Gloucester Park review 22nd August

Gloucester Park harness racing review with Ken Casellas

WATER LOU REIGNS SUPREME

Brilliant youngster Water Lou (Sweet Lou) gave further proof that she is the State’s best two-year-old filly when she crushed her rivals in the $100,000 GPHR Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night and showed that she has next month’s $215,000 Westbred Classic at her mercy.

She is now unbeaten at seven starts, and her easy victory gave veteran Kevin Keys his third group 1 training success, following wins with Itsallabout Nicole in the Pearl Classic on June 19, 2009, and Batavia Touchngo in the Sires Series final for two-year-old fillies a week later.

WATER LOU REPLAY

 

Remarkably, Water Lou followed the same pattern as Batavia Touchngo, who was driven by Gary Hall Jnr and began speedily from out wide at barrier No. 8 to set the pace ands go on and win from Centrefold Angel.

And that was the plan on Friday night when Water Lou started from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the 2130m Diamond Classic. Shannon Suvaljko got Water Lou away brilliantly and the filly burst straight to the front and went on to win by just under two lengths from Miss Hepburn, who trailed the leader all the way.

“It’s hard to cross to the front from a wide barrier in 2130m races,” said Keys. “But that was the plan to try to zap them at the start. I expected a bit of a tussle, and I was very impressed with the way Water Lou went. She will probably have a little freshen up before the Westbred Classic (on September 15).”

If Water Lou wins the classic, she could well be set the task of clashing with the State’s best colts and geldings in the $150,000 Golden Slipper on September 29.

Because of the wide barrier Water Lou was great value as the $2.90 second fancy on the tote, with Xceptional Arma the 2.15 favourite from barrier No. 3.

Xceptional Arma was left working hard in the breeze before battling on into fourth place, six lengths behind the winner, who rated 1.57.8, with final quarters of 29sec. and 28.4sec.

Water Lou is by the American sire Sweet Lou and is the eighth foal out of the South Australian-bred mare Living Hei, who was retired after her only start which resulted in a last placing in a C0 event at Bendigo in March 2007.

Before Water Lou, the best of Living Hei’s progeny was the chestnut Erskine Range, who was a prolific winner for trainer-reinsman Colin Brown and was retired with a record of 95 starts for 25 wins, 18 placings and stakes of $255,480.

Prominent owner Jim Giumelli bought Water Lou for $65,000 at the 2022 APG Perth yearling sale, and the filly now has earned $156,165. “It was a good tactic to get to the front tonight, leaving the others with the task of keeping up with her,” said a delighted Giumelli.

Water Lou gave a similar performance to win the $100,000 listed classic event, the Sales Classic for fillies early in March this year, when she began speedily from the outside barrier before setting the pace and winning easily from Xceptional Arma.

GOODFELLAZ TOO GOOD, FIRST-UP

Trainer Debra Lewis produced lightly-raced four-year-old Goodfellaz (American Ideal) in fine fettle for a stylish first-up victory in the $50,000 TABtouch San Simeon Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Driven with supreme confidence by champion reinsman Chris Lewis, Goodfellaz, a $9.10 chance, was not bustled out from barrier six, but was trapped four wide before being eased back to ninth position. However, Lewis was not content to race at the rear and he sent the gelding forward with a three-wide burst after 300m to move to the breeze, with the $1.30 favourite Cotton On setting the pace.

Goodfellaz forged to the front 220m from home and won by more than a length from $19 chance Seeryanfly, who finished strongly after trailing the pacemaker all the way. The final quarters were run in 27.6sec. and 28.6sec., with Goodfellaz rating a smart 1.56.9 over the 2130m journey.

GOODFELLAZ REPLAY

Goodfellaz was most impressive at his first appearance for nine weeks, with Lewis explaining: “He’s had a few little issues along the way, and we have just looked after him.

“He had a fair bit of work under his belt and looking at the field we thought that we had to go forward early and be up there. I knew he was fit. We got carted back early and then had to go forward again.

“After working to get to the breeze he got a bit keen before coming back to me. He did a really good job, and I was rapt in him. The further we went the more confident I was that we could beat Cotton On. He did it quite comfortably in the end.

“He is a half-brother to Restrepo, who was a very good horse, and Goodfellaz will definitely go to fast class.”

Goodfellaz, by American Ideal, is the seventh foal out of Shes Innocent, who was retired to stud after racing 14 times in WA for one win, four placings and $12,460.

Restrepo, Shes Innocent’s first foal, raced 49 times for 19 wins, ten placings and $527,118. His wins included two Group 1 events, the 2013 Coca Cola Sprint at Menangle and the 2014 Ballarat Cup. He also won one Group 2 feature and four Group 3 events. Shes Innocent’s half-sister Innocent Eyes amassed $421,875 from 18 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts.

ROLLING FIRE IS WA DERBY BOUND

South Australian-bred gelding Rolling Fire (Roll With Joe) maintained his steady progress towards the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3 when he extended his winning sequence to four with a commanding victory in the 2536m SEFS Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Justin Prentice-trained gelding was the $2.30 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of seven, and Gary Hall Jnr was content to keep him in last position in the Indian file affair, with the $2.80 second fancy Rocket City setting a solid pace.

Hall sent Rolling Fire forward 1350m from home and the gelding quickly moved to the breeze and finally surged to the front with 120m to travel. He won comfortably by almost two lengths from Rocket City after final 400m, sections of 27.8sec. and 29.1sec.

“Rolling Fire is very lazy and laid back,” said Hall. “I thought I would go forward and put some pressure on the leader from the 1200m. I didn’t expect the back straight quarter in the last lap to be that quick, and then he was still able to finish strongly.

“He is a very nice horse and was terrific tonight. I still can’t believe how he was beaten at his final run in his previous preparation (when a head second to Sorridere in a heat of the Pearl Classic for three-year-olds in May).”

Prentice looks set to hold a strong hand in the WA Derby, with Rolling Fire and Never Ending, who is unbeaten from nine starts, including three Group 1 events as a two-year-old and the Group 3 Pearl from his most recent appearance on May 26 this year. “Never Ending will have a trial next week,” said Prentice.

YOURE SO FINE EXCITES HALL 

Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr is in awe of inexperienced four-year-old Youre So Fine (Always B Miki), who chalked up his sixth win from six starts since resuming after an injury-enforced absence of 19 months when he proved the master of his more experienced rivals in the Nova 93.7 Handicap, a 2503m stand at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Youre So Fine, the $1.50 favourite from barrier three on the front line, raced in fourth place in an Indian file affair with $11 chance Watching Our Coin setting the pace.

Hall eased Youre So Fine off the pegs 1300m from home and then enjoyed the one-out, one-back passage behind Ardens Horizon in the breeze. Youre So Fine was switched three wide 250m from home and he finished solidly to take the lead in the final 35m and win by 2m from the $4.80 second fancy Steel The Show.

The final quarters whizzed by in 28.4sec. and 28.3sec., with Hall saying: “That was a pretty good effort for a horse having only his 14TH start. He is tough and is fast.”

Youre So Fine has won at nine of his 14 starts and is on target for the rich feature events for four-year-olds in the summer.

HILLVIEW BONDI LOVES TO RUN

Hillview Bondi (Somebeachsomewhere) continues to mystify his trainer Ryan Bell, who says that the five-year-old has a mind of his own and won’t compete in races unless he is allowed to do his own thing.

“If you restrain him in a race he simply won’t go,” said Bell. “If you don’t let him run his own race, he won’t compete.

“At home, we can’t get him to go quicker than 3min. 16sec. (over 2400m) or run a quarter faster than 30sec. But then he comes to the races and all he wants to do is to do his thing, and that’s to keep running, and he runs quarters in 28 seconds.”

At Gloucester Park on Friday night Hillview Bondi was the $2.60 second fancy from barrier two in the 1730m Steelos Pace, and Kyle Symington let the five-year-old do his own thing.

After the $126 outsider Ultimate Rocker revealed his normal sparkling gate speed to burst straight to the front from barrier five Hillview Bondi was left in the breeze before Symington gave him his head and he dashed to the front after 550m.

Hillview Bondi sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 28.2sec. and won by two lengths from Ultimate Rocker, rating 1.55.6. This took his record to eleven wins and 18 placings from 53 starts for earnings of $91,673.

He is by the American sire Somebeachsomewhere and is the twelfth foal out of the Safely Kept mare Maid For Life, who was retired after being unplaced at her three starts as a two-year-old in November and December 2002.

Maid For Life’s full-brother Bank the Money was a hardy performer who raced 246 times for 31 wins, 68 placings and $152,969 in prizemoney. Hillview Bondi’s half-brother Dredlock Rockstar also was a durable performer who earned $283,502 from his 22 wins and 50 placings from 171 starts.

TRIUMPH FOR YOUTH

Youth scored a notable triumph over experience at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the youngest runner in the 2536m Westral Pace proved the master of his six rivals.

Four-year-old Arma Xfactor (American Ideal) was the $1.40 favourite who went into the event with a record of ten wins from 31 starts and opposed to the opposition which had contested a total of 520 races (at an average of 86.7 starts per horse), and with an aggregate of 92 wins (15.3 average).

Eight-year-old Regal Cheval, a $17 chance, led for the first 600m before Maddison Brown sent Arma Xfactor to the front and then dawdled through the opening quarters of the final mile in 33.5sec. and 31.3sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.7sec. to beat Watts Up Sunshine ($4.60) by 2m at a modest 2.2.1 rate.

Arma Xfactor, trained by Colin Brown, has been in fine form this season, winning at six of his eight starts to improve his record to 32 starts for 11 wins, four placings and $91,722 in stakes.

Youth scored a notable triumph over experience at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the youngest runner in the 2536m Westral Pace proved the master of his six rivals.

Four-year-old Arma Xfactor was the $1.40 favourite who went into the event with a record of ten wins from 31 starts and opposed to the opposition which had contested a total of 520 races (at an average of 86.7 starts per horse), and with an aggregate of 92 wins (15.3 average).

Eight-year-old Regal Cheval, a $17 chance, led for the first 600m before Maddison Brown sent Arma Xfactor to the front and then dawdled through the opening quarters of the final mile in 33.5sec. and 31.3sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.7sec. to beat Watts Up Sunshine ($4.60) by 2m at a modest 2.2.1 rate.

Arma Xfactor, trained by Colin Brown, has been in fine form this season, winning at six of his eight starts to improve his record to 32 starts for 11 wins, four placings and $91,722 in stakes.

SUPER RUN BY MASTER PUBLISHER

Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr has Master Publisher (A Rocknroll Dance) racing in top form, and after the New Zealand-bred six-year-old had scored a splendid victory in the 2130m Garrard’s Horse And Hound Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night star reinsman described his win as “super.”

Getn Wiggy Withit, a $34 outsider, set a very fast early pace and kept Master Publisher at bay until Hall was able to send the gelding to the front after 400m, following a scorching lead time of 34.4sec.

Master Publisher was able to relax with opening quarters of the final mile in 32.5sec. and 31.1sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28sec. and 28.9sec. to beat $14 chance Whos The Dad by a length after that pacer had surged home from last at the bell.

“He went super tonight,” said Hall Jnr. “Not often does a horse go 34.4sec. for the lead time and still hold on. I thought he was gone at the 600m. He usually folds up late and finds excuses.”

Master Publisher, who rated 1.57, has earned $119,683 from 13 wins and 13 placings from 54 starts.

FROG PADS HELP SHEEZ OUR HOPE 

Seven-year-old mare Sheez Our Hope (Alta Christiano) has suffered a perennial problem with tender feet, and this has seriously restricted her racing career. But tender care has rewarded Pinjarra trainer Mike Cornwall with successes on the racetrack.

The use of frog pads on her front feet have acted as cushions and enabled her to race without discomfort.

“She is not suited to the hard tracks, and I can’t give her a lot of work because of her feet,” said Cornwall after Chris Lewis had driven Sheez Our Hope to a convincing victory in the Direct Trade Supply Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Sheez Our Hope, the $2.50 favourite from barrier four, relished her pacemaking role to win by a length from the fast-finishing $8 chance Cordero. She sprinted over the final 400m in 27.9sec. and rated 1.57.7.

“That was a good effort, considering the fast lead time (35.7sec.),” said Cornwall, who races the Alta Christiano gelding in partnership with his wife Kerry. He has no regrets at outlaying $4000 to buy Sheez Our Hope as an unraced three-year-old. Sheez Our Hope now has raced 33 times for eleven wins and eight placings for earnings of $136,915.

“Chris said that she had a fair bit left at the finish, and I may be a bit ambitious in hoping she will get a run in the big events for mares later this year,” said Cornwall. After those races in November, if she gets a start, I plan to put her to stud. Her dam Easton Swift (52 starts for 13 wins, 12 placings and $123,391) was a good horse.”

KEYS IN A PURPLE PATCH 

Veteran trainer Kevin Keys is enjoying a purple patch and he celebrated his fifth win in the space of five days when Blitzembye (Bettor’s Delight) set the pace and easily beat Whatabro and Soho Dow Jones in the $25,000 The West Australian Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This completed a double, following Water Lou’s victory in the Diamond Classic earlier in the night, and came after wins with Mister Linton at Pinjarra on Monday and a double with Five Bangles and All About Riley at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening.

The 75-year-old Keys has had 96 starters this year for 19 wins and 23 placings and is firmly on target to exceed his previous best season of 20 winners in the 2011-12 season.

“Barrier draws are important at Gloucester Park and Blitzembye took advantage of the No.1 draw tonight,” he said. Blitzembye, the $1.50 favourite, was driven confidently by Shannon Suvaljko, and after an ambling lead time of 8.4sec. and slow opening quarters of 32.5sec. and 30.4sec. the New Zealand-bred five-year-old sped over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.3sec.

Blitzembye is by Bettors Delight and is the seventh foal out of the unraced mare Falcon’s Flybye. Blitzembye has now had 46 starts for 16 wins, nine placings and stakes of $169,738. After two wins from eight New Zealand starts, he has had 38 starts in WA for 14 wins and seven placings.

Blitzembye’s full-brothers Alotbettor and He Can Fly, and his half-brother Fleeting Grin have been extremely durable performers.

Alotbettor and He Can Fly raced successfully in America. Alotbettor had 182 starts for 39 wins and 48 placings for stakes of $535,082, and He Can Fly had 177 starts for 38 wins, 43 placings and $310,646. Fleeting Grin earned $111,792 from 11 wins and 33 placings from 152 starts.

HIMSELF OVERCOMES EARLY SETBACK

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Himself (Sportswriter), who boosted his earnings past the $300,000 mark when he won the $31,000 Happy Birthday Hubert Tucker Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, has done a remarkable job after his career appeared doomed when he was seriously injured in his race debut in February 2020.

Himself, a son of American sire Sportswriter, broke down with tendon damage when he finished fifth behind Krug in the Group 3 New Zealand Sapling Stakes for two-year-olds at Ashburton.

This kept him out of action for 22 months before he was able to resume racing. He then had ten starts in New Zealand for three wins and four placings.

“Himself’s owners Robin Butt and his wife Jackie then sent him over to us on a harvest deal (50-50 share),” said champion WA trainer Greg Bond. “And the horse has exceeded all expectations, winning the Golden Nugget (last December) and finishing fourth in the Fremantle Cup in January.

“He is now definitely heading towards the WA Pacing Cup (on November 10) and maybe the Nullarbor in April. But that’s a long way down the track.”

Himself was the $1.40 favourite from the coveted No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event in which Deni Roberts withstood an early challenge from Prince Of Pleasure and then set the pace, with $9.50 chance The Mustang enjoying the perfect sit behind the leader.

The final quarters were run in 28.8sec. and 27.3sec. and Himself had to be driven hard by Roberts to hold off the strong-finishing The Mustang to win by a head, rating 1.57.1.

“Himself never makes it look easy,” explained Bond, who prepares the gelding with his wife Skye. “It’s always hard work. But he never gives it away; he just sticks and sticks. What he lacks in brilliance he makes up in strength.”

Himself has now had 21 starts in WA for eleven wins and four seconds, taking his record to 32 starts for 14 wins, eight placings and stakes of $309,621. He is out of the McArdle mare Shards Of Myross (21 starts for one win, four placings and $7135) whose half-brother Likmesiah raced 81 times for 13 wins, 17 placings and $427,965. Likmesiah was a Group 1 winner as a two-year-old and won the Group 1 New Zealand Derby at Addington in April 2004 before wining two Group 2 feature events as a four-year-old.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park