watched by a crowd of 8000 at the annual Italian night.

Reed’s cause was helped by a mishap 450m from home when Gary Hall jun. eased out with 2/1 favourite Im Themightyquinn and caused interference to Can Return Fire.

Can Return Fire broke into a gallop and this incident left Reed with an opportunity to start easing Argent Treasure off the pegs.

Argent Treasure then had to shoulder his way out of congestion when he turned for home in sixth position. The grey was still sixth and seemingly with an impossible task with 50m to travel. But he then burst into the clear and charged past Im Themightyquinn and Schinzig Buller to score in emphatic fashion.

In a sequel to the thrilling event, the stewards suspended Hall for 12 days. His suspension will end at midnight on Thursday week, enabling Hall to drive Im Themightyquinn in the Nugget final.

With 450m to travel, Hall eased Im Themightyquinn out and the gelding’s off-side sulky wheel contacted Can Return Fire’s near hind leg, causing him to break into a gallop.

Argent Treasure, produced in fine fettle by trainer Ross Olivieri, now becomes the first automatic qualifier for the rich 2536m Nugget final. It is well worth noting that Argent Treasure has raced only twice over 2536m and has won both times --- in Friday night’s prelude and in the WA Derby last April.

Argent Treasure now has had only 16 starts for five wins and six placings for stakes of $245,220. He was driven in his first 15 starts by Lewis.

Reed was hoping, and planning, to set the pace with Argent Treasure, who drew barrier one on Friday night. But the grey was surprisingly badly beaten for early pace and he settled three back on the pegs, with Legislate setting a brisk pace.

Birthday, The Vice Captain and Im Themightyquinn all had periods in the breeze in the first 550m before Kade Howson dashed Schinzig Buller forward to move outside the pacemaker with two laps to travel, thus giving Im Themighyquinn an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.

Schinzig Buller eventually forged to the front 300m from home and he held the advantage until the final couple of strides. He finished third, a head behind Im Themightyquinn, who was beaten a length by Argent Treasure, who rated 2.0.1.

Mach Ruler, who trailed the pacemaker throughout, ran home strongly on the inside to be fourth, with The Vice Captain a very close fifth after being forced three wide for much of the journey.

 SETBACK FOR LIVELY ROYCE

Talented four-year-old Lively Royce, one of the early fancies for the $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget championship at Gloucester Park on November 28, faces a race against time to be fit for the big race.

After he had failed to show his usual dash in finishing fifth in the Country Cup at Gloucester Park last Friday week it was discovered that he was sick, suffering from a stomach ailment. His blood count was considerably down.

The veterinary surgeon who has been treating Lively Royce could not believe that the gelding had performed as well as he had in the Country Cup.

Bunbury trainer John Graham is hoping that Lively Royce can quickly throw off the effects of the stomach problem and be able to contest the Nugget final.

Lively Royce was an outstanding three-year-old last season when his nine WA starts produced six wins, a second, a third and a fourth. He also had won impressively at his two starts before his fifth in the Country Cup.

 SEVEN IN A ROW FOR TOTAL DEFIANCE

New Zealand-bred four-year-old Total defiance warmed up for the $175,000 XXXX Gold Golden Nugget championship on November 28 with a runaway victory in the IAWCC-Centro Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night to extend his wining sequence to seven.

It was his 14th win from 27 starts and trainer-driver Aldo Cortopassi is not only confident the gelding will perform strongly in the Nugget, but has the ability to develop into a leading candidate for the rich Fremantle Cup on January 9.

 Total Defiance, who had won in stands at his previous four outings, started from the outside of the back line in Friday night’s 2130m mobile event. Cortopassi did not bustle the gelding, who settled down in seventh position.

Total Defiance began a three-wide move 900m from home and he cruised past the pacemaker Victory Ball with 250m to travel and went on to score by three lengths from that pacer, rating a slick 1.57.6. Homer Lavros maintained his recent excellent form by running home solidly to be third.

Cortopassi said that Total Defiance, now an M2-class pacer, was most unlikely to contest a Nugget prelude next Friday night. He planned to give the gelding a week away from racing before running in the Nugget.

 HARPER BROTHERS TAKE THE HONOURS

Former leading reinsman Lindsay Harper won the Parliamentarians Cup three years in a row at the start of this century, and at Gloucester Park on Friday night his sons Donald and Kyle fought out the finish of the 2008 Parliamentarians Cup.

Eighteen-year-old Kyle Harper made a spirited effort to win with 33/1 outsider Roydon Holmes with a bold frontrunning drive. But he had to play second fiddle to his 20-year-old brother Donald, who bided his time before bringing Hayton Brain home with a strong sustained burst.

Hayton Brain, a 13/2 chance who paid handsome tote odds of 12/1, was ninth in the moving line with two laps of the 2536m Cup to travel. Hayton Brain moved to sixth (three wide) at the bell and he got to the front 250m from home and went on to beat the gallant Roydon Holmes by a length, with Spirit of Shard (tenth on the pegs at the bell) flashing home to snatch third place from Phar From A Fake.

The eight-year-old Hayton Brain, who is trained and part-owned by Donald Harper, is in the top bracket of WA pacers and will be a leading candidate for all the rich summer carnival feature events.

Hayton Brain, who rated 1.59.3, is the State’s leading sprinter and he will surely be hared to beat in the Celebrity Pace at Gloucester Park on New Year’s eve.

Lindsay Harper won the Parliamentarians Cup with Franco Swift (2000), Cam Brydon (2001) and Another Party (2002).

The shock of Friday night’s Cup was the abject failure of the 3/1 on favourite Scruffy Murphy, who started from No. 3 barrier and failed in a bid to take an early lead.

Roydon Holmes quickly dashed to the front, leaving Scruffy Murphy to work hard without cover. Scruffy Murphy, a brilliant winner at his two previous starts and a winner of 38 races, began to wilt 450m from home and he faded badly to finish last, 58.3m from the winner.

Trainer-driver Justin Warwick was at a complete loss to explain the nine-year-old’s failure and a veterinary examination found there was nothing amiss with the gelding. The stewards stood Scruffy Murphy down for six days and ordered that he complete a satisfactory trial. Warwick plans to run him in a trial at Pinjarra or Byford on Sunday morning.

 TREBLE FOR SUVALJKO AND DOUBLE FOR HUSTON

Darling Downs trainer Ron Huston brought three horses to Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and he went home with three winners.

He is the trainer of Umere Road and Lord Washington, each of whom won decisively, and he was the caretaker trainer of Shipps Supreme, who led and won easily.

All three pacers were driven by 39-year-old Shannon Suvaljko, who landed a double with Homer Lavros and Baby James a week earlier.

Huston and Suvaljko got the ball rolling when 5/2 equal favourite Umere Road dashed to an earl lead and strolled to victory over Fake Occasion (who had worked hard in the breeze) in the 2130m Luisini Winery Stakes for mares.

Umere Road, owned by Lynda Huston, is a promising five-year-old who has had only 24 starts for seven wins, seven placings and stakes of $40,477. She won twice from 11 starts in New Zealand and now has had 13 starts in WA for five wins.

Lord Washington, favourite at 2/1, started from barrier eight in the D’Orsogna Continental Stakes, and he put the issue beyond doubt after beginning speedily and taking the lead after 300m.

He went on to score by a length from Nautical Star, with Sunnyside Lass flashing home from eighth at the bell to be an eye-catching third.

In the previous event, the Tony Pantano Handicap, Suvaljko had an armchair drive when Shipps Supreme set the pace and won by 7m from Silvertail Icon.

 TILBROOK CASHES IN WITH SHIPPS SUPREME

Byford trainer Peter Tilbrook knows a bargain when he sees one and he certainly has no regrets that he outlaid $3000 to buy veteran pacer Shipps Supreme in a claimer at Gloucester Park on October 11.

The New South Wales-bred nine-year-old has raced every week since then and he boosted his earnings for Tilbrook to $19,915 in the space of five weeks when Shannon Suvaljko drove him to an easy victory over Silvertail Icon and Kingsford in the 2096m Tony Pantano Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Tilbrook had driven Shipps Supreme on the previous four Fridays for thirds behind Korlim Garry and Spot The Ace and seconds to Alberts Fantasy and Im Themightyquinn. He gave the drive to Suvaljko when he decided to drive in several races (without success) at Northam on Friday night.

Shipps Supreme, previously trained by Amanda Suvaljko, ended a losing sequence of 24 when he took the lead after 400m and was untroubled to cover the final 800m in 58.8sec.

Suvaljko, who had driven Shipps Supreme to his previous win, by a head over Next Rumour at Gloucester Park in August 2007, is one of 25 reinsmen who have handled Shipps Supreme in his 122-start career which has produced seven wins in New South Wales and five in WA.

 STABLE FOREMAN UPSETS STATE’S LEADING TRAINER

“We’ve just beaten the boss; I’m not sure I’ll still have a job,” said jubilant trainer Michael Brennan after Sweet Home Alabama had charged home from the rear to snatch a thrilling last-stride head victory over heavily-backed 7/4 favourite Power In Disguise in the D’Orsogna Italian Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Brennan is the foreman for WA’s leading trainer Gary Hall sen., who prepares Power In Disguise. Brennan is a part-owner and trainer of Sweet Home Alabama.

Gary Hall jun., who had driven Sweet Home Alabama in all his eight WA starts since arriving from Victoria, elected to handle Power In Disguise, who surged home, three and four wide, from sixth at the bell to burst to the front 80m from home.

He raced clear and looked all over a winner before Shayne Cramp brought Sweet Home Alabama with a powerful burst, out wide, to get up in the final stride. Cramp had followed the three-wide run of Power In Disguise in the final circuit.

Sweet Home Alabama, a winner of six races in New South Wales and five in Victoria, now has had nine starts in WA for two wins and five placings.

The win of Sweet Home Alabama completed a double for Cramp, who drove veteran Demoralizer (7/4 on) to an easy all-the-way victory over Well That’s Life and Wayne Rooney in the D’Orsogna Family Classic Claiming Stakes.

The Total Strategy syndicate, headed by Mark Congerton, outlaid $5000 to claim Well That’s Life, who trailed the pacemaker Demoralizer before fighting on doggedly.

 FREMANTLE CUP BECKONS THE MIDNIGHT ROCKET

Vastly-improved six-year-old The Midnight Rocket will be set for the rich Fremantle Cup at Gloucester Park on January on January 9 after another brilliant victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Trained by Alana Williams and driven to perfection by her husband Grant, The Midnight Rocket (9/2) started from 10m and was last in the field of nine with two laps to travel before he moved to seventh (three wide) at the bell.

Then Williams took the gelding four wide 300m from home and he sprouted wings to burst to the front in the final 35m to score from the pacemaker Whosyourdaddy (11/4) and the 2/1 favourite Live To Reign.

The win took The Midnight Rocket to an M5 mark. He has been in spectacular form this season, with his ten starts producing six wins, two seconds, a fourth and a fifth.

“He’s thriving and I’ve never seen him looking better,” Williams said. “We keep starting him and he keeps winning. I never thought he’d get to the mark he’s got to. He’s got to be a Fremantle Cup hope.”

The Midnight Rocket’s win completed a double for Williams, who won the Vite Italiene Stakes with 6/1 chance Ona Wingandaprayer, who settled in ninth place before starting a three-wide move 1100m from home.

Ona Wingandaprayer sustained his strong burst to get to the front in the final 100m. He sprinted the final 800m in 57.9sec. and held on to score by a head from the fast-finishing Watta Bonamax, with the 6/4 on favourite Gransagenic a most unlucky third.

Gransagenic was beaten out from barrier one and was hopelessly trapped three back on the pegs for most of the way. Gransagenic was badly blocked for clear passage in the final circuit and he was flying home, and still hampered for room, in the closing stages.