Gary Hall Jnr with a Bunbury treble

With the three-year-old’s opening the meeting at Bunbury on Saturday night, favourite punters were not disappointed, with the $1.09 shot Mr Fantastic NZ saluting for Justin Prentice and Gary Hall Jnr.

Bringing up his second win in his four WA starts since making the move from New Zealand in early 2021, the impressive youngster brought up his sixth career victory in a mile rate of 1:58:3 over the 2100m trip.

After settling three back on the pegs after restraining off the gate at release point, the small six horse field raced in single file, with Hall Jnr making his move three wide with 600m to go, going on to win by 1.9m over Hillview Bondi who was gallant in defeat.

“I like him, he has suggested he will be (a city horse) with his work at home. Although I think he needs to learn a bit more ring craft before we go back to town,” Prentice said.

Making it two in a row and two wins from just three starts, Call Me Heaven led all the way in race two, further rewarding the favourite punters with her $1.65 odds.

Starting from barrier two for trainer Barry Howlett and driven by Chris Voak, the three-year-old filly didn’t have to work too hard to get to the lead, winning comfortably by 3.2m in 1:59:5 over the 2100m.

Junior driver Kyle Symington brought up his third career win on board the Kym Neal-trained Bayardo NZ in race three.

Making full use of the sprint lane in the concluding stages, the six-year-old ended a 13-month hiatus from the winners’ circle and brought up his first win for the new stable, just four starts into this preparation.

In a mile rate of 1:59:7 over the 2100m, the runner-up at his last two starts went on to win by 2m, recording his third career victory in 17 starts.

Adam Mellsop and Ash Markham teamed up in the fourth with Ollie Oliver winning with ease over the 2100m in 1:58:3. Starting from barrier seven, Markham restrained off the arm to settle towards the rear of the field and after sitting patiently, let go with his run with around 400m from home, claiming the lead over the race favourite 100m from the line to bring up his fifth career victory for the Mellsop family.

After a strategic mid race move by Gary Hall Jnr to take the lead with a lap and a half to go, Alta Cinderella made it three in a row for the Hall camp and seven wins from just the 12 starts, proving to be the class horse of the race in the fifth on the card.

Recording a mile rate of 1:57:3, the second horse Joey James fought on well, but Alta Cinderella found another gear, going on to win by 5.2m over the 2100m, giving Hall Jnr his second win in the cart on the night.

Race six went the way of the $1.85 favourite Typhoon Banner NZ for trainer and driver Dylan Egerton-Green.

Starting off the 40m handicap in the 2503m standing start, he put a few rough strides in but got down pacing quickly, settling well back in the one-one, Egerton-Green made his run three wide with 400m to go, going on to win easily by 31.3m over the roughie of the race.

Bountiful Reactor blew out the exotics, with the outsider of the field running in to second after working his way three wide from the bell, paying $33 a place on the open tote with TabTouch.

Driving honours were well and truly with Gary Hall Jnr on the night, with Hall landing a driving treble on the seven-race card, with the final leg coming up in the last with The White Rabbit NZ.

The win gave trainer Nathan Turvey the quinella in the race, with his newcomer to the stable, Walsh going down by half a neck on the line.

After going down to the pegs in the early stages, Hall Jnr soon settled the five-year-old in the one-one position in the six-horse field before ducking back behind the leader just before the final turn to save ground, leaving his run for the sprint lane, winning narrowly over his stablemate in 1:56:8.

By Ashleigh Paikos for RWWA