Roberts chases National glory after WA Cup success

Outstanding driver Deni Roberts is preparing to conquer another mountain after her triumph with Minstrel in the WA Pacing Cup on Friday night.

She will be setting her sights on winning the 2025 Australian Drivers’ Championship at Hobart’s Elwick track next Sunday when two drivers from all Australian States will contest a minimum of six heats. She wants to improve on her showing in last year’s Drivers’ Championship in Adelaide when she finished in third place.

Also representing WA in Hobart will be Shannon Suvaljko, who relaxed on Pacing Cup night on an ocean cruise.

Thirty minutes after Minstrel’s Cup victory on Friday night Roberts and the Bonds were back in the limelight with the stable’s star mare Aardiebytheseaside (Downbytheseaside) scoring a thrilling half-head victory in the $27,000 Share Bets With TABtouch Bet Loop Pace.

Aardiebytheseaside, the $2.30 favourite from barrier five, enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position but was not suited by the slow tempo.

However, a patient Roberts bided her time while Heavenly Gipsy ($4.40) set the pace and ambled through the opening 400m sections in 31.6sec. and 30.9sec., with Nutbush Girl ($7) in the breeze and Madam Publisher ($3.10) trailing the pacemaker.

“I was getting itchy fingers with the going being that slow,” said Roberts. “If I had lobbed one-two, I would have made something of it and gone forward to the breeze. But we were so close, and I knew that Aardiebytheseaside was capable of running a very quick quarter.”

The third quarter was run in a smart 28.4sec. and Roberts waited until about 250m from home before she sent Aardiebytheseaside forward, out three wide, and the mare sprinted powerfully to get to the front 15m from the post and win by a half-head from Madam Publisher, who surged home between horses to just fail. The final 400m was covered in 27.1sec. and the winner rated 1.57 over 2130m. Heavenly Gipsy held on to finish third.

AARDIEBYTHESEASIDE AND DENI ROBERTS REPLAY

The New Zealand-bred Aardiebytheseaside has amassed $621,052 from 22 wins and 13 placings from 46 starts. Her 25 starts in WA have produced 14 wins and five placings.

Aardiebytheseaside, the winner of the Empress Stakes and The Mares Classic in 2024, will be a major player in the $50,000 Christmas Belles next Friday night.

After competing in Hobart next Sunday Roberts will travel to Sydney to spend Christmas with members of her family.

“And after that I will be going to Queenstown in New Zealand for eight days with some friends,” she said. “So, I will be having two and a half weeks off, the biggest holiday I’ve had in about ten years. I’m looking forward to it.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park