Gloucester Park review

Flying filly ready to soar

“We’ll have a crack,” declared Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Shane Young when he announced that star filly Wonderful To Fly would tackle the State’s best colts and geldings in the $125,000 Choices Flooring Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park next Friday night.

Young was on a high after driving Wonderful To Fly to a magnificent victory in the $30,000 Gold Bracelet on Friday night, with the $1.30 favourite outclassing her nine rivals and winning by more than nine lengths from Dontbesillychilli at a 1.57.8 rate over the 2130m journey. Watch the replay here.

Young is not particularly concerned that only eight fillies have won in the 53-year history of the Golden Slipper, a Group 1 feature event for two-year-olds.

“Wonderful To Fly is developing into a really smart horse,” he said. “She has pulled up as good as gold and we’ll have a crack next week. I wouldn’t consider running her in the Slipper unless I believed she would at least be competitive.

“I don’t like to knock them, but there is no stand-out among the colts and geldings this season, though You’re So Fine obviously is pretty smart. It’s a good group of colts and geldings, and with a reasonable draw my filly can perform strongly.”

Young considers that Wonderful To Fly is a better filly than Rosies Ideal, who he drove to victory in the 2017 Gold Bracelet before tackling the colts and geldings in the Golden Slipper the following week. “Rosies Ideal punched the breeze and finished fourth behind Jack Mac in the Slipper when another filly Cott Beach finished second.”

The inaugural Golden Slipper in 1968 was won by Vince Chalker’s filly Sordice, and since then the successful fillies in the Slipper have been Omista (1971), Via Vista (1980), Mazzini Magic (1988), Whitbys Miss Penny (1990), Whitbys Merit (1993), Spirit of Navajo (2005) and Arma Xpress (2012).

In recent years, some of the highly-rated fillies who have contested the Golden Slipper without success have been Centrefold Angel (second in 2009), Miss Baypoint (third in 2010), Sensational Gabby (ninth in 2011), Dodolicious (second in 2015), Sheer Rocknroll (third in 2015), Dracarys (seventh in 2018), Some Copper Beach (third in 2019) and Black Jack Baby (11th in 2020).

Wonderful To Fly is in peak form, with stylish wins at each of her past four starts, taking her record to 12 starts for seven wins and three placings for stakes of $135,624.

On Friday night she began smartly from the No. 5 barrier and settled down in third position, three back on the pegs, before Young urged her forward after 400m to burst to the front. She was not extended in sprinting over the final quarters in 28.5sec. and 28.7sec.

“Winning that easily didn’t shock me,” said Young. “She felt really sharp in the preliminary and she is capable of recording faster times.”

Harper earns a star billing

Byford trainer-reinsman Donald Harper completed a memorable evening for his family when he drove his promising three-year-old filly Our Star Billing to an all-the-way victory in the Support Breast Cancer Awareness Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Watch the replay here.

He was simply following the pattern set earlier in the night by his father Lindsay and younger brother Kyle, who had landed all-the-way winners.

Thirty-year-old Kyle Harper got the ball rolling, driving the Kyle Anderson-trained Al Guerrero to victory with his victory, before 61-year-old Lindsay Harper was successful with Thereugo.

Donald Harper (33) drove an extremely canny race with $3 second fancy Our Star Billing to defeat the $2.20 favourite Black Jack Baby in the 2130m event for three-year-old fillies.

From the No. 1 barrier, Our Star Billing resisted a brief early challenge from $13 chance Just For Love before dawdling through the lead time in a very slow 40.6sec. and then ambling through the opening quarter of the final mile in 33.sec.

Chris Voak restrained Black Jack Baby from the outside barrier in the field of eight and he was reluctant to dash forward in the first lap when it appeared obvious that Emily Suvaljko, driving $9.50 chance Captains Beachbabe, would not relinquish the breeze position.

After a modest second quarter of 30.8sec. Harper increased the tempo and Our Star Billing sprinted over the third 400m section in 27.7sec. while Black Jack Baby (last at the bell) was following Rumour Has It’s three-wide forward thrust.

Black Jack Baby went four wide on the home turn and sustained her spirited finishing burst to fail by a head to overhaul Our Star Billing, who covered the final 400m in 28.4sec.

“Black Jack Baby had beaten home Our Star Billing at our two previous meetings, but on the sectionals tonight I made it very difficult for her,” said Harper. “Black Jack Baby probably ran a very quick final 1200m, and we were still able to beat her.

“In the home straight Our Star Billing did not want to let Black Jack Baby go past her. She’s got that sort of attitude, even in trackwork. Our Star Billing has kept improving and she hasn’t shown any signs of backing off (needing a spell).”

Our Star Billing, bred and owned by Bob Fowler, won once from 15 starts as a two-year-old before blossoming as a three-year-old, with her six starts this season producing two wins, two seconds, a third and a fourth placing.

By Follow The Stars, Our Star Billing is the second foal out of the Mach Three mare Adaptability, who had 24 starts without a win and three placings for earnings of $4539. However, Our Star Billing is closely related to the former New Zealand star pacer Changeover, who amassed $2,321,676 in prizemoney from 29 wins and 16 placings from 66 starts.

Al Guerrero is a one-trick pony

Four-year-old WA-bred pacer Al Guerroro, described by his breeder, part-owner and trainer Kyle Anderson as a one-trick pony, boosted his earnings past the $100,000 mark when he gave another stylish front-running display to score an easy victory over Bettor Copagoodone and Blue Blazer in the 2130m Donate Now To Pacing For Pink Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Watch the replay here.

“All his 12 wins have come from leading,” said the 33-year-old Anderson. “He is pretty one-dimensional, but it is not a bad dimension to have here at Gloucester Park. He is a one-trick pony but is still green in the head. If he draws badly, we will sit him up and teach him (how to come from behind).”

“The plan in this preparation was to work his way through the grades, and at the end of the preparation we could get an idea how he could measure up to Free-For-All grade. I’m not saying that he’s up to that class, but I think that he has proven that when he is in front, he can give them a bit of cheek.”

Al Guerrero, a handsome stallion, was favourite at $1.60 from the favourable barrier at No. 2 on Friday night and he was rated perfectly by Kyle Harper. He sprinted over the final 400m in 28.2sec. and rated 1.57.3 in scoring by 4m. This took his record to 40 starts for12 wins and eight placings for stakes of $108,306.

He is the last foal out of Armas Eclipse, an unraced Fully Loaded mare who was purchased by the Anderson family as a brood mare. Al Guerrero certainly has outperformed his siblings, with Anderson saying: “He is clearly streets ahead of the others who have not shown a ton of ability.”

Al Guerrero’s half-brothers have enjoyed moderate success. Ohoka Chief had 128 starts for three wins, 22 placings and $31,271; Call Me Ernie raced 114 times for 11 wins, 25 placings and $61,852; and Over Armed had 88 starts for three wins, 14 placings and stakes of $30,364.

Thereugo ends losing sequence of 19

Renowned front-runner Thereugo ended a seven-month drought and broke a losing sequence of 19 when Martin trainer Lindsay Harper drove him to an all-the-way victory in the 2130m Community TAB Supporting Pacing For Pink Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Watch the replay here.

Starting second favourite at $3.80, Thereugo began speedily from the No. 4 barrier, took up the running after 100m and was untroubled to lead all the way and beat $7.50 chance Jimmy Mack by a half-length at a 1.58.4 rate, with Tiffany Rose a half-head away in third place.

Dredlock Rockstar, the 12-year-old polemarker, was the $2.60 favourite, but he lacked early sparkle, trailed the pacemaker and did not threaten any serious danger in finishing sixth.

Thereugo has been a consistent performer for much of his 101-start career which has produced 23 wins and 22 placings for earnings of $228,328. He is by American sire McArdle and is out of the Live Or Die mare Janice Franco, who earned $76,782 from eight wins and 19 placings from 110 starts.

Mini Mine Yet bounces back

Mini Mine Yet, a pony-sized New Zealand-bred mare, continued the great run of success of trainer Nathan Turvey and young driver Emily Suvaljko when she bounced back to top form by scoring a smart victory in the 2130m Support The McGrath Foundation Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Mini Mine Yet was a hot favourite at $1.50 from the prized No. 1 barrier after she had been unplaced at her previous four appearances from unfavourable barriers when she started at outside quotes of $26, $101, $91 and $51.

She was beaten for early speed by the $4.40 second fancy Rebel With A Grin, who was able to have an easy time in front with a slow lead time of 38.6sec. and a very slow opening quarter of 32.6sec.

Mini Mine Yet became hemmed in on the pegs in the final circuit when $11 chance Pierre Whitby moved to the breeze. However, Suvaljko did not panic and was able to ease the mare off the inside approaching the home turn before she finished fast to overhaul Rebel With A Grin in the final few strides.

“We weren’t really sure of her gate speed, and she got crossed tonight,” said Turvey. “I didn’t think that she would get clear, but Emily did a good job to get her off, and she won pretty easily.”

Turvey chose Mini Mine Yet after being impressed with her ability as he watched recordings of New Zealand races. “I picked her out and liked her, a little horse with a bit of speed,” he said. “She hasn’t been my best success story, but she was only cheap and will end up being good. I that in open races for mares she will be competitive.”

Mini Mine Yet, who is owned by Turvey in partnership with a syndicate of Narrogin people, Rick Shields, of Narrogin, and Melbourne resident Michael Hill, has had 19 starts in WA for three wins and five placings for an overall record of 41 starts for eight wins, 11 placings and $62,136.

She is by American sire A Rocknroll Dance and is the first foal out of New Zealand mare Seven Point One, who had 38 starts for six wins, five placings and $50,203.

Let-up aids Fifty Five Reborn

Four-year-old mare Fifty Five Reborn is reaping the rewards of a beneficial respite from racing and she chalked up her second win in the space of eight days when ace trainer Colin Brown drove her to an impressive victory over the $1.55 favourite Balcatherine in the 2130m Thank You McGrath Foundation Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Watch the replay here.

“I think it is because we gave her four to five weeks off,” said Brown. “She has returned as a happy horse, and maybe she is maturing. She is relaxing in her races.”

Asked whether he was confident Fifty Five Reborn could beat the talented Balcatherine, Brown said: “With the advantage of the draw and the fact that this was Fifty Five Reborn’s fourth start after her spell, and that this was Balcatherine’s first start for a month, I thought we could beat her.

“But if we didn’t beat her tonight, we were never going to beat her. Balcatherine is a quality horse, whereas Fifty Five Reborn is a nice horse. There is definitely a difference in ability.”

Regarding Fifty Five Reborn’s prospects in feature events for mares, Brown said: “You can’t say no; she will just keep doing her thing, but she is never going to be one of those mares that everybody goes ‘wow.’ We just go wow every time she wins a race because we don’t expect what she produces.

“She is small but is very strong behind, being powerfully built in the hindquarters. She now has probably cemented a place in the breeding barn when she has finished racing, whenever that may be. Her mother (the unraced Bettors Delight mare Arma Fifty Five) went to a $1000 stallion (service fee) and I will want to be spending a bit more for her mating.”

Fifty Five Reborn has already earned $146,843 from 12 wins and four placings from 39 starts. She was second favourite at $4.80 on Friday night from barrier six. Brown drove aggressively and Fifty Five Reborn surged forward from the outset to take the lead 400m after the start. Balcatherine settled in last position before she dashed forward after a lap to race in the breeze. She fought on gamely but was beaten by five metres.

Alta Blues has come of age

Alta Blues, an unruly pacer as a youngster, did not race as a two-year-old and then frequently paced roughly and broke in running during seven trials as a three-year-old before he made his debut in a race at Pinjarra 13 months ago – when he broke and dropped back to last before finishing strongly to win easily.

He was frustrating to say the least, but perseverance by champion trainer Gary Hall snr and his son, star reinsman Gary Hall jnr, is paying handsome dividends.

Now a four-year-old, Alta Blues has come of age and looks set for many more victories. Favourite at $1.30, Alta Blues dashed to the front after 100m and gave a powerful frontrunning exhibition to score an easy victory over Vespa in the 2536m Be Breast Aware Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. It was a commanding performance which saw him sprint over the final quarters in 28.9sec. and 27.3sec. Watch the replay here.

“He went super,” said Hall jnr. “He is quite a nice horse, and he will be in Free-For-All company very quickly – when he will be tested. In his early days he was hanging, hitting his knee and breaking up, and he didn’t know how to handle it.

“Now he still hits his knee, but he works through it. We have tried spreaders, but he was no better. Without them, you’re better off.”

Alta Blue, owned by Sue Thistlethwaite and Karen Hall, has earned $79,096 from nine wins and four seconds from 17 starts. By former star pacer Alta Christiano, Alta Blues is the eighth foal out of Child From The Sea, who raced 36 times in Canada for seven wins, six placings and $34,647.

Child From The Sea is a half-sister to former American champion pacer and now successful sire Somebeachsomewhere, who had 21 starts for 20 wins and one placing for stakes of $3,328,755.

Gambit’s successful Australian debut

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Gambit is a big heavily-built horse standing almost 16 hands and champion trainer Gary Hall snr makes no secret that he dislikes big pacers.

But Hall is prepared to make an exception and is looking forward to Gambit developing into a top-flight performer in Western Australia.

Gambit, making his first appearance for six months and the $2.40 favourite from the No. 7 barrier, made a successful Australian debut when he beat Pocket The Cash and Shanway in the 2130m Pacing For Pink WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Watch the replay here.

Gary Hall jnr had no hesitation in sending Gambit forward, three wide, during a slow lead time of 39.5sec. and then was content to get the gelding to relax in the breeze with $2.50 chance Pocket The Cash setting a moderate pace with opening quarters of 31.7sec. and 29.1sec.

Then the race changed tempo with final 400m sections of 27.8sec. and 28.5sec., with Gambit getting to the front 50m from the post and winning by a metre at a 1.58.3 rate.

“He lost form at his final few runs in New Zealand,” said Hall snr. “It now seems that he is back to something near to his best, and he should be improved by the run. They walked early but ran the last half quick enough. He did all the work and won comfortably.

“I will set him for the Cups at the end of the year if he can get up to that level. He has beaten some good horses in New Zealand and has definitely got the ability.

“However, I don’t like big horses. Zakara would’ve been the biggest horse I’ve trained, and he wasn’t that big. I haven’t had any really big horses. I prefer smaller horses. Beaudiene Boaz, The Falcon Strike, Im Themightyquinn, Chicago Bull and My Hard Copy were all on the small side.”

Gambit is by American sire Shadow Play and is the eighth and last foal out of New Zealand-bred mare Whata Breeze, who raced 38 times for four wins, 12 placings and $42,639. Gambit’s maternal granddam Reign In New York produced Immortal Quest, who raced successfully in New Zealand, Australia and America before being retired after a 103-start career produced 30 wins, 29 placings and $449,590.

Bond stars are shining

The powerful Greg and Sky Bond stable showcased two of their star four-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Patronus Star and Minstrel scored impressive victories and indicated that they will be leading contenders for the rich Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups in the summer.

“The big Cups, that’s what we’re aiming at,” said star reinsman Ryan Warwick. “But it’s only July and there’s a long way to go.

“Patronus Star and Minstrel are pretty good, but they are totally different, just the way they go about their business. With Patronus Star you know what you’ve got in the tank. With Minstrel, you don’t; he is just lethargic, and he doesn’t travel like you know much he’s got in reserve. But there is always something there.”

Warwick drove confidently to land Patronus Star, second fancy at $2.60, to a head victory over the $2.50 favourite Major Times in the 1730m #Pacingforpink Pace, and $1.40 favourite Minstrel an easy winner in the Follow Pacing For Pink WA On Instagram Handicap, a stand over 2503m.

Minstrel, having his second start after a four-month absence, raced in last place for a lap before Warwick sent him forward to race without cover while $7.50 chance Major Artist was setting a solid pace. Minstrel strolled to the front with 420m to travel and won by three lengths from $14 chance Bettor Pack It, covering the final 800m in 58.2sec. He was not extended. Watch the replay here.

The only reason why Minstrel contested a stand was that the mobile events he had been nominated for fell over. Minstrel, a winner at 10 of his 20 starts for earnings of $227,168, has won at six of his nine starts in Western Australia after he raced ten times in New Zealand for four wins. He has made one appearance at Menangle when he contested the Chariots Of Fire in February this year, eight nights after his victory over Magnificent Storm and Patronus Star in the Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park. He had a tough run and finished ninth behind Expensive Ego in the Chariots.

Patronus Star began fast from the No. 3 barrier on Friday night and set a brisk pace with quarters of 28.7sec., 29.3sec., 27.9sec. and 28sec. when he held on to score a head victory over Major Times, who fought on with great determination after working in the breeze. Watch the replay here.

This followed his somewhat disappointing third-up effort a week earlier when he set the pace and wilted to finish fifth behind Shockwave in a fast-run 2130m Free-For-All.

“Patronus Star was definitely better tonight,” said Warwick. “I was disappointed with his run last week. “His first-up win was soft, probably too soft to do him any benefit. His second run when a nose second to Mighty Conqueror appeared like he needed the run, and last week I thought that maybe the expectation was a bit high for a horse of his ability. However, he was pretty good tonight.

“I thought that when I pulled the pull-downs tonight, he didn’t react as he should. He raced with pull-downs in New Zealand and as a three-year-old here. I released them just after we cornered when the other horse (Major Times) started to make a bit of ground. He felt like he didn’t run through the line one hundred per cent. I think that where he is right now, he’s probably better without them.”

Friday night’s win by Patronus Star at a 1.53.5 rate improved his record to 25 starts for 13 wins, seven placings and $319,887. His seven starts in New Zealand produced two wins and three placings, and he has raced 18 times in WA for 11 wins and four placings, with the highlight being his victory over Major Martini in the WA Derby in April of last year.

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park