6 winners a first for Suvaljko at Kellerberrin

Shannon Suvaljko came off a high on Friday night after a metropolitan race-to-race double on board El Casanova NZ (Terror To Love)  and Seeryanfly (Heston Blue Chip) for trainer Garry Sayers, as well as an ownership double for Mike and Lyn Pike, but it was Sunday at Kellerberrin where he rose to occasion, walking away with six winning harness racing drives under his belt.

A first for Suvaljko, he has had a handful of quintets in his many years of driving, but to get six wins out of the nine races on the card is quite remarkable.

“I thought I had a few chances, so I watched the footy on Saturday and I watch every horse at meetings their last two starts to know how and where I had to get to give the horses every chance and most of them worked out how I seen it for once.”

At 54-years-of age, Suvaljko still stresses the importance of doing his form in order to know his horses completely and to get the best out of every race.

Not only was it a big day out for Suvaljko, but Debbie Padberg made the trip up to the Central Wheatbelt with four horses in tow, getting the best possible result on the day with three winners and second, with a quinella in race seven on the card.

The pair kicked off their successful partnership on the day with two-year-old Miss Shahja (Captaintreacherous) breaking through for her maiden win at start 8. After settling behind the leader over the 2130m trip, it was a sprint to the line between the two most heavily backed runners, with Miss Shahja coming out on top over the $1.40 favourite Sonic Seelster, with a last quarter of 27.3.

MISS SHAHJA REPLAY

Another maiden taking their first win, Rockability appreciated the country scene with the $1.80 favourite coming from the one-out-one-back position to win by a 1.3m margin in 2:02:5 over the 1730m sprint trip for the three-year-olds in race three on the card. The win gave Debbie Padberg her second on the day.

Race five went the way of Path Of Gold for trainer Craig Hynam, with Suvaljko taking bragging rights after a narrow win over daughter Emily.

Tom Groves enlisted the help of Suvaljko in race six, with Krakka Lightning getting the win for the locals.  With a comfortable margin on the line, the five-year-old son of Follow The Stars came out on top with 7.5m separating him from the second horse, with a winning mile rate of 2:01:5 over the 2130m trip.

Padberg’s quinella came up in race seven, with the Suvaljko brothers also getting the driving quinella. With Shannon shining on the day, he piloted the $2.75 favourite in Amazing American, with a 6.9m margin over stablemate Shoot Through NZ in 2:01:5 over the 2530m staying journey.

The last of Shannon’s wins on the day was with his own, the Peter Tilbrook trained Caruba who started as the $3 favourite in race eight.  Struggling for form of late, the 153-start war horse got the job done, bringing up the seven-year-olds 19th career win.

Other winners on the day included six-year-old Breacat who broke through for her maiden start at her 10th attempt. Another win for the locals, this time for trainer Peter Arthur who’s had his fair share of problems getting his mare to the track.

“The first time she ran second, I thought I had her right, but she was in the round yard and started bucking, knocked her tendon just when I had her half right and then I was back at work.”

In charge of running the local pool for the past 20 years, Arthurs is always too busy during the summertime, with his team always put out in the paddock during this time, and with issues of tying up from a young age, there was always something troubling Brecat at one time or another, but Arthurs always believed she had a bit of ability.

‘I always said I had to make a living before the horses.”

The double westbred daughter of Renaissance Man made her return just two weeks ago, and after a last start second, went one better this week to get the win for her very patient connections.

Breacat is the last horse Arthurs has bred, so the win was a special one for the 66-year-old, brining up his 75th training victory, breaking a three-year hiatus from the winner’s circle.

It was a different Suvaljko taking out the fourth on the card, with Emily steering home Dee Jays Big Boy for Cody Wallrodt. Having just his third start for the new stable, the three-year-old came off a third at Northam and a last start fourth at Narrogin, with the $2.45 favourite getting the job done with a half head margin on the line.

Trainer/driver Donald Harper took out the last on the card, with Arma Warrior breaking through for her maiden win at start 12. Bred by Harpers wife Tara, the now three-year-old won at $21 odds, winning by a neck in 2:03:4 over the 1730m trip, rounding out a fantastic day of pacing at Kellerberrin.

The Central Wheatbelt Harness Racing Club has just the one meeting left for the season, with their wind-up meeting set for Sunday, the 8th of October.

Shannon Suvaljko can’t be beaten for leading driver, currently sitting on 113 points, 50 points clear of Trent Wheeler who is on 63 points this season.

Dazzling Jewel sits on 16 points for Leading Club Pacer, with Batavia Streamline on 14 and Tux And Tails on 13, with the victory set to go to a Lang Inwood trained horse.

Leading Club Trainer is still tight, with Hayden Reeves currently on 69 points, just 7 points ahead of Lang Inwood who is on 62 points.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA