Gloucester Park Review Friday 16 August 2024

Water Lou set for rich plums

Water Lou gave further proof of her remarkable ability when she surged home from last in the middle stages to beat Blaze Away and six other male rivals in the 2130m HTA Taking You To New Heights Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and a host of rich feature events, including the WA Derby, are on the agenda for the brilliant filly.

Leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko heaped praise on the Mike Reed-trained Water Lou, declaring that she deserved a crack at the $200,000 Derby to be run on November 1.

“Water Lou is better than Libertybelle Midfrew and Maczaffair, who competed against the colts and geldings,” said Suvaljko, who drove both those star pacers for Reed when they won the WA Oaks in 2014 and 2017, respectively.

Water Lou’s immediate target is the $100,000 Westbred Classic on September 6, with the qualifying heats being run at Pinjarra next Monday.

After that Water Lou will be set for the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 4, and there is a possibility of her running in the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on September 29.

Water Lou is firmly on target to exceed the great deeds of Libertybelle Midfrew (51 starts for 19 wins, 11 placings and $640,497) and Maczaffair (160 starts for 35 wins, 36 placings and $686,726).

After winning the WA Oaks in May 2014 Libertybelle Midfrew did not contest the WA Derby that season. But she proved her worth when she beat several male rivals in the Golden Nugget in December 2014.

Maczaffair finished 11TH behind Handsandwheels in the Derby in April 2017 before winning the Oaks the following month. Then in December 2017 she finished second to Ultimate Machete in the Golden Nugget.

Water Lou boosted her earnings to $357,434 with her victory on Friday night when she was the $5.20 third favourite behind the polemarker Blaze Away ($3.20) and Waverider ($4). This was the longest price of her 24-start career which has produced 19 wins and two second placings.

Reed produced Water Lou is great shape for her first appearance after a 32-day break, and Suvaljko was content to settle the filly in last place in the field of eight while Blaze Away was setting the pace after a slow lead time of 38.6sec. and a modest opening quarter of 30.8sec.

When Waverider began a three-wide move with 1000m to travel, Suvaljko followed that run. Water Lou was third, out three wide, on the home turn and three lengths behind Blaze Away before she sprinted strongly to hit the front 20m from the post to win by a half-length from Blaze Away. The final 400m sections were run in 27.3sec. and 28.5sec., with the winner rating 1.56.8.

“The early pace was slow, so I knew they would get going in the last lap,” said Suvaljko. “Therefore, I had to follow Waverider as soon as he went. Water Lou showed her class when she went to the line strongly after racing wide in the last lap. The leader had it easy and had every chance to beat us.”

Michael Young, the trainer of Blaze Away, said he was happy with the gelding’s performance at his first start for eleven months. “I thought he could win, but losing in those times doesn’t disappoint me,” he said. “He hit a wheel a couple of times and got a bit keen. Water Lou was sensational.”

Carana is still learning

Not even the back mark of 30 metres could prevent Carana from scoring an easy victory in the $35,000 Hoist Solutions Marathon Handicap over 3309m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The seven-year-old New Zealand-bred Carana was the $3.40 second favourite who settled down in last position in the field of ten before he followed the three-wide run of fellow backmarker Otis ($9.50) who dashed forward with 1900m to go.

Rock Artist ($3.70) took the lead after 400m and was inclined to overrace after the pull-down block blinkers malfunctioned early. This resulted in fast second and third 400m quarters being run in 28.7sec. and 28.2sec.

Carana enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, following Otis for almost two laps before he sprinted strongly to get to the front 130m from the post and beat Rock Artist by 4m, with a final quarter of 29sec.

Deni Roberts, driving Carana for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, admitted she was a little concerned when Carana was well back at the rear after a lap. “We were well back behind the leaders and racing in single file after a very slow lead time,” she said.

“But then we managed to make up the ground pretty easily. Carana has been running a lot quicker times recently. He is an older horse who is still learning his craft. He has a lot of ability, and hopefully he can transfer that to the mobiles.”

It now appears that Carana, a standing-start specialist, will revert to mobile events because he is sure to be given extremely difficult tasks from testing back marks.

He certainly has the ability to perform strongly in open class mobile events, with Roberts saying: “Sat up, he’s very fast.”

Carana, a gelding by champion sire Bettors delight, has an outstanding record in stands in Western Australia with his 21 runs in stands here producing 12 wins and five placings, after winning two stands from nine starts in New Zealand.

Riding suits Sovrana

A change of training is proving beneficial for Sovrana, who notched her first win as a five-year-old when she finished strongly to beat Goodealhmaddie and Paroquet in the $23,000 Vale Alan Bell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“She has sharpened up over the past month since she has been ridden in her work, and this seems to have changed her mind,” said Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.

“Sovrana has always raced against the best horses, and she went really well tonight when she dropped back in grade a bit.”

Sovrana was the $4.90 second favourite from her awkward barrier at No. 6, with Miss Sassy the $3.80 favourite from barrier two.

Miss Sassy led for the first 300m before Soho Rhapsody ($9.50) dashed to the front after a fast lead time of 35.6sec. De Campo was content to settle Sovrana at the rear, saying: “Things worked out perfectly. I knew that Blaze Coops would keep the pace on, and there was a few inside of us going forward.

“Sometimes you can read a race like that, and everyone thinks there’s going to be a lot of speed, and there’s no speed. So, I’m happy with the way things worked out the way I expected (with the hard-pulling Blaze Coops in the breeze ensuring that Soho Rhapsody maintained a fast pace).”

Sovrana, a mare by American sire Betting Line, is the seventh foal out of Chemical Romance, who was retired after three unplaced efforts as a two-year-old in 2009. Chemical Romance is by Canadian sire Northern Luck and is out of former star mare Ferrari Trunkey, who raced 39 times for 22 wins, seven placings and $267,527. The progeny of Chemical Romance now have won a total of 63 races.

Montana Glory on the way up

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Montana Glory has resumed after a spell in splendid form and appears likely to develop into one of the State’s best mares after convincing victories at her first two appearances after a spell.

She was the $2.90 favourite from the outside barrier in a field of eight in the 1730m HTA Setting New Standards In Hoisting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she annihilated her rivals.

The victory gave Jim and Wilma Giumelli’s Swandoo Harness Racing syndicate and trainer Mike Reed a double after wining the opening event with Water Lou. It also completed a treble for leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko.

The $3.40 second fancy Linebacker took the lead after 550m and set a brisk pace from Classic Choice ($6) in the breeze. Montana Glory settled down in last place and was sixth at the bell before she sprinted strongly to get to the front 375m from home and win by just under four lengths from Linebacker, rating a smart 1.55.2.

“She went real good last week (winning by more than four lengths from Seven No Trumps), and during the week she sat behind Water Lou and finished only a couple of lengths behind her,” said Suvaljko.

“This was a winnable race as long as they went hard early. She was a good horse in New Zealand, but she lost her way here a little bit. She was consistent but not as strong.  

“Once she had a break and came back, she was showing that she had adopted to our weather.”

Montana Glory raced seven times as a two-year-old in New Zealand for one win, four placings and stakes of $55,528. Three of those placings were in group 1 feature events. She is by Always B Miki and is the first foal out of the unraced Mach Three mare Pacific Glory.

Elwaddell revives happy memories

Veteran horseman Lindsay Harper is the trainer, driver and part-owner of promising four-year-old Elwaddell, and he is enjoying great success with the American Ideal pacer who scored an impressive victory in the 1730m Vale Laurie Robinson Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The win rekindled happy memories for Harper of his close association with Elwaddell’s close relation, the Ray Jones-trained Disco Force, who was a star performer in the early 2000s and retired with earnings of $268,416 from 27 wins and 20 placings from 99 starts.

Disco Force won at his eight starts as a two-year-old in 2000, with Harper in the sulky for the final six of those victories which included the Pearl Classic, Golden Slipper and State Sires Series final.

Elwaddell was a $35.10 outsider on Friday night when he began from the No. 2 barrier and enjoyed a perfect trail behind the pacemaker and $1.50 favourite Crowd Control.

Crowd Control, who began from the No. 1 barrier, was softened up early when $2.90 chance Vegas Strip was smartest to begin from barrier 3 and led by almost a full length but was unable to cross Crowd Control.

Harper eased Elwaddell into the clear in the home straight and he finished powerfully to win by a half-length from $34 chance Lucapelo, who ran on along the inside to relegate Crowd Control to third.

This gave Elwaddell his first metropolitan-class win and took his career earnings to $66,733 from eight wins and seven placings from 39 starts.

“Elwaddell will go on and win more races,” said a happy Harper.

Brown’s skill pays dividends

Talented driver Maddison Brown’s plans to set the pace with Loucid Dreams in the 2130m HTA Rent A Gen Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night were dashed when the gelding was unable to get to the front.

Brown, who drove Loucid Dreams, a $5.90 chance, with great vigour in an unsuccessful attempt to get the early lead, then was left in the breeze. But she was determined to manoeuvre the five-year-old to the pegs. She restrained Loucid Dreams and showed skill to get to the inside and race three back on the pegs.

The polemarker Joey James ($9) held up until Chris Voak sent the $3 favourite Tartan Robyn to the front after 250m. Loucid Dreams was hemmed in on the inside in the back straight in the final circuit until Brown was able to ease the gelding into the clear at the 400m mark and follow the $5.50 chance Illawong Mustang.  

Loucid Dreams then surged forward, out three wide and was sixth on the home turn before charging home to get up in the final couple of strides to beat $12 chance Rock Me Over, who had taken the lead with 225m to travel after racing in the breeze for much of the way.

“I was impressed that Loucid Dreams hit the line after he had burnt out of the gate so hard,” said Brown. “I needed to get to the rail after that, and I was adamant I was going to get to the fence. I got there just in the nick of time, and I probably wouldn’t have won if he hadn’t got there.”

Loucid Dreams, trained by Colin Brown and raced by his wife Lyn in partnership with Liam O’Connor, Barrie Devereaux and Jim Currie, was purchased for $40,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale and has proved a sound investment, having earned $122,047 from nine wins and 18 placings from 53 starts.

Hat-trick for Medieval Man

Veteran pacer Medieval Man is flourishing in the twilight of his career, and he completed a hat-trick of wins when Maddison Brown drove him to a tough victory in the $19,000 Happy 98TH birthday Hubert Tucker Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He was generally overlooked by punters and started at the gift odds of $21.70, with the polemarker Lets Get Rockin ($2.10 favourite) and last-start winner Lamandier ($2.75) dominating betting.

Lamandier began from barrier five and challenged hard for the early lead but was unable to cross Lets Get Rockin, with Medieval Man settling down in sixth position in the one-wide line before Brown sent him forward in the first circuit to race without cover.

Medieval Man finished determinedly to get to the front at the 50m mark before winning by a metre from the pacemaker. The final three quarters were run in 29.5sec., 29.2sec. and 29.7sec. and the winner rated 1.57.5. This gave Brown the first leg of a double, with her second winner coming when Loucid Dreams won later in the evening.

“Medieval Man doesn’t get around the corners the best, so I thought he would be better off outside the leader, rather than making a three-wide run later in the race,” said Brown.

Medieval Man is prepared by Kiara Davies, who races the seven-year-old in partnership with her sister Patrice and their father Graeme, who bred the pacer, a son of group 1 star Renaissance Man, and out of So Crimsonandclova, who raced 34 times for six wins, seven seconds, one third placing and $32,253 in stakes from 34 starts.

Medieval Man has been an excellent moneyspinner, with his 138 starts producing 22 wins and 22 placings for earnings of $204,554. Kiara Davies was not on course on Friday night when she was attending an end-of-the-season wind-up function for her netball side Mundijong.

Her partner Michael Young was in charge of Medieval Man on Friday night when he said: “He is not an overly talented horse, so to win $200,000 is a good effort.”

Ambitious plans for Chivalry

Chivalry was seen in his familiar role of pacemaker when trainer Lindsay Harper took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier and drove him to a smart all-the-way win in the $23,000 HTA Reaching For The Top Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“We’re heading for the big races, and hopefully he will do the job,” said Harper, referring to the rich feature events for four-year-olds later this year.

The New Zealand-bred Chivalry, the $1.70 favourite, has done all his racing in Australia for 11 wins, six placings and $78,457. He won once from two starts in New South Wales and was successful at three of his seven Victorian appearances before entering Harper’s stables, with his 16 WA starts producing seven wins and two placings.

Chivalry was able to coast through the opening quarters of 30.3sec. and 29.9sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 29sec. on his way to winning by a length from the $3.80 second favourite Soho Dow Jones, who battled on gamely after racing in the breeze.

Chivalry is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is the fifth foal out of Artsplace mare Bedtime, who earned $56,798 from nine wins and nine placings from 38 starts.

His half-sister Dontstopbelievin won once from six New Zealand starts before winning ten times from 45 starts in Western Australia. She then travelled to America where she has won another 14 times, and now boasts a record of 130 starts for 25 wins, 30 placings and stakes of $230,975.

Joss misses Tashs Spartan’s win

Veteran trainer Colin Joss, a much-admired horseman and trainer of the legendary champion pacer Satinover, was in bed in at the Peel hospital on Friday night when a new arrival at his Ravenswood stable Tasha Spartan made a successful debut at Gloucester Park.

His wife Pauline deputised as the five-year-old gelding’s trainer when Ryan Warwick drove him to victory as a $19.10 chance in the 2130m HTA Access Solutions Pace.

Joss awoke on Friday morning feeling unwell and was taken to hospital where he was found to be suffering from pneumonia.

The 75-year-old Joss, the renowned trainer of the brilliant Satinover, who was a star in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which time he won 19 races in succession, trained the outstanding pacer Palimar and he also enjoyed considerable successes with The Die Is Cast, Village Steel, Level One, Courage Tells and many others.

He has reduced his involvement in harness racing in recent years, and Tashs Spartan is currently the only pacer under his care. Joss has had only five starters this season, including Good Day Sunshine, who was his previous winner before Friday night when she won at a Tuesday meeting at Gloucester Park on April 18, 2023.

This season and in the five previous seasons Joss has trained seven winners while enjoying a semi-retirement from harness racing.

The New South Wales-bred Tashs Spartan is owned by Pauline Joss in partnership with stable client Craig Bradshaw. He was having his second start in Western Australia on Friday night, following his first-up fourth as a $61 outsider behind Master Leighton at Bunbury three Tuesdays ago.

Tashs Spartan began from the inside of the back line in Friday’s race when he raced three back on the pegs in fifth place while Major Overs ($6.50) was setting the pace from Major Freeway in the breeze.

Warwick cleverly eased Tashs Spartan off the pegs 600m from home and the gelding went four wide at the 250m mark before finishing stoutly to get to the front 115m from the post and then fighting on win by a head from $9.50 chance Seven No Trumps, who ran home strongly from the rear. Major Freeway, who had taken the lead 500m from home, was third.

Tashs Spartan is by former star pacer Tintin In America and is the fifth foal out of Roses For Tash, who earned $115,188 from 18 wins and 32 placings from 86 starts. The highlight of Roses For Tash’s career was her second to Second Dollar in the group 1 New South Wales Sires Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Harold Park in June 2007.

Tashs Spartan now has raced 43 times for nine wins, 11 placings and $55,603.

Orphan colt reigns supreme

Sebastian James, an orphan colt who became a pet for breeder Steve Johnson, his wife Jeneen and their daughter Charlotte, chalked up his fourth win in succession after a debut third placing when he set the pace and held on grimly to win the group 2 $100,000 Pearl Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Sebastian James, a colt by American sire Captain Crunch and owned by Steve Johnson and his daughter, and trained by Katja Warwick is still learning to race, and his four wins have all come after leading and holding on to score by a narrow margin.

“He is well educated but is very casual,” said leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “It helps when you get a good barrier (No. 1), and it is great to get the drive after Chris (Lewis) jumped off (at his latest three starts after he had driven him at his first two starts for a debut third placing and a win).”

Lewis opted to drive stablemate Hold The Ammo, who was a $21 chance from the outside of the back line in Friday night’s classic over 2130m.

“It’s great to get the steer on this kind of horse,” said Suvaljko. “In the closing stages Sebastian James had plenty left. I had to hold him back on the corner (to keep Im Massimo, the $2.75 favourite, in a pocket), and that’s not ideal.

“I had to wait until Im Massimo (a smart heat winner) finally got clear (about 220m from home) and went three deep until I went for Sebastian James. He gave me a great kick for 50 metres, and then he kind of said ‘where are they?’”

Sebastian James held on gamely to beat the $61 outsider Belly Up, who flew home to lose by a nose after racing in sixth position in the one-wide line for reinsman Stuart McDonald. Im Massimo was 5m farther back in third place, a nose ahead of $51 outsider Como El Viento, who finished strongly from last at the bell.

Sebastian James, the $2.80 second favourite who rated 1.57.7, has won at four of his five starts for earnings of $92,711. “His dam Nina Sue died two days after he was born and he was raised by Charlotte and a couple of mares,” said Steve Johnson. “And he became a family pet and that’s why he didn’t go to the yearling sale.”

Hold The Ammo, a Sweet Lou colt bred by Johnson, did go to the yearling sale where he was purchased for $140,000 by Tom Erceg. Hold The Ammon broke in the score-up in Friday night’s race and lost about eight lengths. He made up a lot of ground to be seventh on the pegs at the bell before wilting to finish tenth in the field of twelve.