Gloucester Park review

In The Spotlight, the only New Zealand-bred filly in the field of 12, gave decisive proof of her ability when she outclassed her rivals in harness racing’s $100,000 Group 1 Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Bettors Delight filly, third favourite at $6.10, owned by Team Bond and prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was driven with supreme confidence by Ryan Warwick and was not extended in defeating the $2 favourite Taking The Miki by two and a half lengths, with the pacemaker Sovrana ($9.50) in third place.

In The Spotlight now is unbeaten from three starts and she looks set to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious relation Elle Mac, who was retired to stud after earning $607,678 from 12 wins and ten placings from 32 starts.

Elle Mac, a half-sister to In The Spotlight’s dam Goodlookingbabe, was an outstanding youngster in New Zealand where she won six group 1 classics, the last of which was at her final appearance when she won the Four-Year-Old Diamond Classic at Addington in June 2019.

In The Spotlight started from the outside of the back line and settled down in eighth position before Warwick made a decisive move by dashing her forward, three wide, after 350m to move into the breeze, with Sovrana setting the pace from the polemarker Artistic Scribe.

After 700m Chris Lewis sent the $8.50 chance Eagle Royalty forward to assume the breeze position, thus giving In The Spotlight an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.

“In The Spotlight had done it the hard way to win at her first two starts, and I was hoping not to do it that way tonight,” said Warwick. “However, I was happy to stay in the breeze and didn’t really want the one-out, one-back spot. But I was also happy to sit her up.”

Warwick sent In The Spotlight to the front 500m from home and the filly was untroubled to win without being extended, with Warwick saying: “She hadn’t come to the end of her run.”

Chris Voak was happy with Taking The Miki’s effort in finishing second after sustaining a strong three-wide burst from seventh at the bell. “She was beaten by a better horse on the night, but she ran a creditable race,” said Voak.

Brown’s plan was the best idea

Maddison Brown continues to impress with her sublime skill in the sulky, and she was rewarded for her patience when she landed veteran pacer Whozideawasthis a surprise winner of the $25,000 Book A Private Box At Gloucester Park Pace at WA’s harness racing headquarters on Friday night.

Remarkably, the 10-year-old Whozideawasthis was a rank outsider at $85.80 a week after Brown had driven the gelding to an all-the-way win from the No. 1 barrier.

Punters disregarded the New Zealand-bred gelding’s form and most gave him little chance from the outside of the back line in the 2130m event in which his champion stablemate Chicago Bull was favourite at $2.90 from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.

And in another shock, Chicago Bull finished in last place in the field of 12.

Chicago Bull’s trainer Gary Hall snr had five of the runners, including Whozideawasthis and the pacemaker Ideal Liner, a $12 chance at his first appearance for 38 weeks who set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and finished second. The Hall quinella paid a handsome dividend of $456.70.

Brown cleverly angled Whozideawasthis across to the pegs to give the gelding a soft run. Whozideawasthis was seventh, four back on the pegs at the bell, and he was still under lock and key 400m from home. Then, with about 450m to travel Chris Playle eased $23 chance Stroke Of Luck from behind the pacemaking Ideal Liner to issue a challenge.

Dylan Egerton-Green then got off the inside with Tyler Brett (three back on the pegs) to follow Stroke Of Luck. Brown had little room to move, and she persisted with the inside running until Whozideawasthis took advantage of a fortuitous inside run and burst to the front 45m from the post to record a wonderful victory by a neck over Ideal Liner. Stroke Of Luck finished a nose away in third place, with Tyler Brett fourth.

Playle lodged a protest against Ideal Liner, alleging interference over the final 300m. The stewards dismissed the protest, ruling that they considered that the level of interference did not warrant the protest being upheld.

Brown has enjoyed a good association with Whozideawasthis, having driven the oldstager seven times for two wins and two second placings. Whozideawasthis now has won at four of his past six starts to improve his record to 112 starts for 29 wins and 18 placings for stakes of $337,754.
Whozideawasthis won nine times in New Zealand and four times in New South Wales and looks capable of improving on his West Australian record of 16 wins for the Hall stable.

Chicago Bull settled down in last position and Gary Hall jnr sent him forward, out three wide, approaching the 900m mark to move into eighth place at the bell and fifth at the 600m. He was forced wide and failed to run on as he wilted to finish last.

“I’m a bit disappointed with the run,” said star reinsman Gary Hall jnr. “When I took off Chicago Bull didn’t really want to zap up there,” he said. “He seems really well in himself, which is why I was disappointed that he is not racing as good as he can.

“Both races (since resuming after a spell) have been pretty hard ones to get into. At his previous preparation he was showing form that we weren’t exactly happy with until we had that race with Handsandwheels where I really got stuck into him and made him do what we thought he could do. He then sort of turned the corner.

“He is so laid back and casual. So, if you take him back off the gate, he isn’t prepared to do his best. And being a bit older, it might take a bit longer to get him back to his best.”

Patronus Star resumes in style

Brilliant four-year-old Patronus Star showed that he is poised for a highly successful winter campaign when he outgunned his rivals on a heavy waterlogged track at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

At his first appearance for 15 weeks, Patronus Star, a hot $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Christmas In July At The Beau Rivage Pace, simply ambled around the track in front before sprinting the final 400m in 27.6sec. to beat in-form pacers Boom Time and Diego at a slow 2.0.5 rate.

“He only had to what he needed to do,” said star reinsman Ryan Warwick. “He got it pretty easy.”

The win completed a treble for Warwick and outstanding trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who had combined earlier in the night to win with Lawrence and In The Spotlight.

Patronus Star, the winner of the WA Derby in April 2020, won at two of his seven New Zealand starts and now has raced 15 times for the Bond stable for 10 wins and three placings. His stake-earnings now stand at $299,889.

Six-year-old Lawrence was a $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2536m Bridge Bar Pace, and after resisting a strong early challenge for the lead from Nota Bene Denario, he was untroubled to set the pace and dashed over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 28.5sec. to beat the fast-finishing $21 chance Rabchenko by a half-length, with Nota Bene Denario ($7.50) fighting on gamely to be a length farther back in third place.

Lawrence, a winner of five races in New Zealand, has been a splendid performer for the Bonds in WA where his 14 starts have produced seven wins and five seconds for an overall record of 42 starts for 12 wins, 16 placings and stakes of $121,793.

Euphoric Moment is an iron horse

Collie trainer Errol Ashcroft continues to produce Euphoric Moment in splendid condition week in and week out, and the five-year-old maintained his consistent form and ended a losing streak of 12 when Deni Roberts drove him to a thrilling victory over Vespa and Major Stare in a three-way photo finish to the 2130m Book Your Next Conference At Gloucester Park Pace on Friday night.

Euphoric Moment was fourth favourite at $7.50 from the prized No. 1 barrier, but he was beaten for early speed by $9.50 chance Pradason.

Trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo set his rivals a stern challenge with Pradason running a fast lead time of 36.1sec. followed by solid quarters of 28.2sec., 29.3sec. and 29.7sec.

Pradason was still in front on the home turn before he was swamped in the final stages by Euphoric Moment (who had trailed him throughout), the $5.50 chance Vespa (who charged home six wide) and Major Stare (a $23 chance who sustained a powerful three-wide burst from the rear). The final 400m was run in 30.5sec.

Euphoric Moment is by the American-bred former star pacer Mr Feelgood and is out of the Kinney Hanover mare Barleys Hope, who raced 59 times for six wins, 15 placings and $50,126 in prizemoney. Euphoric Moment has earned $126,209 from 13 wins and 30 placings from 94 starts.

Im Beta Than Gouda ends losing run of 32

Experienced performer Im Beta Than Gouda relished the heavy rain and waterlogged track when he trailed the pacemaker Joey James before getting into the clear 470m from home and racing three wide on the home turn to get up in the final desperate stride to snatch a nose victory over the frontrunner in the 2130m Bridge Bar Open Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Im Beta Than Gouda, a six-year-old trained by his lessee owner Amber Sparks, was a $5.70 chance from the No. 1 barrier, and his victory ended a 16-month drought and a losing sequence of 32.

Most pundits considered that Im Beta Than Gouda’s best prospects would lie with his ability to set the pace. But Joey James, a $15 chance, surprised when he began speedily from the No. 4 barrier to set the pace.

The $4.60 second fancy Machs Gold was left in the breeze, with the $3.30 favourite Pierre Whitby racing in sixth position in the one-wide line.

Joey James was being hailed the winner when he led by two lengths with 100m to travel. But he wilted and was overhauled in the final stride.

Im Beta Than Gouda, a gelding by Betterthancheddar, is out of the Kinney Hanover mare Casual Fling, who raced 85 times for ten wins, 22 placings and stakes of $82,950. She was driven twice during her career by Aldo Cortopassi (for unplaced efforts as a two-year-old).

Cortopassi is the regular driver of Im Beta Than Gouda, and he was able to ease the gelding into the clear with about 460m to travel and then switch him three wide on the home turn. He fought on doggedly to gain the narrow verdict.

Im Beta Than Gouda won on debut when he scored a short half-head victory as a two-year-old at Narrogin in May 2017. He then was unsuccessful at his next 24 starts before winning at Wagin in April 2019. Im Beta Than Gouda now has raced 88 times for nine wins, 11 placings and $70,274 in stakes.

Alta Blues turns the corner

Alta Blues was an immature youngster with plenty of problems. But he has blossomed into a quality four-year-old who impressed with a runaway victory in the 2536m Footy Friday At JP’s Sportsbar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The giant Alta Christiano gelding showed his set for bigger and better things when he started the $1.60 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and set the pace before racing away to win by four lengths at a 1.56.8 rate from the fast-finishing $61 chance The Stars Above.

It was a highly encouraging effort for the Gary Hall senior-trained pacer at his second appearance after a 19-week absence. He also impressed his driver Gary Hall jnr, who said: “When he was an early three-year-old he couldn’t run a 35sec. quarter without breaking up. It’s amazing that he’s now got a 27-second quarter in him.

“I was a bit disappointed with his first-up run (a fading sixth behind Parmesan two weeks earlier). But he is a big gross horse, and I knew he would benefit from the run. His work the other day was really good and I was pretty confident.

“He touched the wheels a couple of times and got pulling on me. That was a bit of a worry and I felt that if he was still a bit unders he was going to be found wanting.”

Alta Blues ha s had only 14 starts for seven wins and three placings for earnings of $53,884. He is out of the Canadian mare Child From The Sea, who had 36 starts for seven wins, six placings and $34,647. Child From The Sea is an older sister to former American champion pacer Somebeachsomewhere, who amassed $3,328,755 from 20 wins and one placings from just 21 starts before becoming an outstanding stallion.

Born To Boogie revives memories

Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred six-year-old Born To Boogie made an outstanding debut at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she ran her rivals ragged in the 2130m Better Your Bet With TABtouch Pace.

Her all-the way victory as the $1.20 favourite and rating a smart 1.55.9 revived memories of her half-brother Glenferrie Hood, who shone for trainer-reinsman Chris Brew in his first 22 starts, all in WA between 2012 and 2014.

Those 22 runs produced eight wins and six placings, including victories at his three starts as a two-year-old, at Pinjarra and twice at Gloucester Park, and at his first start as a three-year-old, at Narrogin. He went on to finish second to Northview Punter in the Group 3 Caduceus Club Classic, and three starts after that was third in the group 1 WA Derby behind Alta Christiano and Macha.

Glenferrie Hood, who retired last year with an imposing record of 162 starts for 46 wins and 23 placings for stakes of $538,110, then continued on his merry way, notching three wins in Victoria, seven in New South Wales and 28 in Queensland.

Born To Boogie, purchased in New Zealand as a yearling for $11,000 by Merv Butterworth’s Butterworth Racing Syndicate, won at five of her 26 starts in New Zealand where her final appearance was at Invercargill last September when she finished second to Nota Bene Denario over 2200m.

She impressed at her West Australian debut on May 17 when she was slow to begin in a stand at Pinjarra before flashing home from the one-out, one-back position with a final 400m in 26.6sec. to beat Louie The Horse by five metres.

On Friday night the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Born To Boogie, prepared by Ross Olivieri, was untroubled to set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and went on to win by 17 metres from Blockjorg.

Reinsman Chris Voak said that he had no doubt that Born To Boogie would improve with racing and should develop into a leading contender for the rich feature events for mares in the summer months.

“She won with the earplugs in after carving out very solid sectionals,” he said. “It was contrary to her first-up win when they went very slow and sprinted home. Tonight, she showed the quality I thought she possessed.”

Victoria Oaks is Miss Boudica’s target

Powerful filly Miss Boudica, denied the chance of contesting the $350,000 Australian Pacing Gold Classic for three-year-old fillies at Melton on Saturday night because of the restrictions and problems surrounding the coronavirus pandemic in Victoria, proved her class with a devastating victory in the $51,000 group 2 APG Consolation final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Part owner and trainer Michael Brennan was justifiably proud of Miss Boudica’s performance in setting a scorching pace for Michael Grantham and careering away from her rivals to win by more than three lengths from Chance Eclipse, rating 1.54.3 over the 2130m journey.

“She would’ve given them a shake in the big race in Melbourne because she would have had to do nothing off the gate from the back line, and she is much better chasing,” said Brennan.

“I decided against taking Miss Boudica by plane to Victoria on Thursday, simply because of the risk. You would be putting too many people at risk, not only myself, my family, but the whole racing industry.

“She is a very good filly who was just one week short going into the WA Oaks early in April (when finishing third behind Benesari Lane and Always An Angel). I haven’t spoken to the owners yet, but my thoughts are that she should go straight to the paddock and then set her for the Victoria Oaks in October.

“I told Michael (Grantham) to put his foot on the accelerator tonight, and he drove her perfectly. She just runs and breaks their hearts. It was probably the best thing to happen to her that Chance Eclipse got to her approaching the home turn. She then kicked up and got going. She is inclined to switch off a little bit when on her own.”

Miss Boudica’s victory was tinged with sadness for Brennan, whose long-time friend Les Johnson died at the age of 75 near Wagga earlier in the week.

“Les bred Miss Boudica and he was a larger-than-life character I have known for 25 years,” said Brennan.

“Miss Boudica is the first pacer I have bought off Les, and she cost only $18,000. She was originally to be auctioned at the APG Melbourne yearling sale, but she cut a back leg and had to be withdrawn. She then was a supplementary entry for the Sydney sale and wasn’t in the catalogue.

“I had her pencilled in when I went to the Melbourne sale, and when I went to the Sydney sale there were only two of us bidding for her.”

Miss Boudica gives every indication of improving after her first 11 starts have produced five wins and five placings for stakes of $55,850. She is a half-sister to eight winners, including Bettor Rock On, who had 208 starts for 40 wins, 64 placings and stakes of $442,173.

Bettor Rock On’s final 11 Australian starts were in Western Australia for trainer David Thompson — for one win and four placings — before he was sold to race in America.

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park