Gloucester Park review

Miller’s hectic Flametree drive

High drama surrounded Mitch Miller’s hectic drive to land Flametree a brilliant winner of harness racing’s $30,000 Trotsynd Gold Bracelet at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The 27-year-old Miller revealed great composure as he coolly survived an early setback and a late problem to guide Flametree, the $1.70 favourite, to a convincing all-the-way victory, beating the $3.30 second fancy August Moon by two lengths in the group 3 feature event.

“I had a few nerve-wracking moments,” said Miller. “We had a gear malfunction. Flametree flung the hopple shortening pins over the dust sheet, and I couldn’t reach the pins on the first bend.

“A pin got wrapped around a back leg, and then the off-side hopple shortener snapped, and the pin was left in the hopple, so she went around with different size hopples.

“We didn’t quite go as smoothly as we would have liked. Lucky we were able to lead without any pressure and she was good enough to get the cash. It was a bit of a hairy first 500 metres when she raced a bit roughly. And then she lost a shoe about 600m from home.”

Flametree’s victory gave Miller his first success in a group event, which gave Busselton trainer Barry Howlett his second win in the Gold Bracelet — after scoring with Just For Love in 2020.

Howlett paid $40,000 for Flametree, a filly by American stallion Huntsville, at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale, and he races her in partnership with his daughter Kate and son Jimmy.

“She will now have a couple of weeks off before I get her ready for the APG Gold Bullion (April 22) and the Diamond Classic (August 19),” said Howlett. “I bought her because I was impressed with the record of Huntsville, who came to Australia for just one season at stud.”

Huntsville, who is by the successful Mach Three stallion Somebeachersomewhere, earned $1,704,242 from 15 wins in America where he was the winner of the Dan Patch two-year-old pacing colt of the year.

Flametree is the ninth foal (all winners) out of former star mare Party Date, who had 111 starts for 25 wins, 27 placings and $256,008 in stakes.

“Every time I go to Dunsborough for some fishing, we pass the Flametree winery, so I decided to lodge that name for the filly, mainly because I had run out of ideas for names for our horses,” he explained.

Swingband reigns supreme  

Brilliant Alta Christiano three-year-old Swingband gave another sample of his class with a dashing victory in the group 3 $40,000 Caduceus Club Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night, a win which left his trainer Ryan Bell scratching his head, uncertain about the gelding’s immediate program.

“Initially, we were going to bypass the APG Gold Bullion next month and give him a break before preparing him for the $50,000 Pearl on May 13,” said Bell.

“Tonight, Swingband got a bit keen, which is not normal. Two weeks between races might have got to him a bit, even though I thought he was spot on. With the run he had (one-out and one-back) I thought he should have put The Miki Taker away better than that (with the winning margin just under one length).

“But he did come back in, blowing up huge. I haven’t missed him at home, and I think that the sign of a good horse is that the more you do with him (at training), the better it is. Tonight, he showed that he needed the run.

“His heart rate and his recovery suggested that he’s doing too well at home. I’ll now talk to the owners regarding plans for his future. I’d love to put him away before the Pearl, but maybe we will run him in the heats and the final of the Gold Bullion.

“It was a good win (rating 1.55 over the 2130m), but with the run he had I thought he should have won more easily, even though Aiden’s horse (The Miki Taker) is a bit of a bulldog.”

The Miki Taker, trained and driven by Aiden de Campo, settled down in fourth place on the pegs, while Mister Montblanc began speedily and led the polemarker Maungatahi by a length, but was unable to cross to the front. De Campo then dashed The Miki Taker, the $1.55 favourite, forward with a fast three-wide burst to assume control after 450m.

Michael Grantham was delighted to take the one-out, one-back trail behind Mister Montblanc in the breeze. He eased Swingband three wide 550m from home and the gelding accelerated quickly to hit the front 130m later. But Swingband had to fight tigerishly to keep the gallant The Miki Taker at bay.

Swingband, a $70,000 yearling, now has raced eleven times for six wins, three placings and $96,102. He is the first foal out of Bettors Gem, who was trained and driven by Shane Young and was retired with a record of 40 starts for 11 wins, 13 placings and stakes of $103,276.

Bell followed Swingband’s success with a training double at Narrogin on Saturday night. He drove $7 chance Sound Wave to victory a race after Kyle Symington won with the $2.65 favourite Peligroso.

Warwick changes his plan

Star reinsman Ryan Warwick admits he is learning the racing characteristics of Miss Mucho, a runaway winner of the 2130m Positive For Pacing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He had planned to race in the breeze with the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Miss Mucho, the $5.40 second favourite who had drawn barrier No. 4, on the immediate outside of the $2.40 favourite Bettor Get It On.

But when Bettor Get It On, driven by Justin Prentice, was beaten for early pace by the $91 outsider Bettys Lass, Warwick quickly altered his strategy and dashed Miss Mucho to the lead after 250m.

“I wasn’t sure what Miss Mucho’s best racing pattern was, and we were content to sit outside Bettor Get It On early, and then if something came, we would be happy to take cover,” explained Warwick.

“Justin’s horse didn’t come off the arm all that well, so I chanced it and got across quite easily. But then she tapped a wheel when I was restraining her after getting to the front. And every now and then she was hitting a wheel and got a bit keen.

“But it all worked out good, I guess. Running 27.3sec. down the back wasn’t ideal, but the breeze horse (My Prayer) dropped out and gave a bit of ground at the bell. Miss Mucho was going quite well, so I thought I would get a bit of a sneak on them.”

Miss Mucho raced away from her rivals, and even though she covered the final 400m in only 29.8sec. she won by four lengths from $6 chance Vivere Damore, who sustained a powerful three-wide burst from ninth at the bell.

Miss Much, a winner at five of her 22 New Zealand starts, has raced ten times in WA for three wins and three placings to improve her career record to 32 starts for eight wins, seven placings and $75,089 in prizemoney.

Her elder full-brother Mucho Macho Man has earned $91,877 from 11 wins and 23 placings from 90 starts in Queensland.

To Fast To Serious is a real bargain

To Fast To Serious, a talented, lightly-raced six-year-old, is proving a wonderful bargain for prominent owner Robbie Tomlinson, who purchased the son of American sire Shadow Play for $10,000 at the 2017 APG Perth yearling sale.

To Fast To Serious, trained by Ray Williams and driven at all his starts by Aldo Cortopassi, boosted his earnings to $194,180 when he was not extended in leading all the way in the $20,375 Caduceus Club Vale Rex Twogood Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night. He has had only 32 starts for 16 wins and six placings.

To Fast To Serious is out of the McArdle mare Smile With Me, who raced 40 times for ten wins, 15 placings and $80,819. All her ten wins came during her 20 starts in Western Australia in 2010 and 2011.

Williams said that To Fast To Serious would contest the $50,000 Governor’s Cup next Friday night if he took no ill-effects from his soft run on Friday night when he was the $1.10 favourite and set a very slow early pace with a lead time of 39.3sec. and opening quarters of 32.5sec. and 30.4sec.

He then sprinted home over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 27.3sec. to win at a modest 1.59 rate, beating $19 chance Space Junk by a length after that pacer had enjoyed a perfect trail behind the pacemaker throughout.

This was the third race in the past three Fridays that To Fast To Serious had contested after resuming from a spell.

“I thought that if he didn’t lead (from barrier two), we would be in trouble,’ said Williams. “He had come down a class, got the barrier, and everything was going our way. The past three runs have been good for him, and he will keep going around. And if he pulls up as well as he has the previous two weeks, he will go around next week.”

Bettorstartdreaming holds on

Part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper is convinced that six-year-old Bettorstartdreaming is purely a frontrunner, and he was determined to set the pace from the awkward No. 7 barrier in the 2130m Friday Night In The Caduceus Club Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Bettorstartdreaming, the $2.10 favourite, raced four wide early and then was three wide before he got to the front from the polemarker and $6 second fancy Tellmetoattack after 550m.

After a lead time of 37.1sec. Bettorstartdreaming was able to relax and cover the opening quarters in 31sec. and 30.6sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 29sec.

McArdles Gem, an $8 chance, was ninth with 250m to travel before he went four wide on the home bend and rattled home to issue a spirited challenge before Bettorstartdreaming held on grimly to beat that pacer by a neck, rating 1.58.3.

The New Zealand-bred Bettorstartdreaming is the first foal out of Yankee Dream, who earned $262,989 from 15 wins and 18 placings from 56 starts, which included four wins at Melton in 2012.

Then Yankee Dream had her final three starts at Gloucester Park in November and December 2012 for three unplaced runs.

Prentice reunited with Mighty Ronaldo

Outstanding four-year-old Mighty Ronaldo is one of Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice’s favourite pacers, and he thoroughly enjoyed driving him in a race for the first time for eleven months when he guided him to an effortless stroll in the park in the 2536m Be A Group 1 Winner With Trotsynd Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Prentice replaced Mighty Ronaldo’s usual driver Gary Hall jnr, who is under a suspension, and this was his first drive behind the son of Alta Christiano since he brought him home with a powerful burst to win the WA Derby from Hall’s drive Jumpingjackmac in April of last year.

Prentice also drove Mighty Ronaldo when he won the group 1 Golden Slipper in July 2020.

Mighty Ronaldo, the $1.10 favourite from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night, raced outside the polemarker Tyler Brett for the first 220m in Friday night’s race before taking the lead. Comfortable opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 30.4sec. were followed by final 400m sections of 28.2sec. and 27.1sec.

He finished one and a half lengths ahead of Tyler Brett, with Galactic Star fighting on to be third.

Mighty Ronaldo, who cost $22,000 at the 2019 APG Perth yearling sale and is raced by several of Prentice’s stable clients, has earned $313,196 from seven wins and ten placings from 24 starts. He is sure to develop into a leading contender for the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic and $200,000 Golden Nugget in December.

The breeze suits Doc Holliday

Brilliant young driver Emily Suvaljko, back in action after a month on the sidelines, knew what she was doing when she vacated the highly favourable one-out, one-back position with Doc Holliday after a lap in the 2130m Caduceus Club Come Up And Join Us Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Doc Holliday, a tough New Zealand-bred five-year-old, made a brief and unsuccessful challenge for the lead from $23 chance Crocodile Kid before travelling strongly in the breeze and eventually taking a narrow lead 250m from home before winning by a neck from $18 chance Mister Ardee, who finished strongly after enjoying the sit behind the pacemaker.

“Doc Holliday struggles a bit on the last bend, so he is much better outside of them (in the breeze) than coming three wide late,” said trainer Michael Young.

“I told Emily to make sure she got scooting around to get outside the leader. I actually changed his bit, and he might have come around three wide without any problems. But we took luck out of the equation. He lacks a bit of point-to-point speed, but he should continue to race well.”

Doc Holliday, who won at three of his 24 New Zealand starts, has had 12 starts in WA for Young for six wins and two placings to boost his record to 36 starts for nine wins, nine placings and $83,252. He is the fourth foal out of First Western, whose third foal Best Western has raced 27 times for three wins and 16 placings for stakes of $173,564.

First Western’s dam Kates First was a brilliant pacer who earned $624,023 from 19 wins and 19 placings from 65 starts. She won three group 1 events and three in group 2 feature events.

Caveman revives happy memories

Caveman revived happy memories for astute Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed when he stormed home from ninth at the bell to win the 2503m The Caduceus Club Members Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Caveman, a last-start winner, was at lucrative odds as a $25.30 outsider from the 20m mark in the standing-start event, with frontmarker Hittheroadjack dominating the betting and starting a hot favourite at $1.30.

The five-year-old stallion is related to Willowleaf Boy, who was prepared by Reed when he won the $85,000 Pearl Classic in June 2003. Caveman is the first foal out of Our Copper Art, whose granddam Copper Strike produced Willowleaf Boy.

Shannon Suvaljko did not bustle Caveman in the early stages before he brought the horse home with a well-timed burst from the rear to take the lead approaching the home turn and then holding out a fiercely determined Hittheroadjack, who was seventh at the bell after rearing and galloping at the start.

Hes Royal Blue, a $61 outsider, dashed to an early lead and set a solid pace before fading to finish last in the field of ten. Major Artist ($41) trailed the pacemaker before gaining a narrow lead 250m from home and then wilting to fourth.

Reed is an admirer of standing-start events, and said that they promoted betting and produced good competitive racing. He said that Caveman was tough but lacked a bit of brilliance.

“If he drew a good barrier in a fast-class race and sat on the pace he would go all day,” he said.

Caveman, who was bought by Jim Giumelli for $47,500 at the 2018 Perth APG yearling sale, has now earned $126,267 from 14 wins and ten placings from 41 starts.

Jett Star is awkward but good

Talented New Zealand-bred four-year-old Jett Star is far from a stylist and a smooth-moving pacer. But he certainly has plenty of ability — and he showed that again at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was a smart all-the-way winner at a 1.57.1 rate in the 2130m gloucesterpark.com.au Pace.

Raced by Team Bond and prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Jett Star was the $1.70 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and he resisted a spirited early challenge from $10 chance Valbonne to set a solid pace and go on and win by 2m from the fast-finishing $4.40 chance Sports Package.

It was an impressive display by Jett Star, who made amends for a shock defeat at Pinjarra at his previous appearance, when he finished fifth in a field of six after racing in the breeze and breaking into a gallop 850m from home, recovering to return to the breeze and then racing roughly on the home turn.

“I don’t think you will see what happened at Pinjarra happen again,” said reinsman Ryan Warwick. “I think it was just a one-off.

“From his first start as a two-year-old he looked awkward and didn’t look all that well educated. And he has always looked like that. He won the Pearl (June 2020), beating Lavra Joe, doing it, so it can’t be too bad.

“I don’t think that this awkwardness will ever go. He just makes it look hard. He doesn’t pace cleanly; he races with his neck out and he doesn’t give you a good feel. But he has won ten of 16, so obviously he goes okay.”

Warwick said he was quite happy to be challenged by Valbonne in the early stages, saying: “He needs that, otherwise he gets too blasé. If another horse eyeballs him, he’s quite happy. The early pressure helped him for the rest of the race because he was keen and doing it nicely. If that hadn’t happened, he would’ve just slopped around. He is just hard work.”

Jett Star, who is by Bettors Delight, is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Steel The Light, who had 32 starts for seven wins, nine placings and $40,639. Jett Star has earned $107,052 from ten wins and two placings from 16 starts. He will be at the forefront of contenders for the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship on November 18, the $125,000 Four-Year-old Classic on December 2, and the $200,000 Goden Nugget on December 16.

Ima Fivestar General set for stardom

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Ima Fivestar General is a rising star of West Australian harness racing, and his trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams predicts he has the ability to shine at the top level of the sport.

Williams bought the Art Major gelding six months ago and syndicated him to 17 friends and stable clients — and the gelding has impressed with five wins, a second and a fourth from his first seven starts in Western Australia.

He purchased Ima Fivestar General from Peter Bagrie and his son Tom, who are successful harness racing breeders and chicken farmers from Ohoka, a town a few kilometres north of Christchurch.

The Bagries are well known as the family which bought Im Themightyquinn for $13,000 as a yearling and then sold him for $180,000 as a three-year-old to champion WA trainer Gary Hall snr and some of his stable clients.

Im Themightyquinn retired as a superstar of harness racing, with earnings of $4,567,456 from 58 wins and 34 placings from 111 starts. His victories included 14 group 1 events, including three Interdominion championships, three WA Pacing Cups, three Fremantle Cups and two Auckland Cups.

Williams is under no illusion that Ima Fivestar General will develop into a shining star like Im Themightyquinn, but he is confident he will become a top-quality performer in his own right.

Williams has developed a strong friendship with Tom Bagrie and his father and has stayed with the family on numerous visits to New Zealand.

“I have bought quite a few horses from Peter and Tom, and they have all done well,” said Williams. “One of them was the chestnut mare Char Ming, a trotter who won nine times and was placed another nine times between 2015 and 2017.

“I had watched Ima Fivestar General race on the internet and was impressed. So, I rang them and asked if they would be interested in selling him. I made an offer, and they were happy. We did pay a lot of money for him, in my terms.”

Ima Star General gave further proof of his wonderful potential when he was the $1.10 favourite from barrier one and set the pace before scoring a comfortable win over Power And Grace ($13) and Orlando Blue ($10), rating 1.57.5 over the 2130m, with final quarters of 28.7sec. and 27.5sec.

“He is still very green and has got a lot of learning to do,” said Williams. “He has got to learn how to race in WA. He is still inclined to race the New Zealand way, which is rather lackadaisical and is a gentleman’s sport, whereas in WA it’s full on and flat out.

“He has the ability and will make it and go right through to fast-class. I think he will need 12 months of racing before we think about big races like the WA Pacing Cup.

“His major strength is his versatility. I really haven’t had much of a chance to drive him sit-sprint. I think he is a very good sit-sprinter, and when he goes up in grade the races against the better horses will suit him. He is also very good in front. He is not a horse who wins by a long way; he does just what he has to do.

“His sister Bettors Heart is a very good horse who is now racing in America.” Bettors Heart, a half-sister to Ima Fivestar General, won the $200,000 Ladyship Mile at 25/1 at Menangle in March 2020 and boasts a record of 81 starts for 18 wins, 21 placings and stakes of $410,088.

Bettors Heart and Ima Fivestar General are out of the Sokys Atom mare Valiant Heart, who enjoyed a colourful career of 168 starts for 23 wins, 48 placings and $633,920 in stakes. She had 37 starts in New Zealand for four wins and seven placings and then raced 22 times in Australia in 1999 and 2000 for ten wins and three placings before a successful career in America between 2001 and 2005.

Williams said that he is now setting Ima Fivestar General for the $50,000 Easter Cup at Gloucester Park on April 15. “It’s a 2900m stand,” said Williams. “He’s a good stayer and the distance is perfect for him.”

To view the results Gloucester Park last Friday click here.

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park