Gloucester Park review – 26th December

Gloucester Park harness racing review with Ken Casellas

Firerockfireroll overcomes disadvantage

Victorian-bred pacer Firerockfireroll (Courage Under Fire) overcame the considerable impediment of racing with one hopple a couple of inches shorter than the other to score a superb victory in the $50,000 Allwood Stud Farm Christmas Gift at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

He also revealed remarkable fighting qualities to recover from almost certain defeat to beat Ragazzo Mach and Robbie Rocket in a thrilling finish to the group 2 feature event.

Firerockfireroll was the $3.50 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and he produced a strong frontrunning performance until he was overtaken by $17 chance Sugar Street 600m from home. Sugar Street led by a length from Ragazzo Mach and Firerockfireroll 200m later.

But champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr called on Firerockfireroll for an extra effort, and the five-year-old responded grandly to regain the lead 150m from home and win by a neck from Ragazzo Mach ($4), with $15 chance Robbie Rocket finishing solidly along the inside to be a nose away in third place and 2m ahead of Sugar Street, who was gallant in defeat after racing wide early and then in the breeze.

FIREROCKFIREROLL REPLAY

“I had a bit of trouble with the nearside hopple shortening pin which was caught up the whole way,” said Hall. “This resulted in the nearside hopple being a couple of inches shorter than the outside hopple. Firerockfireroll paced all right until I tried to pull the pin in the first lap and again in the last lap when the three-wide line was coming, and I wanted him to get going.

“And when Ragazzo Mach pulled out and went woosh I thought we were in trouble. But Firerockfireroll did a big job. You don’t often see a horse who kicks back after being headed and win.”

Trainer Michael Young was full of praise for Firerockfireroll, saying the gelding was on the canvas when headed in the final circuit before he fought back courageously.

In an unusual lead-up to contesting a rich feature event, Firerockfireroll had appeared in stands at six of his seven previous outings for two wins and two seconds.

“I raced him in stands mainly because he was drawing poorly in mobiles,” said Young. “I knew he was a good leader, but he never drew to lead. I gave him a good chance (from barrier one) tonight because he had shown good gate speed in Victoria where he ran 1.55 a couple of times around Melton with a couple of final quarters of 28sec. And you’ve got to have a bit of strength to do that.

“I was going to spell him after tonight’s run, but now I might revise my plans and perhaps look at the Nights Of Thunder.”

Firerockfireroll, bred and owned by Warren Stewart, is by former champion pacer Courage Under Fire and is the third foal out of Rocknrolla, a winner of two group 1 events at Melton as a two and three-year-old before being retired with earnings of $287,351 from 12 wins and seven placings from 27 starts.

Firerockfireroll now boasts a fine record of 35 starts for 12 wins, ten placings and stakes of $140,587. He raced 23 times in Victoria for eight wins, eight placings and $64,670, with his 12 WA starts producing four wins, two seconds and $75,918.

Eighteen Carat is simply the best

Eighteen Carat (Mach Three) has taken Western Australia by storm since arriving here from New Zealand ten months ago, and the Mach Three five-year-old gave another magnificent performance to notch her fifth group feature event when she finished powerfully to snatch victory in the $50,000 group 2 Retravision Christmas Belles Free-For-All for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

EIGHTEEN CARAT REPLAY

Her victory gave up-and-coming trainer Michael Young and champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr their second group 2 success in the space of 26 minutes, following the victory of Firerockfireroll in the Allwood Stud Farm Christmas Gift.

Eighteen Carat has proved to be WA’s best mare. After five wins and six placings from 38 starts in New Zealand Eighteen Carat has dominated in mares’ company, with her 13 starts in WA producing eight wins and three placings for stakes of $229,113 to boost her career earnings to $279,586.

Her previous feature wins were the group 1 Norms Daughter Classic, the group 2 Schrader Pace and two group 3 events for mares.

Eighteen Carat had endured tough runs from wide barriers at her three previous appearances, and she was generally overlooked by punters on Friday night when she started at the gift odds of $8.50, mainly because of her awkward barrier at No. 5 over the 2130m journey. The $2.80 favourite from the No. 1 barrier was the Colin Brown-trained Fifty Five Reborn.

Fifty Five Reborn was sent straight to the front by Maddison Brown, while Hall restrained Eighteen Carat, who settled down in eleventh position. With $34 chance Miss Limelight charging forward, out wide, from the No. 9 barrier and applying pressure on Fifty Five Reborn, the lead time was an extremely fast 34.7sec.

When the pace slackened a bit Hall seized the initiative and sent Eighteen Carat forward from the rear with a fast three-wide burst with 1200m to travel. Eighteen Carat had a brief breather in the back straight when she moved to the one-wide line before Hall again switched her three wide. She fought on determinedly and got up in the final stride to beat Fifty Five Reborn by a head, rating 1.55.7 over the 2130m journey.

Bettor Get It On ($4.60) fought on grandly to be third after racing in the breeze and finishing just ahead of her stablemate Platinum Sparkle ($9) who trailed the pacemaker throughout and ran on along the inside. The Amber Hare ($3) was an unlucky sixth. She enjoyed the one-out, one-back passage but was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the final lap.

“I went off early because I wanted to get up there,” said Hall. “I hadn’t done much chasing, while the others had gone hard. I wanted to make sure I got up there early to try to get in front of The Amber Hare, the one runner I was really worried about.

“I thought if The Amber hare had got out, I couldn’t stop her. When I got up there, I was driving to beat the Amber Hare. If the leaders were going any better, I would’ve had to get going after them. I pulled back a length on the home turn just to hold The Amber hare in. If she had got out, she probably would’ve got over me. I had to take the punt.”

The 33-year-old Young, who now has won one group 1 event, five group two races and two at group 3 level, has won 104 races this season.

“She was a silly price tonight because she’s probably proven to be the best mare in the State,” he said. “She just needed a bit of luck, and she got it. She is now going to the paddock; she’s tired and she has been tired for a few weeks. She has a big heart, and that carried her through.”

Nine in a row for Tricky Ric

New Zealand-bred gelding Tricky Ric (Muscle Hill) gave further proof that he is the State’s best square gaiter when he strolled to victory in the $20,250 Westside Auto Wholesale Trot over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“He’s the best trotter here and he will be set for the $50,000 Trotters Cup on February 3,” said champion trainer Gary Hall snr after his son Gary jnr had guided the $1.90 favourite to a comfortable victory over $51 outsider Luvaflair to extend his winning sequence to nine.

Tricky Ric started from the outside in the field of eight in which his most serious rival was the $2.35 second fancy Midnight Assassin, who lost his chance by galloping at the start. Tricky Ric raced three wide early before Hall sent him to the front after 550m.

TRICKY RIC REPLAY

The Trotters Cup is a stand over 2503m, and Tricky Ric is expected to be handicapped off the 30m mark.

Tricky Ric has now won nine races in succession, and he has earned $186,567 from 16 wins and 11 placings from 44 starts. He finished third behind majestic Dream in the Trotters Cup last January, and since then he has had 13 starts for 11 wins, one second and one tenth placing.

“He is a good stand and mobile trotter,” said Hall snr, with the win completing a stable double, following Diego’s success earlier in the night.

For Hall jnr it was his fourth winner on the night, coming after victories with Eton Rock, Firerockfireroll and Eighteen Carat.

Typhoon Banner takes the inside run

Banjup trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green seized a heaven-sent advantage in the home straight when the pacemaker and $1.38 favourite Glenledi Chief shifted out under pressure in the Nova 93.7 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This provided an unexpected inside run for $9 chance Typhoon Banner (Bettor’s Delight), and Egerton-Green drove the five-year-old through the gap to get up and win by a half-length from $7 second fancy Arma Einstein, who finished strongly after enjoying a perfect run in the one-out, one-back position.

Glenledi Chief, who had ambled through the lead time in 40.4sec. and the opening quarters in 32.9sec. and 30.7sec., sped up with a 28.8sec. third 400m section before the final quarter was run in 26.8sec. He wilted late and finished third, a half-head behind Arma Einstein.

Typhoon Banner, who ended a losing sequence of six, had won when leading six times previously at Gloucester Park. The New Zealand-bred five-year-old by Bettors Delight, has been a most consistent performer, with his 45 starts producing 15 wins, 14 placings and $177,205 in prizemoney.

Braided tail does the trick

Not often does special attention to a horse’s tail lead to success. But that’s the case with comeback pacer Strike Team (Mach Three), who has resumed after a nine-month absence in grand style with successive victories at Gloucester Park.

Strike Team, a WA-bred four-year-old, was a $7.50 chance on Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs before finishing powerfully to score an easy win over the $2.65 favourite Wait For The Bell.

Strike Team was conspicuous, with an unusual distinguishing appearance with his tail tightly braided, bound from top to bottom with seven or eight strips of material.

“I’ve done this to prevent him from bucking,” said ace Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo. “He’s been a handful, wanting to buck all the time, and I’ve found braiding his tail has done the trick.

“It’s great to have him back after surviving two emergency operations early in the year when he was suffering from colic.”

Wait For The Bell, the polemarker in Friday night’s 1730m event, was beaten for early speed by $4.80 chance Cooper, who started from barrier five and burst to the front after a battle with the $4 second fancy Strauny which resulted in a fast 7.4sec. lead time.

Strauny was then left in the breeze, with Wait For The Bell trailing the pacemaker. Wait For The Bell eventually got to the front with about 80m to travel, but he was swamped by the fast-finishing Strike Team, who finished fast to win by 4m. There are more wins in store for Strike Team, who has a fine record of 34 starts for ten wins, ten placings and stakes of $81,276.

Fast pace suits Rockaball

A fast lead time of 35.7sec. and then quick second and third quarters of 29.8sec. and 28.7sec. played into the hands of noted sit-sprinter Rockaball (Rock N Roll Heaven), who unwound a typical flourishing finishing burst to win the 2130m Celebrate NYE Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Micheal Ferguson was quite content to restrain the $4.20 chance Rockaball to the rear while Rockstar Rebel (the $3.50 favourite), Whoswhointhezoo ($13) and The Kraken ($6) were engaged in a titanic struggle for the early ascendancy.

Rockstar Rebel was the fastest out from barrier five and he led by a length but was unable to cross to the pegs. The Kraken then took the lead from Whoswhointhezoo after 400m and he set a brisk pace, with Rockaball settling down in tenth position.

Ferguson dashed Rockaball forward, three wide, approaching the bell and the seven-year-old sprinted strongly to hit the front 250m from home before winning by a half-length from $7 chance Manning, who fought on doggedly after racing wide early and then without cover.

The New Zealand-bred Rockaball, trained by Caris Hamilton-Smith, won at two of his 12 New Zealand starts, and his 38 WA starts have produced 11 wins and seven placings for earnings of $111,135. He cost $40,000 landed in WA and has been a splendid acquisition for his owners, Hamilton-Smith’s father Geordie and her uncle Lindsay Hamilton-Smith.

Rockaball has been a consistent performer since he resumed racing after being out of action for 23 months, between July 2019 and June 2021. He was off the scene after complications set in after he stood on a fencing nail in his paddock. Surgery was required to dig out the infection, and then it took several months for the foot to re-grow.

Onesmartfella resumes in style

Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred six-year-old Onesmartfella (Tintin In America) made a successful return to racing after a 15-week absence when Chris Voak drove him to an excellent all-the-way victory in the 1730m Garrard’s Horse And Hound Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The son of Tintin In America was produced in fine fettle by Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman, and the $2.30 favourite gave his supporters no serious concerns as he led easily from the No. 1 barrier and was rated perfectly by Voak.

Onesmartfella dashed over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 28sec. and won comfortably at a 1.56.5 rate from the $6.50 chance Mirragon, who trailed him throughout.

“This was a drop in class and a nice introduction back into racing,” said Hayman. “Certainly, the draw helps, and the distance suited. This hopefully is the right stepping stone for him to progress. We expected a strong effort from him after he had been working with fast-class pacer Perfect Major.”

Onesmartfella, the first foal out of Kentucky Girl, who managed one win from 14 starts, won at four of his 18 New Zealand starts and at two of his four Victorian starts. This was his first win in WA, at his sixth appearance in the State.

Eton Rock a panacea for Turvey

Ravenswood trainer-reinsman Nathan Turvey, laid low on Thursday by an attack of coronavirus, was confined to bed on Friday night when he had to forego the drive behind his smart three-year-old Eton Rock (Pet Rock) in the David Evans Memorial Pace at Gloucester Park.

And Eton Rock, an $11.30 chance from barrier No. 2, provided Turvey with a perfect panacea by scoring a brilliant victory.

Turvey engaged Gary Hall jnr to replace him in the sulky, and the star reinsman obliged by dashing Eton Rock straight to the front and dictating the terms on the way to winning by a length and a half from $13 chance Seven No Trumps, who fought on grandly after racing without cover all the way.

Eton Rock sprinted over the final quarters in 28.2sec. and 28.3sec. and rated 1.57.5 over the 2130m journey. The win took Eton Rock’s record to 22 starts for eight wins, seven placings and stakes of $52,303. He is by American sire Pet Rock and is the only foal produced by Modern Ville, who raced 31 times for four wins, ten placings and $26,413.

The victory gave Hall a flying start to the meeting and was the first of his four winners on the night.

“He went terrific tonight,” said Hall. “It was never the intention to lead (with the $2.65 favourite Speedwagon drawn barrier one and expected to set the pace). Speedwagon couldn’t get out of his own way at the start and Eton Rock got off the gate pretty keenly.”

Speedwagon trailed Eton Rock until Kyle Symington eased him off the pegs at the bell, forcing the $3.60 second fancy Mister Montblanc three wide. Mister Montblanc fought on gamely to finish third, while Speedwagon wilted to sixth.

With Turvey indisposed, his four horses engaged at Friday night’s meeting were under the care of Maddy Coles, who races Eton Rock in partnership with Turvey, Ben Irvine, Glenn Jordan and Michael Rowe’s Here There Everywhere Syndicate.

Eton Rock is only the second pacer raced by Irvine and Jordan, who were part-owners of Heavens Showgirl, a brilliant mare who had nine starts for the Turvey stable in WA in 2021 for five wins and one second placing before being sold to America where she has won at seven of her first 25 starts in the United States. Heavens Showgirl’s sister Modern Ville is the dam of Eton Rock.

Cabsav’s flying start

Drawing out wide at barrier No. 8 proved no problem for smart filly Cabsav, who began with a dazzling burst of speed to dash straight to the front in the 1730m $1 Million Nullarbor April 14 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Mike Reed-trained Cabsav went into the race with a losing sequence of 13 and as the second favourite at $4.70, with Fly To Fame, a winner at her two previous starts, the favourite at $2.80.

“We had never really used her gate speed,” said reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “But with the danger (Fly To Fame) drawn outside of Cabsav, and over a mile, I aimed to lead.”

Suvaljko’s tactics paid handsome dividends, with the filly setting a fast pace and winning by a length from $7 chance Seagrass, rating 1.56.

“The plan over the short journey was to keep in front of Fly To Fame,” said Reed. “I thought Cabsav could beat the others, and our plan worked out perfectly.”

Fly To Fame began speedily but was unable to get past Cabsav. Fly To Fame then raced three wide for the first 600m before working hard in the breeze. She did very well to hold on to finish.

“Cabsav will race at Gloucester Park on Tuesday (from barrier nine in race nine) and then she can have a couple of weeks off before being prepared for the $50,000 APG Sales Classic for three-year-old fillies on February 24,” said Reed.

“She won the group 1 APG Sales Classic for two-year-olds in February this year, and this resulted in her drawing out wide in most of her subsequent starts.”

Cabsav, owned by Jim Giumelli’s Swandoo Syndicate, has earned $135,860 from three wins, seven seconds and two thirds from 17 starts.

Diego runs great Cups trial

New Zealand owners Syd and Shona Brown were delighted to win the Fremantle Cup with My Field Marshal in January 2019, and now they have high hopes that Diego (Bettor’s Delight) will repeat the dose and give them another victory in the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup on January 13.

Their confidence was boosted when Maddison Brown drove the Diego to a brilliant victory in the $30,000 NYE @ Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

My Field Marshal, on a brief visit to Perth in the summer of 2018-19 for trainer Tim Butt and reinsman Anthony Butt, had three starts, winning the Village Kid Sprint and Fremantle Cup and then finishing fourth in the WA Pacing Cup.

Now the New Zealand-bred Diego, a rising seven-year-old, could go one better than My Field Marshal by winning both the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups in January.

Diego was the $1.90 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier on Friday night when Brown (no relation to the pacer’s owners) got the Bettors Delight gelding away smoothly and rated him perfectly after a lead time of 37.5sec., followed by quarters of 30.4sec., 29.9sec., 26.5sec. and 27.8sec. He won by 4m from stablemate and $18 chance Gambit, rating 1.54.9 over the 2130m.

DIEGO REPLAY

Magnificent Storm, the $2.35 second fancy, started from the back line settled down in sixth position in the one-wide line before he started a three-wide burst 900m from home and fought on in fine style to finish third.

Brown went into the race fully mindful of the previous time Diego had begun from the No. 1 barrier —- in a 2130m Free-For-All five starts earlier, on October 28 when he was the $1.95 favourite who galloped at the start and was always well back before finishing ninth behind Gambit.

“Once I got him out of the gate tonight and got him over that little hurdle, he experienced from barrier one when he didn’t get out, I was confident of victory,” said Brown.

“I have formed a good relationship with Diego and would love to drive him in the Cups.”

Diego, who has raced 74 times for 19 wins, 19 placings and $318,009, will have his next start in the $100,000 Stratton Cup next Friday week before contesting the Fremantle Cup the following Friday and the WA Pacing Cup two weeks after that event.

Champion trainer Gary Hall snr, who prepares Diego and Gambit, said he was looking forward to having five runners in the two big Cups — Diego, Gambit, Jumpingjackmac, Wildwest and Prince Of Pleasure.

Then in an unexpected declaration Hall said: “I reckon my best one in the Cups is Prince Of Pleasure, even though he might not get a start (he is currently listed at No. 14 in the rankings for the two events).

“He’s the best horse, ability wise. The other night (when second to Ragazzo Mach on December 16) he was four wide and only got run down because he did all the work, and the other horse trailed him. He is not used to that pressure racing.

“Of the others, I can’t separate Gambit and Diego. Wildwest won the Pacing Cup a year ago, and Jumpingjackmac is as good as the others, but he doesn’t win that often.

“Prince Of Pleasure will run next Friday night and try to win a Free-For-All to enable him to move up the list in the rankings.” Prince Of Pleasure is lightly raced, having had only 18 starts for eight wins and three placings for stakes of $69,674.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park