Gloucester Park review

Savvy Bromac’s owner is a pacing phenomenon

Quite a remarkable sequence of events just over five years ago has resulted in Broome businessman Karl Deiley becoming interested in standardbred horses for the first time in his life.

He is now the proud owner of Simba Bromac and Savvy Bromac, the first and only pacers he has raced. Both are prepared by Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey, a horseman selected by Deiley in the most unusual manner.

Simba Bromac has earned $228,732 from 23 wins and 19 placings from 72 starts, and Savvy Bromac was the brilliant winner of the group 3 The Johnson final at Gloucester Park on Friday night, a victory which took her record to 21 starts for eight wins, nine placings and stakes of $87,875.

Deiley explained his extraordinary method of choosing a trainer when he said he knew nobody in the harness racing industry in Western Australia and that he was like an incognito shadowy figure as he ambled around the birdcage at Gloucester Park in 2017, watching all the trainers attending to their horses.

“I watched from a distance as I was analysing the trainers and I liked the way Nathan was treating his horses,” he said. He didn’t seek to speak to Turvey. Instead, he telephoned him and asked him to prepare Simba Bromac.

It was then obvious to Turvey that Deiley had seriously underestimated the potential of Simba Bromac, who went on to win a string of races at Gloucester Park.

“I had a few gallopers who raced with very little success in Broome,” said Deiley. “A few years ago, I went to New Zealand for a family reunion when my mother passed, and at the wake in Christchurch I met Bob McArdle, who was a close friend of my mother.”

McArdle, a legendary breeder of standardbreds, was quick to discover that he and Deiley shared a common interest in horses, and he introduced his new friend to harness racing.

“And I fell in love with standardbreds and shared the ownership of Simba Bromac and later, Savvy Bromac, with Bob,” said Deiley. McArdle died in January 2018 and Deiley now owns both Simba Bromac and Savvy Bromac in his own right.

Simba Bromac did not race in New Zealand. He was sent to Australia where he had six starts in Victoria for a win at Cobram in February 2017 before crossing the Nullarbor where his 66 starts to date in WA have produced 22 wins and 16 placings.

Savvy Bromac raced four times in New Zealand for one win and three placings. Her record in WA is 17 starts for seven wins, six seconds and one third placing.

Savvy Bromac was a $20 chance from the No. 2 barrier on the back line in Friday night’s event in which Emily Suvaljko was content to keep the four-year-old mare in fifth position, three back on the pegs, before she charged home to snatch victory, by almost a half-length from the pacemaker and $1.36 favourite Star Of Diamonds. The final quarters were covered in 28.4sec. and 27.6sec. and the winner rated 1.56.4 over the 2130m journey.

Watch the race click here!

Deiley, who keeps a low profile, is looking forward to Simba Bromac concluding a spell and being prepared for feature events at Gloucester Park’s summer carnival.

In the short term, Deiley and Turvey are keen to see if Savvy Bromac can clinch another feature event, the $30,000 Race For Roses next Friday week. “She steps well in stands, so the Race For Roses should suit her,” said Turvey. She is the fastest point-to-point pacer I have trained.”

Taking The Miki smashes track record

Speedy filly Taking The Miki emerged as a major hope in the $100,000 Diamond Classic on May 28 when she smashed the track record for two-year-old fillies in scoring a runaway victory in the group 2 APG WA Gold Bullion for fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Taking The Miki, third favourite at $3.60, trained by Ross Olivieri and driven perfectly by Chris Voak, trailed the pacemaker Extraordinary Mary before finishing with a powerful burst to win by just under six lengths from the $2.15 favourite Wonderful To Fly, with Extraordinary Mary ($2.35) a length farther back in third place.

The winner rated a sparkling 1.54.2 to set a track record for two-year-old fillies over 1730m, eclipsing the record of 1.55.1 set by Lady De La Renta when she won a heat of the WA Sales Classic on April 11, 2017.

In winning, Taking The Miki turned the tables on Wonderful To Fly and Extraordinary Mary, who had defeated her at her two previous starts.

“I wasn’t expecting her to win, but thought it was possible,” said Olivieri, who added that Taking The Miki and Extraordinary Mary (who is trained by his wife Jemma Hayman) would have between a week and ten days off before being prepared for the Diamond Classic and the $100,000 Westbred Classic three weeks later.

“Jemma picked Taking The Miki at the 2020 APG yearling sale, and originally I went crook at her for buying the filly. But the filly ticked all our boxes.”

Hayman outlaid $26,000 to buy Taking the Miki, with whom she now races in partnership with Steve Burnside, Garry McRae, Bernie Eales, Debbie Putland, Bill Brandsma and Ted and Margaret Russell. The filly now has earned $39,116 from three wins and two placings from six starts.

Her sire Always A Miki was a champion pacer in America, earning $2,826,176 from 30 wins, 13 seconds and three thirds from 53 starts. Taking the Miki is the first foal out of the Bettors Delight mare All American Dream, who managed just four wins (two at Busselton and one each at Bunbury and Williams from 63 starts).

Hayman admitted that Taking The Miki’s emergence as a top-flight two-year-old had surprised her, saying: “It wasn’t that long ago and just before her first trial that I thought she was going to struggle early in the season,” she said. “She wasn’t showing a lot of enthusiasm at home or on the track and was making quite a few mistakes.

“We thought that we had a bit of trouble on our hands, and we almost thought that she would need more time. But to her credit in the couple of weeks following she put it all together, and she has got better and better with every run.

“I’d like to give credit to Denise Trobe, who is a breeding analyst extraordinaire who said that the filly ticked all the boxes.”

Rock On Top set for Champagne Classic

Rock On Top warmed up for the $50,000 Champagne Classic next Friday night in fine style with a commanding victory in the $50,000 WA APG Gold Bullion for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He has got a lot to learn but has got a lot of speed and raw ability,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo after driving the $2.20 favourite to his win by three and a half lengths over $9 chance Dunamis, rating 1.55.3 over the 1730m journey.

Rock On Top started from barrier six and de Campo sent him to the front after 350m, and the Rocknroll Dance gelding relished his pacemaking role.

“He has had only four starts and he will contest next week’s Champagne Classic,” said de Campo. “Long-term, he will run in all the feature events for two-year-olds, providing he retains his form.”

Rock On Top, owned by Robbie Tomlinson’s Oz-West Pacing, Damian Keating and Peter Morris, was purchased at the 2020 APG Perth yearling sale for $18,000 and now has earned $31,569 from three wins from four starts.

Boom Time gives Olivieri a treble

Lightly-raced seven-year-old Boom Time, the hot $1.20 favourite, completed a treble for eight-time WA premiership trainer Ross Olivieri when he was untroubled to set the pace and beat the $5 second fancy Mirragon by two lengths in the 2130m Etch Coatings Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The win also gave ace reinsman Chris Voak a driving double, after he had won earlier in the night with the Olivieri-trained Taking The Miki. Olivieri’s other winner was Stroke Of Luck in the 2130m TABtouch Free-For-All.

Boom Time’s easy win came after a slow lead time of 38.9sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.4sec. and 30.6sec. Boom Time then dashed over the final 400m sections in 29sec. and 27.1sec. Mirragon trailed Boom Time throughout and did not get clear until late, when he flashed home, out wide.

Boom Time has had only 35 starts for 11 wins, nine placings and $91,957 in stakes. He won twice from five starts in New Zealand, his seven Victorian starts produced three wins, and he has raced 23 times for Olivieri in WA for six wins and six placings.

He is owned by Merv Butterworth’s Butterworth Racing Syndicate, which also races eight-year-old Stroke Of Luck, who was a $4.90 chance, with Chris Lewis in the sulky, when he set the pace and fought on grandly to beat the $2.80 favourite Vultan Tin in the Free-For-All, rating 1.56.

Vultan Tin started from the outside in the field of seven and raced three wide early before working in the breeze and fighting on in typical dogged fashion. The Butterworth syndicate’s second-string runner Im Full Of Excuses ($9.50) raced in sixth position in the one-wide line before finishing powerfully, out four wide, to be third, ahead of last-start winner Galactic Star, who had enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.

Stroke Of Luck, a gelding by Major In Art, has earned $248,406 from 17 wins and 22 placings from 78 starts. He was on offer for sale to American buyers for $30,000 about six weeks ago. But he was overlooked by prospective purchasers who said the gelding was too old.

Since then, Stroke Of Luck has had five starts in Free-For-All company for two wins, two seconds and a seventh placing for stakes of $38,846.

Rakasinc bounces back

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Rakasinc, somewhat disappointing when unplaced at his two previous outings, bounced back to his best form with a stylish victory in the 2130m Cowden The Insurance Brokers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The well-supported $3.70 equal favourite with Shanway, Rakasinc was produced in top shape by trainer Nathan Turvey and was given a perfect trip by Emily Suvaljko in the one-out, one-back position before being switched three wide 650m from home and then surging to the front 250m later on his way to a most impressive victory by two and a half lengths from last-start winner Rabchenko ($4.80).

Rabchenko, driven by Chris Voak, also enjoyed an ideal passage behind the pacemaker Rebel With A Grin, and he fought on determinedly in an up-tempo event that had a smart lead time of 35.5sec. followed by quarters of 29sec., 29.3sec., 29sec. and 28.9sec.

Rakasinc, who is part-owned by GPHR vice-president Kevin Jeavons, rated a slick 1.54.6. The Changeover gelding now has raced 60 times for 14 wins, 16 placings and $112,551 in prizemoney.

Flying start paves the way for Tenno Sho

Pinjarra trainer Tracy Reay maintained her excellent form with her big team of square gaiters when veteran performer Tenno Sho began brilliantly from out wide at barrier eight before setting the pace and coasting to a convincing win over the Debra Lewis-trained The Debater and another Reay-trained trotter Mortician in the 2130m Channel 7 Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Supporters of Tenno Sho, the $3.70 second favourite, had a few moments of concern when Tenno Sho raced roughly in the mobile score-up. But Michael Grantham quickly had Tenno Sho back in his stride and the eight-year-old burst straight to the front.

Tenno Sho led from the $3.10 favourite and last-start winner Dark Secret, who was forced to work in the breeze and then wilted in the final stages to finish fourth.

Tenno Sho, a winner of five races in Victoria, has had 70 starts in WA for 11 wins and 26 placings for a career record of 134 starts for 16 wins, 43 placings and stakes of $156,694.

Hampton Banner has a bright future

Hopeland trainer Debra Lewis looks set for many more wins with the lightly-raced New Zealand-bred four-year-old Hampton Banner, who was not extended in leading and winning easily from Palatino and Poisedtopounce in the 1730m Simmonds Steel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Hampton Banner, driven by Chris Lewis, asserted his ascendancy when he sped over the opening quarter of the final mile in 27.8sec. He then relaxed with quarters of 30.3sec. and 29.6sec. before sprinting over the final 400m in 28sec. He rated a smart 1.55.2.

This followed his easy all-the-way win at a 1.56.5 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park ten nights earlier. He now has had five starts in Western Australia for two wins and a second placing after racing nine times in New Zealand for three wins and one placing.

This completed a double for Lewis, who was successful behind Stroke Of Luck in the previous event.

Whozideawasthis overcomes setbacks

Ten-year-old Whozideawasthis showed that he still has plenty of natural speed in his old legs when he sprinted home fast from the 400m to get up and snatch a last-stride victory by a half-head over the pacemaker Lord Rosco in the 2130m The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He has done a great job for a horse who has done a tendon a couple of times,” said star reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “He damaged a tendon after he had gone through the grades, and then when we brought him back the injury flared up again.”

Injuries forced him out of action for nine months, between June 2018 and March 2019 and for ten months, between December 2019 and October 2020. He has been sound in recent months and his win on Friday night when a $3 favourite ended a losing sequence of eleven.

“He has to be driven one way (as a sit-sprinter),” said Hall. “He was pushed four wide on the final bend and has done a good job. He put the writing on the wall the previous week when he got home well and ran good time when fourth behind Galactic Star and Vultan Tin in a 2536m Free-For-All.”

Whozideawasthis won nine races in New Zealand before he raced 29 times in New South Wales for just four wins, all at Penrith, before part-owner Albert Pizzuto sent him over to WA to be prepared by Gary Hall snr. He has performed in fine style for Hall, with his 61 starts, all at Gloucester Park, producing 13 wins and 15 placings. He now has a fine record of 107 starts for 26 wins, 18 placings and stakes of $291,916.

His win on Friday night completed a treble for Hall and his son, who combined earlier in the program for wins with Jumpingjackmac and Diego.

Diego, the $1.20 favourite, gave a sample of his class with a powerful victory in the 2536m Direct Trades Supply Pace. From the No. 3 barrier Diego raced three wide early before surging to the front after 600m. He gave his rivals little chance by dashing over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 27.5sec. and he ended a losing run of seven by beating the early leader Extreme Prince ($14) by 11m.

“Diego went super, and that was probably more like the Diego we know,” said Hall jnr. Diego, a Bettors Delight five-year-old, had 17 starts in New Zealand for three wins and five placings, and his 17 appearances in WA have resulted in seven wins and four placings.

Jumpingjackmac is WA Derby bound

Exciting Mach Three gelding Jumpingjackmac continued his preparation for the $200,000 Sky Racing WA Derby next Friday week with a superb performance in the 2130m Worldwide Printing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

From out wide at barrier seven, the $1.50 favourite settled in sixth position with polemarker Sugar Street ($7.50) setting the early pace. Gary Hall jnr wasted little time in sending Jumpingjackmac forward with a three-wide burst and the gelding surged to the front after 650m.

He left his rivals floundering in his wake as he sprinted over the final quarters in 28.3sec. and 27.4sec. He won by just over seven lengths, rating 1.55.7. Sugar Street fought on gamely into second place, with $20 chance Be Rock Hard running on from fourth at the bell to be third.

This was Jumpingjackmac’s fifth win from just seven starts, and Hall jnr said that he would race again at Gloucester Park next Friday night as an important final race before the 2536m Derby the following Friday night.

“He is still a baby as far as Derby horses go,” said Hall. “And that’s why I really made him run to the line tonight. You can’t go into a 2536m Derby 90 per cent fit. He needs to be 100 per cent.

“He’s got a bit of toughness and heaps of speed, so when you combine those assets, you end up with a decent horse.”

Jumpingjackmac is a firm second favourite behind Lavra Joe for the WA Derby, and the clash between these two outstanding three-year-olds in the Derby promises to be one of the highlights of the season.

Lavra Joe, trained by Ray Jones, will complete his Derby preparation when he runs in the Country Derby at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park next Saturday night. The highly regarded Mighty Ronaldo, who finished sixth behind Jumpingjackmac on Friday night, is also likely to contest the Country Derby.

Ken Casellas