Gloucester Park Review, Friday 27th February 2026

Hez The Boss on target for riches

Further rich plums are on the menu for exciting youngster Hez the Boss after he carried too many guns for his rivals when he sped to victory in the $125,000 APG WA Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Ace trainer Colin Brown has a high opinion of the gelding, who will be aimed at further lucrative events later in the year.

Hez the Boss will now be sent for a spell before being prepared for the $250,000 Pearl Classic (August 7), the $215,000 Westbred Classic (September 4) and the $150,000 Golden Slipper (September 25).

Hez The Boss was the $2.30 second fancy from out wide at barrier eight on Friday night, and Gary Hall Jnr was aiming to race the gelding with a sit.

“I was planning on sitting him up and hoping that there would be plenty of speed before using Hez The Boss’s fast sprint,” said Hall. “I saw that no one was going early, and a gap appeared, one out and one back. I had my eye on that, but I just missed getting there. So, I just kept going.”

Hez the Boss then surged to the front after 450m, and he was able to cruise through the second 400m section in 30.9sec. before covering the next quarters in 29.3sec. and 29sec. to win by just over two lengths from $71 outsider Rip Tide, who was fastest to begin (from barrier seven) and then enjoyed the perfect trail behind the frontrunning Hez The Boss.

Ideal Whisper, the $2.20 favourite, raced three back on the pegs and was badly hemmed in during the final circuit before finally getting clear in the late stages and finishing fast into third place.

Hez the Boss is by the Somebeachsomewhere stallion Poster Boy and is the seventh foal out of New Zealand-bred mare Falcons Gem, who was retired after racing three times as a three-year-old at Pinjarra in August 2011for a third, fourth and fifth placing for earnings of $827.

Falcons Gem’s claim to fame is that she is a younger sister of Ebony Gem, who won the 2008 Chariots Of Fire at Harold Park, beating Lombo Pocket Watch by a half-head.

Falcons Gem is also the dam of Menemsha, who has earned $357,859 from eight wins and 18 placings from 45 starts, including the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in September 2023 three weeks after winning the Pearl Classic and a year before finishing second to Christopher Dance in the WA Derby, and then as a four-year-old winning the group 3 August Cup from Rolling Fire.

Brown now has won the Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings three times, with his previous successes as a trainer and driver being with Armadon (2002) and Its Rock And Roll (2018).

For Hall, Friday night’s success was his sixth in the classic, following the wins of Blissfull Boy (2010), Black Aquila (2011), Almightyjoelouis (2016), Valedictorian (2022) and Ideal Beach (2025).

Hall gained the drive behind Hez The Boss after his partner Maddison Brown recommended him to her father (Colin) because she was planning to be in Melbourne in recent weeks as the track rider and strapper for WA galloper and the 2025 Railway Stakes winner Watch Me Rock during his Victorian campaign.

Colin Brown said that before Maddison drove Hez The Boss on his debut at Pinjarra on January 26, the gelding couldn’t run a mile quicker than 2.5 on the track,  and then revealed great pace on debut when leading and sprinting over the final quarters in 28sec. and 27.9sec. before finishing a nose second to Seaside Serenade.

Hall has now driven Hez The Boss three times for three impressive victories. The gelding has earned $84,636. He was purchased for $100,000 by Liam O’Connor at the 2025 APG Perth yearling sale.

“Liam then asked breeders Trevor and Colleen Lindsay if they would like a 20 per cent share in Hez The Boss, an offer they were happy to accept,” said Brown. 

Bell’s classic hat-trick

Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell and owners Albert and Julie Walmsley completed a hat-trick of victories in the $125,000 APG Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies when Liam Elliott drove Seaside Serenade to an effortless all-the-way victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Seaside Serenade, the $1.04 favourite, coasted to a two-length victory over the $10 second fancy All Out Of Aces to remain undefeated after four starts, netting the owners $88,222 in prizemoney after purchasing the filly for $35,000 after she had been passed in when failing to reach her reserve price of $30,000 at the 2025 Perth APG yearling sale.

Bell and the Walmsleys had combined to win the two previous Sales Classic events for two-year-old fillies with Copper Head Lady beating her stablemate Bettagetonpip in 2024 and Ma Petite Dame leading and winning from Wishing Belle last year.

Seaside Serenade was bred by Kevin Charles, and she is the second foal out of the Sportswriter mare Tenniele Erin, who won the Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2017. Tenniele Erin’s first foal Koojan has won at two of his first eleven starts and looks set for good career.

Early next year Bell and the Walmsleys will be looking forward to equalling the performance of trainer-reinsman Trevor Warwick and breeder-owner Mick Lombardo, who won the Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies four years in a row, scoring with Concorde Lombo (1996), Tailamade Lombo (1997), Lombo Rapida (1998) and Lombo Quest (1999).

“Seaside Serenade is a mature filly who is on tired legs at the moment,” said Bell. “All week we have been keeping her nice and fresh, and she will now go for a spell.

“She will chill at home before I drop her off at Albert’s property in Success on Tuesday. She will stay there for four to six weeks, and then the plan will be for her to have four more starts as a two-year-old,  in a heat and hopefully the final of the $250,000 Diamond Classic (on August 7) and in a heat and the final of the $215,000 Westbred Classic the following month.”

Bell, Elliott and the Walmsleys completed doubles on Friday night when Franco Encore bounced back to his best form with an easy win in the APG, Industry Owned, Not For Profit Pace over 1730m.

Franco Encore, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old, was the $3.20 favourite who began speedily from the No. 4 barrier to burst to the front after 150m, and after an opening 800m of a casual 60sec. he sprinted over the final quarters in 27.5sec. and 28sec. to win by five lengths from $7 chance Hotly Pursued, with Tualou ($4) exploding from tenth with 50m to travel to finish a spectacular third.

“Franco Encore is starting to live up to what I’ve always thought he could be,” said Bell. “It was nice to get the slow sectionals early, and he will back up in the Pinjarra Cup on Monday when I don’t think he will disgrace himself.

“At home, he is now starting to cop the work better than ever, and he is starting to become the full package. He is not purely a frontrunner; he has good high speed and given the right circumstances he can come from behind.”

Elliott said that this was the perfect race for Franco Encore. “He has been crying out for a (favourable) draw, and has been racing without luck, bolting to the line with the plugs in.”

Albert Walmsley went on a buying spree at the APG standardbred yearling sale on Sunday when he outlaid $946,000 to purchase five fillies and four colts. He paid the top price of $200,000 at the sale to buy a full sister to Seaside Serenade, and he also spent $180,000 for a half brother to Hez The Boss, who won the Sales Classic for colts and geldings on Friday night.

Others prominent at Sunday’s sales included Jim Giumelli and Team Bond, with Giumelli parting with $533,000 to buy eight yearlings. Team Bond outlaid $355,000 for four yearlings.

McDonald’s pleasant surprise

Stuart McDonald was contemplating his tactics for the three pacers he was due to handle at Gloucester Park on Friday night as he drove a truckload of horses to the course when his hands-free mobile phone tinkled.

The caller was Jemma Hayman, the trainer of smart six-year-old Lincoln River, a warm favourite for race two, the $21,000 Australian Pacing Gold Pace over 2130m.

“Jemma told me that Abbey Vidovich was unwell and unable to drive at the meeting and asked me if I would like to jump on,” said McDonald. “I was quite happy to oblige and found that Lincoln River, a horse I had not driven before, was a really nice pacer.

“He felt like he has a lot of ability and a lot of high speed, and he should take the step up to the next grade.”

Lincoln River, the $1.60 favourite, began smartly from barrier three but was beaten for early speed by the polemarker Xcite Me ($7) and the $61 outsider Louie Lebeau, leaving McDonald quite content to take a perfect trail in the one-out and one-back position.

McDonald eased Lincoln River three wide approaching the turn into the back straight in the final lap and the gelding burst to the front and careered away to win by eight lengths from $126 outsider Follow Rocknroll, who fought on well from eighth at the bell.

Lincoln River sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 27.8sec. and rated 1.55.5 as he improved his record to 76 starts for ten wins, 19 placings and $148,634 in stakes. He has raced eight times in WA for three wins and two seconds and looks set for many more successes. He is by Bettors Delight and is out of New Zealand mare Ideal Belle, who earned $204,316 from seven wins and 13 placings from just 34 starts.

“I had plans of leading, but he didn’t quite show the speed I wanted from him” explained McDonald. “And I wasn’t going to puy my eggs in one basket by trying to lead.

“I knew he could win from any other position, so I was happy to let them go and hold my spot. I went to make a mid-race move, but the breeze wasn’t there, so I sat back down and waited until the 600m. And when I pulled out, I heard the leader (Xcite Me) and the breeze horse (Louie Lebeau) lock wheels. So, I let Lincoln River loose, and he dashed away.”

Later in the program another horse who was due to be driven by Vidovich was successful, with Gary Hall jnr filling in and driving the Bob Mellsop-trained $2.90 favourite Girl Of Brightness to victory in a slowly-run Supporting Womencan Pace over 2130m.

Hall’s newcomers impress

Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr is getting more involved in training, and two New Zealand-bred newcomers to his Serpentine stable, Reset The Bar and Final Collect, gave him a training double at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Each pacer was having his second start for Hall and showed that they will win more races in better company.

Reset The Bar, a $5.60 chance from barrier five in the 2130m APG Perth Yearling Sale Pace, was in sixth place at the bell and under lock and key on the pegs before he got clear approaching the home turn and flew home, three wide, to get up and snatch victory by a half-head from the pacemaker and $2.25 favourite Sugar Shake.

Reset The Bar challenged unsuccessfully for the early lead before getting to the inside and being shuffled back as the early leader Cee Dee Three ($6) surrendered the lead to Sugar Shake after 500m.

“Things felt okay when I got there (behind the leader), though I probably should have stayed one off and then pushed my way to the front when Sugar Shake was coming,” said Hall. “I didn’t think he was going to get there (to win) when I got out, but he knuckled down well.

“Reset The Bar is a nice horse at home, but when he comes here, he’s a bit of a pain who jumps and throws his head around. However, he is good to drive.”

Reset The Bar is a lightly-raced Sweet Lou five-year-old who has now had 20 starts for seven wins, three placings and $66,729. His younger half-brother Full Swing Denario has impressed, with his 15 starts (all in WA) producing seven wins, four placings and $57,983.

Final Collect, an Art Major six-year-old, was a warm $1.80 favourite from out wide at barrier seven in the 2130m APG Perth Yearling Sale This Sunday Pace. He settled at the rear before Hall quickly sent him forward to get to the breeze outside $61 outsider Burghley Shard.

After a slow opening quarter of 31sec. Hall sent Final Collect to the front with 1300m to travel. The final quarters were run in 28sec. and 28.9sec. and Final Collect, rating 1.57.2, won by a length from $34 chance Manhattan Moon, who ran on from eighth at the bell.

Final Collect won at two of his 12 New Zealand appearances and then had 48 starts in Victoria for six wins and 13 placings. His record now stands at 62 starts for nine wins, 16 placings and stakes of $175,974. He is out of the Mach Three mare Collectable, who earned $111,038 from three wins (in New Zealand) and eight placings from 26 starts.    

Final Collect gave Hall his third winner on Friday night, and he finished with a quartet of wins after scoring in the final event with Girl Of Brightness.

Penny Black warmed up for next Friday night’s $50,000 Lombardo Pace in fine style with a strong first-up victory in the $25,000 APGold.com.au Pace over 2130m. The Michael Young-trained mare was the $1.80 favourite who was driven confidently by Emily Suvaljko, racing without cover while Wonderful To Fly ($14) was setting the pace.

Penny Black got to the front on the home turn and held on to win by a neck from $17 chance Madam Publisher, who ran on determinedly after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.

Penny Black rated 1.56.6 after final quarters of 27.3sec. and 28.1sec. She has raced 41 times for 17 wins and 12 placings for stakes of $403,075.

Miss Leopatra, the $4.30 second fancy, ended Wishing Belle’s winning sequence of seven when she set the pace from the No. 1 barrier in a 2130m event for three-year-old fillies and rated 1.55.7 over the 2130m to beat Wishing Belle, the $1.55 favourite, who began from the outside barrier in the field of eight at her first start after a six-month absence.

Miss Leopatra, driven confidently by Jocelyn Young for trainer Cameron Ross, has won twice from eight starts and is assured of a bright career.

Nine-year-old New South Wales-bred Trittrittbangbang celebrated his 236TH start with an upset victory as a $28.50 chance in the 2130m Harness Racing Is Our Focus Pace.

Trittrittbangbang was driven by Shannon Suvaljko for part-owner and trainer Matt Scott. He began from the inside of the back line and raced three back on the pegs while Bettor Move Along ($10) was setting the pace.

Suvaljko got Trittrittbangbang into the clear 220m from home and the veteran pacer was sixth at the 100m before charging home, out four wide, to snatch victory by a half-neck from $5.50 chance My Little Big Man, who had taken the lead in the home straight.

This was the evergreen Trittrittbangbang’s first metro-class success and took his earnings to $200,297 from 24 wins and 46 placings.